Supporters GuideSupporting Māori and Pasifika young people to re-engage in learning and attain relevant qualifications

COUNT ME IN

CONTENTS

Identifying the young person’s aspirations, interests and needs 63

3Purpose

Building a relationship 41

Building a support team 52

Establishing the young person’s ‘starting point’ 74

Identifying pathway options 95

Discussing and selecting pathway options 116

Formalising the support team’s contributions 137

Supporting the young person’s re-engagement in learning 148

Mobilising the support network 159

Addressing emerging issues 1610

3

This Guide is for those working with young people to support their re-engagement in learning and attainment of relevant qualifications.

This is based on the Facilitator’s Guide

developed for the Ministry of Education’s

Count Me In initiative, 2015-2017. Count Me In

supported Māori and Pasifika 16-18 year olds,

that were outside the education system, to re-

engage in learning and attain NCEA Level 2 or

an equivalent qualification.

NCEA – The National Certificate of Educational Achievement is the national qualification system for New Zealand’s senior secondary school students. It is made up of three Certificates at Levels 1, 2 and 3 and usually studied in Years 11, 12 and 13 at school.

An equivalent qualification – The New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) is divided into 10 levels, and covers a range of qualifications from certificates to doctoral degrees. NZQF Certificates at Levels 1, 2 and 3 can be attained through tertiary providers e.g. Private Training Establishments (PTEs) and Wānanga.

Alternative Education - Alternative education is a short term intervention which supports students between 13 and 15 years of age who have been alienated from mainstream education.

Te Kura/The Correspondence School - Te Kura is a distance education provider offering personalised learning programmes to students from early childhood to Year 13.

Literacy - is the ability to read and write. It means being able to use language, numbers, images and other concepts to communicate with, and be readily understood, by others in your community.

Numeracy - is being at home with numbers, and knowing the smartest way to solve mathematical problems. Being numerate is being able to use mathematics well at home, at work and in the community.

Terms

Purpose

The most important thing in

working through the steps in

this Guide is to ensure that the

young person is fully engaged,

understands each step, and can

make informed decisions.

Feedback from Count Me In Facilitators and

partners (including numerous agencies,

community groups, parents and families)

helped refine the advice and tools in this

Supporters Guide.

Although it is mainly focused on supporting

young people that are outside the education

system, this Guide may also help those

working with young people that are still in the

education system (e.g. at school, in Alternative

Education, or enrolled with Te Kura/The

Correspondence School) but are struggling to

find a pathway or direction.

Step-by-step guidance is provided along with:

• helpful video tips from supporters, young

people and their families;

• links to helpful digital tools and more

detailed information; and

• templates to capture key discussions.

4

1

Tools and Resources

Sitting down and having a lot of eye contact

may be awkward for some. Taking them

outside for a walk where you don’t have to

make as much eye contact may provide a more

comfortable environment for the young person

to talk about themselves at the beginning of

your relationship.

Why is it important?

It is important to communicate, to listen, and to

value the young person as an individual. Focus

on the positive achievements that the young

person has already made and how they can

progress, rather than on the negative aspects of

their past experiences.

It is also important to help the young person

identify barriers to their re-engagement in

learning, which may include:

• motivation to learn

• ability to read

• an ingrained sense of failure

• having the right information, advice and

guidance, and

• support from parents/caregivers and other

adult and peer role models.

Building a relationship with the young person

may take time, developing over the course of

several engagements.

This step involves you building a rapport with the young person and

demonstrating your commitment to helping them move forward.

Building a relationship

If you already have a

relationship with the young

person, skip ahead to Step Two

Use the Key Information Template

to capture details, including the

young person’s contact details,

and the names and contact details

of any people who are their

supporters/influencers including

parents, family members and peers.

Read a helpful article on Engaging Young People in Learning

https://www.equalityhumanrights.

com/en/publication-download/

research-report-25-engaging-

all-young-people-meaningful-

learning-after-16

Learn tips through Christain’s journey on building relationships with young people https://vimeo.com/226391314

5

2

This is a critical part of your role, as it is not

intended that the young person become

dependent on you. The more you can involve

others, and encourage them to provide more

long-term support of the young person, the

better.

Why is this important?

