Conditions – 2018

Conditions – 2018

Last updated 30 January 2018
Last updated 30 January 2018

These are the conditions specific to Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (WLN) funding for 2018.

See also the generic conditions that apply to Employer-led WLN funding, and all other on-Plan funds. 

1. Organisation eligibility

(a)  You must continue to be an employer that:

(i)        is an organisation as defined by section 159B of the Education Act 1989; and

(ii)       is a body corporate; and

(iii)      delivers literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, provision to a minimum of 20 of its employees; or

(iv)      delivers literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, provision to a minimum of 20 employees as part of a consortium arrangement with other employers.

(b)  You must:

(i)    have in place an effective assessment process for identifying each learner’s initial literacy and numeracy needs, and to measure their progress, using the on-line adaptive Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (in line with good practice, the TEC may agree to using an alternative to the on-line adaptive options in the Assessment Tool).

2. Learner eligibility

You must ensure that WLN Fund – Employer-led strand Funding is only used in respect of a learner who:

(a)  is a Domestic Student; and

(b)  has low skill levels in literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, as determined by us; and

(c)   is in the paid workforce; and

(d)  is not:

(i)    enrolled as a full-time student at a TEO; or

(ii)   accessing TEC-funded literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, provision at another TEO or workplace; or

(iii)  enrolled in an industry training programme at Level 3 or above on the NZQF; or

(iv) enrolled in a New Zealand Apprenticeship or a Modern Apprenticeship programme (note that the Modern Apprenticeship programme ends 31 December 2017).

For the purposes of this Condition, a learner has a low skill level of literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy:

(a)  if the learner has fewer than 80 credits on the NZQF: or

(b)  if the learner has more than 80 credits on the NZQF, the learner has fewer than 12 credits in literacy and/or numeracy in unit standards and/or achievement standards; or

(c)   if the learner is assessed using the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool and presents at Step 3 or below on the Learning Progressions for reading, and/or Step 4 or below on the Learning Progressions for numeracy.

3. Verification of learner identity

You must verify the identity of each learner enrolled in a programme of study or training by doing one or more of the following:

(a)  confirming that all data fields match the learner’s NSN; or

(b)  receiving an assertion through the Department of Internal Affairs’ RealMe® online identity verification service; or

(c)   sighting the original or certified copy of a current passport; or

(d)  sighting the original or certified copy of one or more of the following documents:

(i)    a birth certificate; or

(ii)   a certificate of identity; or

(iii)  a New Zealand certificate of citizenship; or

(iv) an expired passport that has not been cancelled; or

(v)  a current New Zealand driver licence; or

(vi) a current New Zealand firearms licence; or

(e)  if a learner is unable to obtain a birth certificate for the purposes of (d)(i) above, contacting us to confirm that a whakapapa statement signed by both the learner and a kaumātua is acceptable evidence of identity.

For the purposes of this Condition a certified copy is a photocopy that has been endorsed as a true copy of the original. To be certified, the document must:

(a)  be certified by an official of the issuing authority or a person authorised by law in New Zealand to certify documents, such as a Justice of the Peace, a lawyer or a court official (Court Registrar or Deputy Registrar); and

(b)  have the official's signature on each page, with the name and title of the official shown clearly below his or her signature.

4. Programme eligibility

a)  You must only use WLN Fund – Employer-led strand Funding for a programme of training that:

(i)    provides literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, training that is specific, rather than embedded within the programme; and

(ii)   contributes to the Government’s priority for literacy and numeracy skill development, as set out in the Tertiary Education Strategy 2014-2019; and

(iii)  provides high quality literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, study or training that represents value for money; and

(iv) is effective and innovative in improving each learner’s workplace literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, skills, to meaningfully engage in the workplace and New Zealand society; and

(v)  is able to be tailored to meet the needs of an individual learner; and

(vi) has adequate processes for reporting on a learner’s progress in improving literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy skills; and

(vii)    is provided by a tutor who holds an appropriate qualification as determined by us.

(b)  In addition to the requirements in paragraph (a), you must only use WLN Fund – Employer-led strand Funding for a programme of workplace training if the programme:

(i)    provides high quality literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy study or, that is tailored to the needs of the workplace; and

(ii)   contributes to the development of sustainable employee literacy and numeracy practices within the workplace; and

(iii)  has targeted literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, outcomes that reflect the priorities and needs of the workplace; and

(iv) has the support of the employer’s senior management.

