Ringa Hora’s Future of Service Skills project has its first qualification and skill standards available to training providers.
Our discussions with industry showed there was a demand to create a stackable group of standards and credentials which can be used across the Service sector: core skills such as customer service, communication, problem solving, and technology.
Two Level 3 (entry level) skill standards were developed as part of this project, one relating to core customer service and another to teamwork and safety:
- Work effectively in a team to foster a safe, sustainable, and productive workplace [ref 40048]
- Apply customer service techniques to provide quality customer service interactions [ref 40045].
These are now available on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. Also approved is the New Zealand Certificate in Service Sector Skills (Level 3) with Optional Strand in Service Specialty [Ref 5025], a 40-60 credit qualification.
These came about as there were more than 28 existing entry-level Service credentials across a variety of industries. Industries let us know there was room for a smaller number of core generic service skills which could be applied across the sector.
“People can use them everywhere in Services: contact centres, retail, security, and tourism,” Ringa Hora Qualifications and Quality Assurance manager Te Oho Reedy says.
“They are written in such a way that they don’t just focus on a couple of our sectors, they could be used by anyone requiring customer service or teamwork and health and safety.”
There is still plenty to come from this project. A draft micro-credential is currently under peer-review due for submission to NZQA. Both standards and micro-credentials are set to fit into a new proposed cross-sector qualification and some existing qualifications. Over time, the new credentials may replace existing credentials.
Download diagrams outlining how our proposed credentials stack together, and the draft concepts.