It is important that you meet with the young

person’s parents/caregivers and family to

gather background information, determine their

interests, explain how you will be supporting

him/her, and encourage everyone to take active

roles in supporting the young person (to be

formalised in Step Seven).

If you are a parent, encourage others in your

family to help support your child.

The young person will also have a range of

supporters/influencers around them, which may

include family (direct or extended), friends/

peers or ‘role models’. Engage with as many of

these as you can, and seek their agreement to

support the young person.

If the young person has had contact with any

agency, they may have important background

information, and processes that you may need

to support the young person through (e.g.

Family Group Conferences or Youth/District

Court appearances).

Agency staff may also be encouraged to join the

young person’s support team (e.g. as adult role

models) if they believe they can be of help.

This step involves you building a support team around the young person you are working with.

Building a support team

Swanie explains how critical it is to build a good relationship with whānauhttps://vimeo.com/226393637

Christina and her mum talk about the importance of family support https://vimeo.com/226391605

Tools and Resources

3

Zane aspires to be a Head Chef at his own restaurant. Watch his story.https://vimeo.com/226394006

This step involves identifying the young person’s aspirations, interests and needs, to ensure that pathway options (at Step Five) are relevant.

As young people (and adults too) may find it difficult

to talk about career or life goals, it may be more

helpful to start with some general questions:

• What things do you like doing/are you good at?

Writing? Sports? Designing or building things?

Hobbies? Art? Helping others?

• How did you find school? What did you like

about school? What didn’t you like about school?

When and why did you leave school?

• Is there anyone you admire or want to be like?

Why?

• What is your dream job? Why is this your dream

job?

• Are there any reasons why you aren’t pursuing

qualifications to get your dream job?

• How much do you know about qualifications?

How much do your parents/family members

know about qualifications?

If the young person is finding it hard to describe what

they want to do (career-wise), go to https://www.

careers.govt.nz/plan-your-career/not-sure-what-to-

do/ and work through the prompts.

Or browse through Careers NZ’s Oompher web-

series videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/

UC_knKJOIo2Cq4Pf4UtRhBsA

Careers NZ provides many tools and resources:

• Know Your Skills helps people identify what skills

are, and how they can discover their own skills

and use them towards their career www.careers.

govt.nz/job-hunting/cvs-and-cover-letters/

describing-skills-in-your-cv/#CV

• CareerQuest recommends jobs based on young

people’s actual interests

www.careers.govt.nz/tools/careerquest/

• Skill Matcher generates job ideas based on

the skills young people enjoy/are interested in

learning. It shows how their skills could apply

to many occupations within New Zealand, and

provides tips on what steps to take next

www.careers.govt.nz/tools/skill-matcher/

Tools and Resources

Hear how David turned his life around https://vimeo.com/226391803

Use the Interests Template to

record key points for future use

Identifying the young person’s aspirations, interests and needs

4

››

7

This step involves establishing the young person’s starting point. To do this you will need to view (with them) their Record of Achievement (ROA).

First, you will need the young persons’ National Student Number (NSN) and password.

Forgotten their NSN and/or password? Phone 0800 697 296 or send an enquiry to the NZQA Call Centre HelpDesk - http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/contact-us/, answer several questions, and the NSN will be provided.

Login at NZQA Student Log in - https://secure.nzqa.govt.nz/for-learners/records/login.do

The ROA will show all NCEA (achievement) credits and/or NZQF (unit standard) credits that the young person has achieved. Identify and record the number of credits the young person has achieved at NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3, and any NZQF credits they may have attained whilst at school. This will help inform thinking on pathway options, so they do not repeat credits already attained, and know how many credits are needed to attain qualifications at different levels.

To attain NCEA Level 2, young people must have 10 NCEA Level 1 literacy credits, 10 NCEA Level 1 numeracy

credits, and 60 NCEA Level 2 credits

Unpaid fees?Youth Guarantee learners that access fees-free

places are eligible to have their unpaid fees paid

through a process administered by the New Zealand

Qualifications Authority (NZQA).

Credits not showing?If the young person believes they have attained

credits but these are not showing on the ROA,

contact NZQA to report the school that has withheld

these credits. Schools cannot withhold (not report)

credits due to unpaid fees.

