Workforce development initiatives
This page outlines both the progress on work arising from Te Uru Kahikatea: The Public Health Workforce Development Plan (PH WDP) and other important sector based workforce development initiatives occurring at national, regional and local levels across New Zealand. Both groups will remain updated, but the sector initiatives information will grow as existing and new initiatives become known.
Te Uru Kahikatea workforce development initiatives
Implementation of the actions in Te Uru Kahikatea are well underway. One of the major challenges is to ensure the many facets of the work are both strategically and practically linked.
Of key importance is aligning this work with the workforce development needs of public health organisations.
The Ministry of Health is working with the Public Health Association, planning for sector-based focused workshops with providers (September/October 2007) to ensure the many strands of the PH WDP work and its implementation are applicable to the reality of the many and diverse provider organisations in the public health sector.
The following is a summary of some of the PH WDP workforce development initiatives that are underway.
Generic Public Health Competencies
Māori Public Health Workforce Development Framework and Implementation Plan
Generic Public Health Competencies
The generic public health competencies are a minimum baseline set of competencies that are common to all public health roles across all public health sectors and disciplines. The Public Health Association have worked in collaboration with a coalition of public health groups and consulted across the public health sector to develop a reasonably agreed set of competencies statements and provided a report on implementation issues. The Ministry of Health is reviewing the implementation issues report, particularly the implications for the tertiary sector and for public health employers and managers in the workplace.
Māori Public Health Workforce Development Framework and Implementation Plan
Te Rau Matatini (TRM) has been working with a Māori public health sector reference group to develop a 3-year Māori public health workforce development framework and implementation plan: E Ara Tauwhaiti Whakarae (the Report). The Ministry of Health is soon to meet with TRM to discuss the priorities in the Report.
Pacific Public Health Workforce Development Needs Assessment
Public Health Careers Booklet
Other Work
Sector-based workforce development initiatives
Pacific Public Health Workforce Development Needs Assessment
A Pacific public health workforce needs assessment has been carried out by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research and Niu Vision. Seven principal recommendations are proposed in the final stage report. These are being considered in terms of how they strengthen the Pacific public health workforce and the capability of the non-Pacific workforce to improve Pacific health and reduce inequalities. The project team will soon be reporting the findings of this project back to fono/interview participants across the public health sector.
Public Health Careers Booklet
Working for a Better Future: Careers in Public Health profiles people working in key public health disciplines and provides information on training and career pathways for those interested in entering into a public health career. For copies of the Careers Booklet email moh@wickliffe.co.nz and quote reference HP1804.
Other Work
The April 2007 PH WDP Newsletter profiles other work completed or underway, including:
- Workforce development plan guidelines for public health providers
- The development of a collective identity for health promotion
- A public health workforce multidisciplinary training and development body
- Development of a considered and systematic approach to public health training in primary health care environments.
For further information please see the "Contact Us" option in the main menu and send an enquiry.
Sector-based workforce development initiatives
To be populated in the near future.