Pathways Awarua NCALNE (Voc) 2015

Introducing the NCALNE (Voc)

The National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Vocational/Workplace) is a 40 credit level 5 entry level professional development qualification for trades, vocational and other specialist content-area tutors required to embed literacy and numeracy into their training.

This qualification, abbreviated to the NCALNE (Voc), is now a minimum compulsory requirement for organisations and tutors delivering Student Achievement Component (SAC) funded training at levels 1 and 2.

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) considers the qualification best practice for tutors delivering all foundations focused training.

Quick links

If you need more information, please read on below. However, if you just want the relevant links:

• Pathways Awarua – Home page.
• Pathways Awarua – Educator registration.
• Complete instructions on how to register as an educator to access the NCALNE (Voc) on Pathways Awarua.
• More information about how the Pathways Awarua/ALEC mini MOOC works.

Pathways Awarua

The NCALNE (Voc) qualification is available via Pathways Awarua, New Zealand’s only online literacy and numeracy teaching and learning platform.

The NCALNE (Voc) professional development pathway is a collaboration between Pathways Awarua and Adult Literacy Education & Consulting (ALEC), a leading provider of literacy and numeracy professional development.

The NCALNE (Voc) collaboration between Pathways Awarua and ALEC hosts a growing library of audio, video, and interactive educational material across a series of content and assessment modules covering the following key content areas:

1. The New Zealand context for literacy and numeracy.
2. Maori literacy and numeracy.
3. Mapping literacy and numeracy demands with the Learning Progressions.
4. Literacy and numeracy diagnostic assessment.
5. Embedding literacy and numeracy into training.
6. Assessing learner literacy and numeracy progress.
7. Evaluating embedded literacy and numeracy training.

From 2015, the Pathways Awarua platform will become the core of the NCALNE (Voc) delivery for all ALEC’s online and blended modes.

How do tutors access the NCALNE (Voc) Pathway?

Currently, access to the NCALNE (Voc) professional development pathway is free for New Zealand educators. To register, complete the two-step registration process online here:

• https://pathwaysawarua.com/education_registration.aspx

Once registered, tutors have access to all eight NCALNE (Voc) content modules and two of the seven assessment modules.

While access to all of the content and two of the assessments in the NCALNE (Voc) pathway is fully subsidised by the TEC and free to New Zealand users, there are TEC approved course fees for educators who wish to submit evidence for assessment in order to gain the qualification.

Assessments 3 – 7 remain locked until the online Enrol module is completed and course fees are paid.

How much does it cost to gain the NCALNE (Voc) qualification?

The TEC subsidises a portion of the cost of the NCALNE (Voc) qualification through allocation of a limited number of Adult Literacy Educator Grants. These grants are available through ALEC and are a once-only grant for the 12 months  in which the participant is enrolled.

ALEC’s experience is that the requirement for tutors’ employers to cover the per participant fees for their employees increases the accountability between both parties and leads to better outcomes for everyone.

From 2015 there are three main options for gaining the NCALNE (Voc) qualification through Pathways Awarua and ALEC.These are listed below. Each of the options and related fee assumes that the TEC subsidy via the educator study grant is already in place.

Fees for 2015 NCALNE (Voc)

Option 1: Online. Assessment Only

• $750 + GST per participant (in addition to the Adult Literacy Educator Grant). Participants get assessment of NCALNE (Voc) evidence only, and according to the model in Pathways Awarua. This model does not include feedback or coaching.
• ALEC’s expectation is that participants complete the training within 12 months of starting. If not, a base fee for Assessment Only of $750 + GST will apply again in the following year. The purpose of this is to incentivise participants to finish in the year that they are enrolled.
• The advantage of this option is that employers and other groups can manage adult literacy and numeracy professional development internally and work with ALEC for assessment purposes only and according to their own timetables. This could suit some PTEs and ITPs. Because of the way the assessment modules are set up in Pathways Awarua, employers and organisations can wait until their tutors are up to Assessment 3 before they engage ALEC and unlock the rest of the assessment content.

Option 2: Online. With Coaching and Assessment

• $1500 + GST per participant (in addition to the Adult Literacy Educator Grant).
• This option includes feedback on assessments as well as email and phone support, online coaching, additional audio, video, and as well as other support resources and materials.
• ALEC’s expectation is that participants complete the training within 12 months of starting. If not, an Assessment Only base fee of $750 + GST will apply again in the following year. The purpose of this is to incentivise participants to finish in the year that they are enrolled.
• The advantage of this option is that it may suit tutors who are unable to join a group because of time or distance constraints, or who do not have internal support. All participants will have access to online support, coaching, feedback, and additional resources from ALEC through their NCALNE (Voc) training and assessment journey.

Option 3: Online. With Coaching, Assessment and up to Five Days Face-to-Face Training

• $2000 + GST per participant (in addition to the Adult Literacy Educator Grant).
• This option is based on a minimum of 12 participants per group.
• The format is two x two day intensive workshops followed by a final wrap up session where participants present their embedded project work. The workshops and training are spread out over approximately 4 months.
• Includes email and phone support, online coaching, additional audio, video, and other support resources and materials, as well as feedback on assessment tasks.
• ALEC’s Expectation is that participants complete the training within 12 months of starting. If not, the Assessment Only base fee of $750 will apply again in the following year. The purpose of this is to incentivise participants to finish in the year that they are enrolled.
• The 5 days of facilitated workshop training has been ALEC’s standard model of face-to-face, facilitated training delivered successfully to a wide range of groups since starting this work in 2007. Now we’re able to offer the same model enhanced with new layers of online support including via Pathways Awarua. This option would suit industry groups, private training establishments, and polytechs who are able to put together groups of at least 12 participants.
• We may require some groups to demonstrate their commitment to this study and the investment represented by the ALEG funding by completing the first one or two assessment tasks prior to starting the face to face training. The purpose of this would be to gauge the level of commitment amongst the participants, to ensure that they are able to produce the right kind of assessment evidence at level 5, and kick start the workshop training in a more effective way.