Attained literacy and numeracy credits?To determine if the young person has the required

10 Literacy and 10 Numeracy NCEA L1 credits, you

will need to click on the ‘Vocational Pathways’ tab on

the menu to the left of the ROA. If the young person

has achieved the required NCEA L1 Literacy and

Numeracy credits, ticks will appear against these.

If the young person has not achieved the required

Literacy and Numeracy credits, crosses will appear

against these. You will need to go back to the young

person’s ROA and scroll through the attained NCEA/

NZQF credits to determine if the young person has

achieved any Literacy and Numeracy credits.

Literacy and Numeracy credits may be attained

through traditional subjects like English and Maths,

but can also be attained through other subjects.

Use the Youth Guarantee Literacy and Numeracy Calculator (www.youthguarantee.net.nz/vocational-

pathways/profile-builder/) to determine where

literacy and numeracy credits have been attained

through other subjects.

Establishing the young person’s ‘starting point’

Tools and Resources

Use these resources to help the young person and their support network members develop their understanding of qualifications.

• Five questions parents have about NCEA http://www.careers.govt.nz/we-answer-the-top-five-questions-parents-have-about-ncea/

• How to Understand NCEA http://www.careers.govt.nz/how-to-understand-ncea/

• Understanding NZ Qualifications http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/studying-in-new-zealand/understand-nz-quals/

What’s NCEA all about? Let’s break it down https://youtu.be/Eo6oLa64ywE

The importance of choosing good credits! https://youtu.be/3w6a3BDc6DI

Hear how Taylor turned a negative schooling experience into a positive pathway opportunity https://vimeo.com/226393848

What is a Record of Achievement? Let Patsie explain https://vimeo.com/226393290

5

Schools don’t get a choice about which students they educate – they have to educate everyone who is enrolled (see http://youthlaw.co.nz/rights/school/enrolment/getting-enrolled-at-a-school/ for more information).

If you are a New Zealand citizen or resident between 5 and 19 years old, you have the right to an education at a state school of your choosing until the 1st of January after the year in which you turn 19. A state school may refuse to enrol you only if:• You do not qualify under the school’s

zoning and enrolment scheme;• You have been excluded or expelled

from that school;• The school has been established for a

specific purpose which does not apply to you (for instance, attending a boys’ school when you are a girl).

Private schools can refuse to enrol you provided they do not discriminate against you under any of the prohibited grounds of discrimination of the Human Rights Act 1993, such as race, sexual orientation, disability, political opinions or family status.

Under the Privacy Act 1993, your old school cannot tell a new school information about you unless giving that information to the new school was one of the reasons your school got that information from you in the first place, or you grant your consent.

Under the Act you also have the right to know what one school has told another about you.

››

Identifying pathway options This step involves collecting relevant information on the options the young person may have to attain qualifications and realise their career aspirations.

The first place to start is with their career

aspiration(s) and identifying the qualifications

required in these industries/occupations. Your first

useful reference is the Careers NZ jobs database

(http://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs/).

Enter the desired job(s) that the young person

has identified in the search box, or find jobs by

industry and interest area. Each job profile includes

information about the job, how to enter the job, and

job opportunities.

Click on the ‘how to enter the job’ tab, and view

the Entry Requirements and Secondary Education

requirements. The Secondary Education section will

list NCEA qualifications that are required for that

job. The Entry Requirements will identify if a tertiary

qualification is required, and what type(s) of tertiary

qualification(s) they are.

Pathway options

Now you need to identify what pathway options are

available for the young person, including:

• returning to secondary school to gain the credits/

qualifications they need for their desired career/

occupation, or

• enrolling with a tertiary provider to undertake a

course to attain the required qualifications.

Returning to secondary schoolIf the young person you are working with has been

out of the school system for some time, it is unlikely

that they will want to return to secondary school.

However, this is still an option that should be explored

– particularly if they are 10 or less credits short of

attaining NCEA L2.

If this is an option that the young person is interested

in, identify and meet with local schools to determine

whether re/enrolment is an option. Please note that

schools may refuse to enrol young people.

Find local schools at Education Counts (http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school)

Te Kura/The Correspondence School may be an

option if the young person you are working with lives

too far from a school, has health issues or special

requirements (e.g. lacks confidence as a result of

bullying). Te Kura provides distance learning for

students who are unable to attend their local school,

and students aged between 16 and 19 years old

are also able to enrol with Te Kura if they are not

attending another school on a full-time basis.

