Business Qualifications and Standards 2024–25 Review

This phase included the following qualifications:

Refer to Te Manu Arataki for updates and information regarding Leadership.

Information was gathered from NZQA, MBIE business insights and needs, economic development agencies, Providers, and small businesses to inform review approach.

These qualifications were grouped together into their natural disciplines, which informed the number of Working Groups needed for the project.

Ringa Hora engaged with a variety of economic development agencies, industry peak bodies, industry associations, small – medium sized businesses, pākihi Māori and Māori business networks, Pasifika businesses and networks, regionally-based small business owners, and industry experts in other sectors to participate in the review.

There were a variety of ways to engage in the project:

• Working Group member
• Consultation member
• One-on-one (face-to-face or virtual)
• Email
• Collective feedback on the behalf of an entity (group, organisation or business).

Regional insights: Being regionally responsive

Ringa Hora partnered and collaborated with different organisations to amplify the voices of regional business owners, professionals, employers, and community voices into the review of the Business qualifications.

View the summaries gathered in each location that has informed the qualification and standards review:

• Wellington: Ringa Hora collaborated with Power of 3 (Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington Pasifika Business Network, and Te Awe Māori Business Network). Review the report here.
• New Plymouth: Ringa Hora collaborated with Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT). Review the report here.
• Christchurch: Ringa Hora collaborated with Ara Institute of Canterbury. Review the report here.
• Dunedin: Ringa Hora collaborated with Otago Polytechnic to host a session with small business owners and local industry experts. As there was low participation the insights collected was confirmed as non-representative of the Dunedin business community. The insight gathered were shared directly with the Working Groups.
• Invercargill: Ringa Hora facilitated an internal session with the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT). Training Provider insights were captured and shared with the Working Groups.

Ringa Hora established the following Working Groups:

• Accounting
• Administration and Technology
• Human Resource Management
• Management
• Māori Business and Management
• New Zealand Diploma Level 5 and Level 6 – Core
• Project Management
• Sales
• Small Business

These Working Groups met online and/or face-to-face across May 2024 – February 2025 to review their relevant qualifications or relevant sections of a qualification.

The New Zealand Certificates and Diplomas in Business Level 3 – Level 6 qualifications were made available for feedback from December 2024 until end of March 2025.

The following approaches were available to enable a variety of ways for external stakeholders to provide feedback:

• 8 online webinars
• Online feedback form
• Email
• One-on-one (face-to-face or virtual)

The New Zealand Certificates and Diplomas in Business Level 3 – Level 6 were submitted to NZQA in May 2025.

NZQA approved the qualifications in September and the new versions were listed on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) in October 2025. View the September 2025 change report here: Qualifications and Assessment Standards Approvals.

We thank everyone who was involved in this project, Ringa Hora could not have done this without the intensive collaboration with different industries, other Workforce Development Councils, Training Providers, Government Agencies, Economic Development Agencies, Professional Peak Bodies, Industry Associations, small – large public and private organisations, and members of the public.

This phase included the following qualifications:

The existing Qualification Developers will be contacted for further information and planning.

Ringa Hora has engaged with the current qualification owners and confirmed the following outcomes:

1. Diploma in Hospitality Management (Level 7) Ref: 3544 owned by New Zealand School of Education Limited, was confirmed to discontinue.
2. Diploma in Business Administration (Level 7) Ref: 107797 owned by UUNZ Institute of Business Limited, was confirmed to discontinue.
3. Diploma in Business Management (Level 7) (with specialisations in Brand Management, Business Information Technology, Digital Ubiquitous Marketing) Ref: 3711, owned by Alpha Education Institute, was confirmed to transition information to the relevant Industry Skills Board (ISB).

No further updates are required for this project.

Ringa Hora conducted an analysis to inform what standards will be reviewed for 2025. The following domains were reviewed in 2025:

• Organisational direction and strategy
• People development & coordination
• Small business
• Systems & resource management.

Ringa Hora re-engaged with tertiary education organisations (TEOs) who have consent to assess, the business qualification Working Group members and National Consultation group, external networks and subject-matter experts to participate in the review.

The Working Groups reviewed existing unit standards and developed new skill standards within the four domains.

