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Business and Professional Services

Ringa Hora develops and maintains Business qualifications and standards with the overarching goal to be strategically relevant to New Zealand people and communities and their aspirations.  They are designed to be relevant to a wide range of contexts, and to reflect the reality of doing business in Aotearoa New Zealand. These equip graduates for a wide range of roles in office administration, accounting support, team leadership/management, starting and running a small business, project management, human resource management, sales and marketing, in a variety of sectors and in cultural and community sectors.

Find a Business qualification

These can be accessed through the links below or by searching for the qualification reference number or title.

New Zealand Certificate in Business (Administration and Technology) (Level 3) (60 credits) Ref: 2452 Due review 2025

New Zealand Certificate in Business (Introduction to Team Leadership) (Level 3) (45 credits) Ref: 2453 Due review 2025

New Zealand Certificate in Business (Introduction to Small Business) (Level 3) (60 credits) Ref: 2454 Due review 2025

New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4) (60 credits) Ref: 2456 Due review 2025

New Zealand Certificate in Business (Small Business) (Level 4) (60 credits) Ref: 2457 Due review 2025

New Zealand Certificate in Business (Administration and Technology) (Level 4) (60 credits) Ref: 2461 Due review 2025

New Zealand Certificate in Business (Accounting Support Services) (Level 4) (50 credits) Ref: 2455 Due review 2025

New Zealand Certificate in Project Management (Level 4) (60 credits) Ref: 2462 Due review 2025

New Zealand Certificate in Organisational Risk and Compliance (Level 4) (50 credits) Ref: 2609 Review in progress. Please see ‘Current reviews’.

New Zealand Certificate in Organisational Risk and Compliance (Level 6) (75 credits) Ref: 3979 Review in progress. Please see ‘Current reviews’.

New Zealand Diploma in Business (with strands in Accounting, Administration and Technology, Human Resource Management, Leadership and Management, Marketing and Sales, and Project Management) (Level 5) (120 credits) Ref: 2459 Due review 2025

New Zealand Diploma in Business (with strands in Accounting, Administration and Technology, Human Resource Management, Leadership and Management, Māori Business and Management, Marketing and Sales) (Level 6) (120 credits) Ref: 2460 Due review 2025

The 11 Business qualifications listed in 2015 were reviewed with new versions published in July-August 2020. If you require prior versions of these qualifications, please email [email protected].

Find a Legal qualification

New Zealand Certificate in Professional Legal Skills (Level 6) (50 credits) Ref: 4993 Due review 2028.

Find a Business standard

Search for business unit standards in the following subfields here:

Accounting

Business Administration

Business Environment

Business Operations and Development

Financial Management

Marketing

Qualifications

The 2024 Review of Business Qualifications (Levels 3-7) is in progress. For more information, please refer to the review page.

The 2024 Review of the New Zealand Certificate in Organisational Risk and Compliance Level 4 (2609) and New Zealand Certificate in Organisational Risk and Compliance Level 6 (3979) is currently in progress. For more information refer to the review page. 

Standards

There are no current standard reviews.

Qualifications

2023 Development of the New Zealand Certificate in Professional Legal Skills (Level 6) [Ref: 4993]

Ringa Hora Services Workforce Development Council has completed the development of the New Zealand Certificate in Professional Legal Skills (Level 6) Ref: 4993]. Further details can be found in the Change Report here.

2023 Extension of last date for assessment (LDA) of Business Diplomas

The Last Date for Assessment of version 2 of the NZ Diploma in Business (Level 5) Ref:2459 has been extended to December 2024. Here is the link to the November 2023 Change report on NZQA website.

The Last Date for Assessment of version 3 of the NZ Diploma in Business (Level 6) Ref:2460 has been extended to December 2025. Here is the link to the July 2023 Change report RevSumJul23-11.pdf (nzqa.govt.nz) on NZQA website.

2023 Extension of Last Date for Assessment (LDA)

The Last Date for Assessment of L5 NZ DipBus 2459 v2 has been extended to Dec 2024. Here is the link to the change report on NZQA website. 