Te Kura requires self-directed learning and support in

the home, so may not be the best option for learners

that need structure and social interaction.

To find out if the young person you are working with

child is eligible to enrol at Te Kura visit their website:

http://www.tekura.school.nz/

9

Hear how Mags chose her new path after leaving school with no credits. https://vimeo.com/226392958

Hear from Shekinah and Jude on the importance of choosing the right pathway. https://vimeo.com/226392597

Tertiary educationTertiary education and training covers all education

after secondary school, including both higher

education and vocational training. Tertiary

providers include private training establishments

(PTEs), institutes of technology and polytechnics

(ITPs), wānanga, and universities.

Fees-Free PathwaysWithin the Government’s Youth Guarantee

programme is the Fees-Free scheme, which

is designed to provide 16-19 year olds with an

opportunity to study towards NCEA Level 2 aligned

with the Vocational Pathways, or equivalent, at

tertiary providers free of charge. Students take part

in full-time study in programmes which are usually

vocationally focused. There are over 10,000 fees-

free places per annum for young people offered by

a range of Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs)

including Polytechnics, Wānanga and PTEs.

Go to www.youthguarantee.net.nz/find-a-provider/

to identify fees-free providers in your area. You

will need to make contact with the provider(s) to

identify which fees-free course options they have

available, and the number of places they have

available for those courses. Note that the funding

that TEOs receive includes provision for student

pastoral care and travel.

Other optionsAt foundational levels (1-2) there may be other fees-

free options available for young people, although

these will not have the travel support that the Youth

Guarantee Fees-Free scheme offers. There will also

be fee-paying options which, whilst less attractive,

offer insights into the kinds of pathways available to

the young person to progress their career pathway.

If you already know the names of tertiary providers

in your region, check out their websites too.

At this stage it may become apparent that the

young person is not yet ready for a full tertiary

course, and that ‘bridging’ options may be more

suitable. These could include shorter ‘top-up’

courses that will bridge the young person into

higher-level qualifications.

Career and Qualifications Plan template - record qualification credits attained, qualifications required, and identified

pathway options.

• Which Course Where, which has information about tertiary education providers, qualifications and courses – http://www.whichcoursewhere.co.nz/SearchQual.aspx

• Careers NZ’s database for specific courses or information about training providers in different regions – https://www.careers.govt.nz/education-and-training/

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Tools and Resources

Helpful sites

6

Hineoma share tips on working with the student to choose the right provider https://vimeo.com/226392122

Career and Qualifications Plan template - record qualification credits attained, qualifications required, and identified

pathway options.

Tools and Resources

››

“If you support them well enough, and you listen to

what it is that interested in, you should be able to find something that can align into what it is that they

want to do.”

Hineoma Paekau-Rush

Discussing and selecting pathway options This step involves working with the young person and their support network members (if required) to discuss and select pathway options, and identify support needs.

In presenting and discussing options with the young

person, it will be important to give them as much

information to consider as is possible. For the various

pathway options, you should identify:

• the length and costs (if you cannot access fees-

free options) of the course(s);

• any other costs that could be incurred such as

accommodation/living and travel to and from

classes;

• learning and pastoral supports offered by the

course provider; and

• whether credits can be transferred if the young

person decides to change courses.

As it is likely that you will have identified several

options for the young person to consider, you will

need to help them make an informed decision on

what’s right for them. Work with the young person,

and their family if appropriate, to identify the ‘pros

and cons’ of each option. Use all the information you

have collected thus far to inform discussions.

If you feel it will be helpful, take the young person to

visit course providers, meet with tutors and look at

training facilities. Arrange for the young person to

talk to people that have completed the course(s) they

are interested in, or are in the job(s)/career(s) they’re

interested in.

Using the Career and Qualification Plan Template,

explain the options you have identified to the young

person and respond to any questions they have. If

they raise issues you hadn’t thought of, you may

need to gather more information to help them make

an informed decision. If they identify supports they

require to undertake the course, capture these so you

can engage with relevant service providers to wrap

this support around the young person and/or their

family.

