Career Development Association of New Zealand www.cdanz.org.nz The Ezine, Summer 2013, Volume 17, issue 1

Qualifications to enhance your employability

Glenys Ker outlines the career-specific qualifiations available at Otago Polytechnic and the range of learning options available.

Otago Polytechnic has a range of qualifications suitable for career practitioners who might be looking to have their skills, knowledge and experiences recognised, or who might be looking to gain new knowledge and ideas. Three qualifications are available, the Bachelor of Social Services (Career Practice), the Graduate Diploma in Professional Practice, and now the much awaited Master of Professional Practice.

Assessment of prior learning (APL) and work based learning (WBL) are two methods that differ from traditional learning and academic study.

APL and WPL can work well for career practitioners who have years of skill, knowledge and experience but not always the qualification, or their new learning may be quite specific or focused for their own practice.

Both APL and WBL are assessed orally in front of a panel and the candidate is required to produce a portfolio of evidence. The learner is supported by a mentor. Their learning contract is negotiated with employer, learner and the Polytechnic to determine new learning that meets the needs of the organization/learner. Self employed people who need or want new learning can also negotiate a learning contract.

The beauty of the Graduate Diploma and the Masters is that you get to select an area or topic of interest to learn more about and explore in depth: for instance Career Leadership, Career Management, Careers for Teenagers, and Career Entrepreneurship.

Readers who are interested in finding out more about these qualifications may wish to attend the CAPABLENZ Auckland seminar on 7 February (information follows).

Glenys Ker - Glenys.Ker@op.ac.nz – CDANZ member, facilitator, academic mentor, assessor (for degree, grad dip, MPP)

Richard Kerr-Bell – Richard.Kerr-Bell@op.ac.nz – Programme Leader for Grad Dip and Master of Professional Practice

Life teaches you so muchYou should get a qualification for it!

You have knowledge and skills based on years of experience

But don’t have the qualifications to prove it

Do you want to upgrade your qualifications, maybe to postgraduate level

AND (not but)

Your working life is rich and challenging?

CAPABLE NZ at Otago Polytechnic specialises in new ways of delivering education to skilled and employed learners

Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) and Work-Based Learning (WBL) degrees at Otago Polytechnic

Qualifications can be gained in many different ways at Otago Polytechnic

Could Assessment of Prior Learning be your pathway to gaining a degree?

You have years of experience, and want your knowledge recognised.

It begins with a profiling discussion: is this for you – which qualification and to what level?

• Send in your skills-based CV • Work through the online self-profiling

tool. Have a discussion with a facilitator.

Enrolment: If this works for you, fill out the application form and begin work with an appointed facilitator

Facilitation – an exploration of understandings and skills and experiences, preparing you to present for assessment

Assessment – for a whole or part of a qualification – an oral presentation including a portfolio of evidence to a panel

Could Capable Workplaces be your pathway to gaining an undergraduate degree?

You are in work, and facing a challenge:Eg: •Restructuring•Entering a new market•Morale issues in your team

New learning is required (or requested!)These rich and interesting challenges become your course content

A three-way partnership between:YouOtago Polytechnic Your employer or sponsor

to address these workplace challenges and personal goals while meeting academic requirements.Capable Workplaces uses Work-Based Learning principles – Learning is at work, through work, for work

The process

APL process and formal assessment

Identification of gaps or areas wanting to be strengthened

Development of negotiated Learning Agreement (three-way)

Facilitation, mentoring and academic support

Final assessment presentation

Capable Workplaces–postgraduate opportunities

Graduate Diploma of Professional Practice

Master of Professional Practice

Graduate Diploma of Professional Practice

Master of Professional Practice

First of its kind in New Zealand

High level, professional qualification based on the realities of your organisation

Supports leadership, transformation and entrepreneurship

During the Master of Professional Practice you’ll learn to

Research an area significant to you and your workplace

Self-appraise/reflect on practice

Undertake complex action-planning

Critically evaluate ideas and options

Use wide-ranging resources effectively

Communicate with and lead others successfully

The Graduate Diploma in Professional Practice is similar, but shorter

The Graduate Diploma in Professional Practice is for people who want to explore a new area and challenge, but not at the same level or size of the Master’s.

It’s a helpful one year qualification, broadening your existing practice

It gives you a taste of work-based learning

Capable Workplaces is right for you if:

You have sufficient drive and creativity to take responsibility for shaping your own learning pathways

You love to learn by engaging with others; mentors, advisors, facilitators, people in your organisation or outside of it. You like reading, thinking, attempting to make sense of something

You like to produce something real at the end, of benefit to yourself and others.

Work-Based Learning is about

Goals and challengesPartnership/s

Conversations, reading, thinking

Reflecting and engaging

Solving and making sense

Developing new abilities

ContributingCreating

Capable NZ involves Self-paced learning to suit your lifestyle

Facilitators and academic/professional mentors will support you throughout the whole process

A one to two year engagement with Otago Polytechnic, fitting your timeline, your environment, capable of coping with your travels and shifting spaces –learning no matter where you are

The People Supporting You

Your facilitator, there to inspire, enthuse, and help you make sense of all that you are learning and exploring. They’ll help you over the stumbling blocks and partner you to assessment

Your academic mentors who bring understandings from the bodies of knowledge that your enquiry will call on. They provide rigor to your learning

Your professional mentors who bring extensive credibility in profession and work practice your project is exploring.

No ordinary classroom

Use technology to keep in touch if you are travelling

Individual support – online or face to face

Meet others and engage with new ideas – online or in person when you are in NZ

Seminars, workshops

Read, think, blog, share, explore

Create

Contact CapableNZ at Otago Polytechnic

info@capablenz.ac.nz or http://www.capable.co.nz

Phone us on 0800 762 786 and ask for Richard Kerr-Bell, Programme Manager, or email him on Richard Kerr-Bell@op.ac.nz

Glenys Ker – Facilitator who has partnered with many people to gain qualifications via APL or Capable Workplaces – glenys.ker@op.ac.nz

Turn the skills and knowledge from your personal and professional experiences into a recognised qualification!