2022 Review of Human Resource Management and Marketing and Sales strands (New Zealand Diploma of Business Levels 5 & 6)

The 2022 review of these strands resulted in no change to either strand. During the review, it was noted that with NZ Curricula, Skills Standards and Micro Credentials being developed in the coming years, there is little benefit in making changes to these strands at this time.

Business qualifications review: July – August 2020

The suite of 11 Business qualifications were reviewed in 2018-2020.  Further detail is available from the July 2020 Level 3-4 change report and the August 2020 Level 5-6 change report for the review of New Zealand Business Qualifications.  The Human Resource Management and Marketing and Sales strands in both diplomas were not included in the 2018-20 review of the suite of Business qualifications, because they had not yet been used sufficiently to justify a review. These strands will be reviewed in 2022.

Case Management qualifications development – May 2017

The two Case Management qualifications Ref: 3630 and 3631 were developed and approved in May 2017 by the Skills Organisation.

Standards

2023 Changes for Business Unit Standards  

Ringa Hora Services Workforce Development Council has completed the amendments of the 32 unit standards to ensure providers were able to have a smooth transition without affecting learners and operations. The purpose of the amendment was to ensure providers were not disadvantaged when interpreting te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Treaty of Waitangi. Further details can be found in the 2024 Change Report here. 

2023 Extension to the Last Date for Assessment (LDA):

The Last Date for Assessment (LDA) for expiring unit standard 26367 has been extended to 31 December 2025. Here is the link to the change report on NZQA website.

2023 Rollover and Revision of 30 Business unit standards

Further information on the rollover and revision of unit standards in People Development and Coordination (10), Organisational Direction and Strategy (12), and Systems and Resource Management (8) domains can be found in the change report.

2022 Review of Unit Standards – Ringa Hora Services Workforce Development Council has completed the review of standards in the following domains:

Further details can be found in the Change Report.

2022 Extension to the Last Date for Assessment (LDA):

The Last Date for Assessment (LDA) for expiring unit standard 334 has been extended to 31 December 2024. Here is the link to the change report on NZQA website.

2022 Review of two unit standards: Quality Management

The Last Date for Assessment (LDA) for expiring unit standards 8081 and 8082 has been extended to 31 December 2023. Here is the link to the change report on the NZQA website.

2022 Extension to the Last Date for Assessment (LDA):

The Last Date for Assessment (LDA) for expiring unit standard 26367 has been extended to 31 December 2024. Here is the link to the change report on NZQA website.

The Last Date for Assessment (LDA) for the following expiring Business Administration unit standards has been extended to 31 December 2024. Here is the link to the change report on NZQA website.

Business Information Processing

  • 103 Use data entry skills to input data
  • 107 Apply text processing skills to produce communications in a business or organisational context
  • 111 Use a word processor to produce documents for a business or organisation
  • 16678 Key in text at 25 words per minute (wpm)

Text and Information Management

  • 12884 Create electronic documents and manage a file for generic text and information management
  • 12885 Create and enhance electronic documents combining text and images for generic text and information management

To minimise impacts in a change of credits between versions, the Last Date for Assessment (LDA) for version 7 of the following Business Administration Service unit standard has been extended to 31 December 2023:

  • 121 Demonstrate and apply knowledge of office equipment and administration processes

Reviews of several business domains were undertaken 2020-2021 to align with the reviewed New Zealand Business qualifications and/or to maintain their currency on the Directory of Assessment Standards (DAS). There were also reviews to expire many standards due to declining usage over the previous five years and no discernible interest for use in the future.  Results of the reviews are shown by DAS Subfield clusters, then domains.

 

Accounting

Accounting – Middle Level: October 2020 Review (Expiry) of Accounting – Middle Level unit standards change report. The 16 unit standards in this domain have been set to expire 31 December 2023 due to declining usage over the last five years and stakeholder consultation confirming no discernible interest for use in the future.

Business Administration

Business Administration Services: May 2021 Review of Business Administration Services unit standards change report. This review was of 14 Business Administration unit standards at Levels 3 to 6 in the Business Administration Services domain (29024 – 29027; 29029 – 29038) aligned to meet the requirements of the NZ Business Administration and Technology qualifications, and the revision of standard 329.