Do as much as you can to ensure that the young

person is making an informed decision, and not

just trying to please you or their family, or is too

overwhelmed by the information to make a choice.

Once they have made their decision, work with them

to finalise details, including confirming there is space

on the (preferably fees-free) course.

Whilst accessing Fees-Free options will cover course

costs (including travel – see Travel Cost below), the

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Travel CostsThe Tertiary Education Commission may reimburse

cost of daily travel for Foundation-Focused Training

Opportunities or Youth Guarantee learners. Payment

can be made for learners’ actual travel costs from

their home to the agreed training site. Learners must

supply evidence of the actual cost of travelling to and

from the training site.

The process for accessing these payments will need

to be discussed with the chosen provider at the time

of enrolment. Payments will not be made for:

• travel costs if a learner does not spend anything

on travel; and

• extra travel costs e.g. travel from a training site

to a site for workplace experience, as these are

programme costs which base fees cover.

Other Financial SupportsScholarships, grants and awards may be available to

support your young person’s tertiary education.

Go to:

• https://www.careers.govt.nz/courses/

scholarships-grants-and-awards/ for information

about what’s available and how to get it;

• www.fis.org.nz/products/breakout/ for a

searchable database of over 2,200 awards,

scholarships and grants for individuals in New

Zealand;

• Iwi, Māori and Pasifika education grants or

scholarships may also be available.

StudyLink is a Ministry of Social

Development service that manages student

allowances and loans.

Student Loans are not available to under-18 year olds, but some 16 and 17 year olds are able to access the Student Allowance.

Student Allowance is a weekly payment to help with living expenses while studying, and it doesn’t have to be paid back. To get a student allowance you usually have to be studying full-time or limited full-time. How much you get depends on:

• your income;

• if you have a partner, and their income;

• if you have children;

• your parents’ income – if you are under 24 and don’t have children; and

• if you live with your parents while you’re studying.

As part of the student allowance, applicants may be able to get an accommodation benefit to help with your accommodation costs. See https://www.studylink.govt.nz/products/a-z-products/accommodation-benefit.html

For detailed information, ring 0800 88 99 00 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm) or go to http://www.studylink.govt.nz/

young person may have other needs that, if not

addressed, may affect their participation in training

pathways and eventual attainment of qualifications.

Work with the young person to identify if they have

any other needs that you can find support for.

For example:

• do they have appropriate identification (e.g. a

birth certificate, licence or passport)?

• do they have literacy issues or difficulties filling

out forms? If they have credit issues, can you find

a local budget advisor to help work on this?

• are they accessing appropriate health or support

services?

It may also be appropriate to discuss whether there

are any supports that can be wrapped around their

family as well – particularly if any issues may impact

the young person’s ability to engage in learning (e.g.

looking after younger siblings).

It will be important that you secure the support

of others who provide different social services so

you, and the young person, do not lose sight of the

qualification (and better life quality) objective.

Youth/Social/Health ServicesTo access the most up-to-date information, search

for Youth, Social and Health Service providers in your

region.

12

7Formalising the support team This step involves formalising the roles that team members will play in supporting the young person’s re-engagement in learning and attainment of relevant qualifications.

Mary explains the positive effects of letting the young person be a part of the decision making process https://vimeo.com/226393139

Learn how Lucy made a positive impact on those around herhttps://vimeo.com/226392758

Stronger pathways for our tamariki https://youtu.be/8KeHki-m8vQ

Use the Support Agreement template to capture what the support network members are going to do to support the young person

Tools and ResourcesMeeting with the selected provider is a first

step to ensure they understand the young

person’s aspirations and needs and can provide

appropriate support.

If the young person has specific needs (e.g.

limited literacy, transport challenges etc.)

discuss these with the provider to ensure they

can be addressed through pastoral care and

other student support provisions.

Tertiary education organisations are expected to

support students to build on their achievement

and progress to higher levels of education.

They receive pastoral care funding for each

student to ensure their needs are met and are

fully supported to successfully complete their

courses/qualifications.

The young person’s parents, family and

supporters/influencers can also actively support

their re-engagement in learning and attainment

of relevant qualifications. This could include

ensuring that the young person:

• attends their classes/course every day;

• is engaged and supported in their learning;

• meets class/course requirements (including

assignments);

• successfully attains their qualifications;

• identifies any problems that could affect

their ability to complete the course; and/or

• seeks advice and support when required.