The skill standards developed are to meet the following qualifications:

• New Zealand Certificate in Business (Introduction to Small Business) (Level 3)
• New Zealand Certificate in Business (Small Business) (Level 4)
• New Zealand Diploma in Business (Level 5) – Core, Leadership strand, and Management strand.

These Working Groups met online and face-to-face. Consent to assess holders were contacted via email to gather feedback and insights to inform the review and development of the standards.

The unit standards were available for feedback in August. Consent to assess holders, the Business qualification Working Groups, and those who have awarded the unit standards were invited to provide feedback on the proposed approaches. Feedback was presented to the Working Group, where received, and the following approaches were confirmed to proceed:

• Organisational direction and strategy:
  • 15 unit standards proposed to be expired due to no usage or less than 10 awarded since at least 2023. Last date of assessment of these standards will be 31 December 2028
  • 1 unit standard was reviewed to remain fit for purpose
  • 5 unit standards developed towards New Zealand Diploma in Business (Level 5) [Ref: 2459] to be replaced with new skill standards.
• People development & coordination:
  • 7 unit standards set to expire due to no usage
  • 3 unit standards that are used in programmes leading towards the New Zealand Certificate in Business (Introduction to Team Leadership) and the New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) are being replaced by skill standards and have a last date for assessment of 31 December 2028
  • 1 unit standard developed towards the New Zealand Diploma in Business (Level 5) will be replaced by a new skill standard
  • 17 unit standards were reviewed to remain fit for purpose.
• Small business: Unit standards are set to expire with a last date of assessment for 2028. Skill standards will be developed and re-listed in the domain to meet the current and future needs of small businesses within Aotearoa.
• Systems & Resource Management: Unit standards are set to expire with a last date of assessment for 31 December 2028. Skill standards will be developed and re-listed in the domain.

The skill standards were available for feedback in September. Consent to assess holders, Business qualification Working Groups and Consultation group were invited to provide feedback.

To view all information and updates, please see Review of Business Standards 2025 – Home – Ringa Hora.

The unit standards were submitted to NZQA in September. Here is the current status for each domain:

• Organisational direction and strategy: Request for Further Information (RFI), the units have been evaluated and are currently undergoing the RFI process.
• People development & coordination: Request for Further Information (RFI), the units have been evaluated and are currently undergoing the RFI process.
• Small business: Set to expire unit standards have been approved in October 2025
• Systems & Resource Management: Set to expire unit standards have been approved in October 2025.

The skill standards that were developed for each domain are still with NZQA. To view all information and updates, please see Review of Business Standards 2025 – Home – Ringa Hora.

As part of the qualification review, Ringa Hora and industry subject-matter experts identified the following opportunities to investigate further:

• Tendering and procurement:
  • A need identified from multiple sectors small business owners during the review of the business qualifications.
  • Ringa Hora has been collating information and data from multiple sources to determine the specific needs and opportunities within this area.

• Bookkeeping
  • As part of the review of the business qualifications, bookkeeping was identified as a pathway that could lead into and lead from the existing business qualifications. Ringa Hora is collaborating with the industry peak body to investigate how educational products can support employment pathways into this industry.

Tendering and procurement

Ringa Hora has engaged with other Workforce Development Councils to understand the needs of small businesses and sole traders in this area.

Ringa Hora is leading the scoping and investigation of generic tendering and/or procurement products (qualification, standards, and micro-credentials).

View all information and updates on the 2025 Tendering and procurement development project.

Bookkeeping

Ringa Hora will support the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers New Zealand and Skills Group Training Limited in the development of their suite of bookkeeping micro-credentials by providing constructive feedback and actively participating in the endorsement process. No further updates are required.

Tendering and procurement

The project has established a Working Group to develop new tendering and procurement micro-credentials in August – September. The Working Groups met online to focus on two proposed areas:

• Foundational skills in Procurement and Tendering (Level 3)
• Applied Procurement and Tendering practice (Level 4).

Tendering and procurement

The proposed micro-credentials were available for feedback in late September – early October. Feedback received was shared with the Working Group and informed further refinements to the micro-credentials.

Tendering and procurement

The propose micro-credentials were submitted to NZQA in October 2025.

View all information and updates here: 2025 Tendering and procurement development.