Business Administration: February 2020 Review of Business Administration unit standards change report. This review was of 54 Business Administration unit standards at Levels 1 to 6, excluding unit standards 29024 – 29027; 29029 – 29038.  Two of the four domains will also be expiring 31 December 2022 – Business Information Management (BIM), Text and Information Management – Generic (TIM).

Business Environment

Business Law: October 2020 Review (Expiry) of Business Law unit standards change report. The eight unit standards in this domain have been set to expire 31 December 2023 due to declining usage over the last five years and stakeholder consultation confirming no discernible interest for use in the future.

Organisational Risk and Compliance Management: June 2020 Development of Organisational Risk and Compliance Management unit standards change report.  The Skills Organisation developed standards aligned with qualifications 2609 and 3979.

Business Operations and Development

Business Operations and Development(external link): April 2023 Rollover and revision of Business Operations and Development unit standards change report. Unit standards in three domains Organisational Direction and Strategy (ODS), People Development and Coordination (PDC), Systems Resource Management (SRM) were revised and rolled over.

Business Operations and Development: July 2021 Revision and rollover of Business Operations and Development unit standards change report.  Unit standards in three domains Organisational Direction and Strategy (ODS), People Development and Coordination (PDC), Systems Resource Management (SRM) were revised and rolled over.

Business Operations and Development: June 2021 Review of Business Operations and Development unit standards change report.  Unit standards in three domains Organisational Direction and Strategy (ODS), People Development and Coordination (PDC), Systems Resource Management (SRM) were reviewed or revised to align with the reviewed New Zealand Business qualifications and/or to maintain their currency on the Directory of Assessment Standards (DAS).

Business Studies: November 2020 Revision and Rollover Business Studies unit standards change report. The three unit standards in this domain (22847, 22854, 25424) have been rolled over, and will be reviewed post the review of achievement standards.

Human Resource Management: December 2019 Review (Expiry) of Human Resource Management unit standards change report.  Due to low usage of unit standards in this domain, the standards were recommended to expire on 31 December 2022, (except 25682).

People Development and Coordination: May 2021 Review (expiry) of People Development and Coordination unit standard 8493 change report (expiry due to duplication with unit standard 29044).

Project Management: January 2021 Review of Project Management unit standards change report. Unit standards 30358-30366 were revised to align them with the reviewed qualifications.

Quality Management: March 2020 Review of Quality Management unit standards change report. NZQA National Qualification Services reviewed the 18 standards in domain Quality Management.  The standards were reviewed to maintain their currency, in collaboration with primary users of the standards and with people with personal and professional experience in quality management.

Small Business: April 2021 Review of Small Business unit standards change report. The Small Business unit standards were reviewed to align with the reviewed New Zealand Business qualifications.

Workplace Relations: January 2021 Review of Workplace Relations unit standards change report. Unit standards 27531, 27532, 27534 and 27537 were reviewed to align them with the reviewed qualifications. Unit standards 19801, 27533, 27535, 27536, 27538 were expired due to low usage.

Marketing

Marketing and Sales: December 2019 Review of Marketing unit standards change report (expiry). Due to low usage of the current unit standards in Subfield Marketing, standards in domains Direct Marketing, Generic Marketing, and International Marketing were recommended to expire on 31 December 2022.

  1. View a pathways map [DOCX, 28 KB] for the 11 Business qualifications.
  2. Business Qualifications Support Material
  3. Landscape of standards aligned to the reviewed Business Administration and Technology qualifications [DOCX, 29 KB]
  4. Needs Analysis Business Qualifications Review 2012 [PDF, 621 KB]
  5. Details of the 40 Business Administration standards designated to expire 30 December 2022 [PDF, 950 KB]
  6. Details of the 8 new and 14 reviewed Business Administration standards [PDF, 219 KB]
  7. Business Administration Supplementary information document – selection of computing and communications unit standards that may be suitable for integration or otherwise relevant in the context of business administration.
  8. Business Administration and Technology (BAT) unit standard Assessment Support Material
  9. Search Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMRs) here – for Business see CMR 113 and CMR 226

Ringa Hora WDC works with industry, employers, professional groups, and other stakeholders to develop qualifications that are fit for purpose.  If you wish to be involved in any of the current or upcoming reviews, provide feedback, or have any questions, please email [email protected]

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