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8Supporting the young person’s re-engagement in learning This step involves accompanying the young person to re-enrol/enrol and get settled in their learning pathway choice, and monitoring their progress.

Arii’s Nan talks about supporting your child no matter what. https://vimeo.com/226391037

Tools and Resources

Use the Support Agreement template to capture what the support network members are going to do to support the young person

In the first 4 weeks it is recommended that you check in daily with the young person to see how they are finding classes and whether they are facing any difficulties. From then on, agree on a ‘catch-up’ system that works for you both (e.g. daily texts or Facebook messaging (free service) and weekly meetings, or other frequent contacts.

At a frequency agreed between you both, meet with the young person to check on their progress:

• Are they OK getting to class every day? How are they finding the classes? Do they find the tutor(s) helpful?

• How are they finding the provider facilities? Are they receiving enough pastoral care?

• Are they having any difficulties (e.g. understanding material or completing requirements)?

• Are they motivated/confident? Do they need any other supports?

It will be important to build the young person’s confidence and independence through this process. Achievements of any kind should be acknowledged, as these are important steps in the young person’s journey.

It will also be important to keep encouraging the young person, especially if they ‘stumble’ (e.g. miss classes or do badly in an assignment). Ensuring they learn from mistakes and move forward will minimise chances of their giving up/disengaging.

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9Mobilising the support team This step involves wrapping a strong team around each young person, to support their attendance and success.

Use the Monitoring template to capture what the support network members are

going to do to support the young person

At a frequency agreed between you, meet with

the young person’s education/course provider

and their supporters/influencers to discuss their

views on the young person’s progress:

• Are they getting to class every day? How

are they finding the classes and provider

facilities?

• Are they completing assignments/study

requirements? Are they having any

difficulties with the classes or course

requirements?

• Are they motivated and confident? Do they

need any other supports?

As detailed earlier, it will be important,

particularly for the supporters/influencers to

take more of an active support role in the long-

term.

• Are they meeting the commitments they

made in the Support Agreement?

• Can they identify any other things they

could be doing to support the young

person?

• Are there any others who can also help keep

the young person motivated and engaged?

• Are they acknowledging the young person’s

achievements?

Having a strong support team can also help

build the young person’s resilience, and their

ability to cope with seemingly small issues.

These can escalate quickly, and can affect their

engagement and achievement. Team members

offering advice on coping strategies could

make all the difference for a young person in a

stressful situation.

Having a supportive whanau and provider can make a big difference. Here’s Angel’s story.https://vimeo.com/226390361

Juanita is thriving thanks to support of her mother. https://vimeo.com/226392449

Tools and Resources

15

10Addressing emerging issuesThis step involves rapidly addressing issues that may affect the young person’s pathway progress.

All support team members may have a role to play

in addressing emerging issues. As we found through

Count Me In, complacency (resulting in patchy

attendance), seemingly small events (e.g. relationship

break-ups) which then affected attendance and

completion of assessments, wider peer/whānau

pressures, and agency/Court conditions effectively

limiting course attendance, were issues which, if not

managed effectively, could result in young people

becoming disengaged again. Active monitoring, and

support team actions, can help young people through

these low points.

If there are any issues emerging from your discussions

with the young person, their course provider and/

or supporters/influencers, it will be important to

determine how these can be addressed.

If there are ‘speed bumps’ or ‘stumbles’, they need to

be addressed before they begin to impact the young

person’s confidence and motivation. If there are

more fundamental issues (e.g. undiagnosed learning

difficulties), you will need to find appropriate support

services to wrap around the young person and/or

their family.

On-going support is critical to keeping a young person engaged. Sue explains why. https://vimeo.com/226393441

“It can be hard to get that confidence within yourself... Don’t let other people push their judgement on you, you know their opinions are their own... You can do without it. You have to really reach down

within yourself and it has to come from you. When it comes from you, it’s for you.”

Zane Mahu-Hall

“I want to use all my experience I’ve used from like my childhood to now, to help other people cos I know when like what I was going

through I didn’t have the help that I needed. So I thought maybe using what I learnt and went through, to help others.”

Taylor Paekau

Tools and Resources