5. Hours and intensity of delivery

You must ensure that:

(a)  the total hours of literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy tuition delivered per learner is between 25 and 80 hours; and

(b)  the literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, tuition is delivered at the intensity of 40 hours over a 10 to 40 week period.

6. Fees

You must not charge a fee to a learner who is participating in a programme of training for which you receive WLN Fund – Employer-led strand Funding.

7. Reports

(a)  You must submit

(i)    A first progress report, a second progress report, and a final report at the times specified in Appendix 1.

(b)  Each progress report and the final report must:

(i)    be submitted in accordance with the template that we will provide to you; and

(ii)   relate to the specific delivery commitments outlined in your Funding Confirmation; and

(iii)  include the following information:

A.    the number of learners enrolled in each WLN programme of study or training; and

B.    learner enrolment information, including the NSN, tuition hours delivered (actual attendance) and remaining tuition hours planned (if any), demographic information, regional information, literacy and numeracy information, and the enrolment start and finish dates for each learner enrolled in each WLN programme of study or training during the period covered by the report; and

C.    the name of the business in which the learner is employed.

(iv) You must also complete the attestation tab before submitting the report.

(c)   The first progress report must also describe the progress made in implementing the programme, commenting specifically on:

(i)    how participation of learners is tracking; and

(ii)   any challenges you have had to date; and

(iii)  progress made using the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (or Starting Points described in the Tool, if applicable); and

(iv) any changes made to the programme design and/or delivery approach, in response to the above; and

(v)  any change to the productivity problems you highlighted in you programme application which literacy and numeracy training could address including changes to employee practices and other metrics; and

(vi) reporting of personal outcomes for employees that then contribute to a higher performing workplace; and

(vii)  any other changes that show the strengthening of a sustainable organisational culture due to the literacy and numeracy training.

(d)  The final report must also describe:

(i)    any change to the productivity problems you highlighted in your programme application which literacy and numeracy training could address including changes to employee practices and other metrics; and

(ii)   how any other business outcomes and performance measures have been enhanced; and

(iii)  measurement of employees literacy and numeracy using the Assessment Tool pre- and post-training intervention; and

(iv) reporting of personal outcomes for employees that then contribute to a higher performing workplace; and

(v)  how the programme has promoted and encouraged participation in workplace literacy and numeracy training among learners with low levels of literacy and/or numeracy skills; and

(vi) any other changes that show the strengthening of a sustainable organisational culture due to the literacy and numeracy training; and

(vii)  successes and challenges.

(e)  The final report must also provide a Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool Gain report. This includes both the box and whisker reports and the associated table of statistics.  

8. Repayment of WLN Fund – Employer-led strand Funding

If you receive WLN Fund – Employer-led strand Funding that is greater than it should have been, or that you were not entitled to receive, you must treat the amount of the over-funding as a debt due to the Crown that:

(a)  is repayable on demand; and

(b)  may be set-off against all or any funding, or any sum of money payable by us to you.

For the purposes of this Condition, we will determine whether you have received WLN Fund – Employer-led strand Funding that was greater than it should have been by analysing the information provided to the TEC in the TEO's final report. 

The TEC will develop the details of its funding recovery through discussions with each TEO that is an employer.

9. Suspension or revocation of WLN Fund – Employer-led strand Funding

If we suspend or revoke some or all of your WLN Fund – Employer-led strand Funding under section 159YG of the Education Act before some or all of that funding has been used or contractually committed towards the purposes for which the funding was provided, you must treat the unexpended or uncommitted portion of the funding as debt due to the Crown that is:

(a)  repayable on demand by us; and

(b)  may be set-off against all or any funding, or any sum payable by us to you.

10. Conditions on subcontracting

The TEO must not subcontract the provision of a programme of workplace training to another TEO unless:

a)    the TEO receives the TEC’s written consent prior to subcontracting, and

b)    the TEO complies with any conditions imposed by the TEC on giving consent to subcontract; and

c)    the TEO will ensure that the subcontracted TEO has in place an effective assessment process for identifying each learner’s initial literacy and numeracy needs, and to measure their progress, using the on-line adaptive Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (in line with good practice, the TEC may agree to using an alternative to the on-line adaptive Assessment Tool).