What the TRoQ? Why new is good

A major overhaul of tertiary qualifications has been taking place since 2008. The review process, named TRoQ (Tertiary Review of Qualifications), has affected all national and local qualifications Level 1 to 6 across all New Zealand tertiary institutes.

Why?

1. There were too many disparate qualifications.

2. The requirements of each qualification were set in isolation from learners and industry.

Background: NMIT in focus

Until recently, it was up to NMIT to brainstorm how our qualifications and programmes should look. We would consult locally and then put things in place, tweaking programmes as the years went on.

For learners, it meant you received a programme developed in Nelson. A programme unique to NMIT. Sounds great on the surface, but the lack of collaboration across institutes resulted in programme qualifications that weren't as relevant to industry nor learners. 

For employers, it meant you had to be familiar with NMIT plus all other institutes in New Zealand to understand the specific outcomes and achievements of an individual programme.

Why old didn't work

Old was crowded

Before TRoQ there were thousands of qualifications available in New Zealand. Some of the programme pathways and outcomes were ambiguous. This left both learners and industry confused.

Old lacked consistency

Say you were a prospective learner wanting to study Business. You’d scan business programme options available at three or four different institutions. They all had different names, different study lengths, and different pathways. How did you know which was right for you? A lot of guesswork, a few recommendations, and intuition. Again...confusing.

Why new is good

New is collaborative

The review team took a group of programmes out to different industries and institutes and said "These are your qualifications, how do you want them to be?" They connected broadly across industry, and spoke to a lot of employers. Also other training providers besides institutes. The outcome was greater national alignment and significant industry alignment.

New is cohesive

All Level 1 to 6 qualifications will now be the same across all institutions in New Zealand.

New is current

The changes only recently received approval. This means all programmes are current and designed to suit current and future marketplaces. 

New understands graduates

What does a graduate look like when they’ve got their qualification? Because of TRoQ we know. We have well-considered graduate profiles for each qualification.

New provides clear pathways

We have been able to design courses that fit together from start to graduation. Programmes that make sense and provide a clear pathway.

What TRoQ means for learners

1. The clarity enables you to see a clear pathway from a to b.
2. You won’t need to explain how your qualification differs from someone else. You’ll be able to say to industry, "This is my qualification". The industry will understand what that means for you and them.
3. Graduate profile statements are a lot clearer. You’ll understand what you will be able to do once you’ve graduated. You’ll finish with the right set of skills needed in order to thrive in the workplace.
4. Programmes are well worded in work ready language. You’ll have tangible outcomes you can leverage off. At Level 3 you will be able to do (x). At Level 4 you will be able to do (y). At Level 5 you will be able to do (z).

What TRoQ means for employers

1. What you want from your graduate is now a lot clearer. You will enter the hiring process knowing that this graduate has the same 'career' profile as another graduate. You can focus on finding a person with the right fit, attitude and other interpersonal skills.
2. Programmes will be taught in ways that fulfil what you want in a graduate.
3. Institutes and industry are working together. You won’t need to justify how institutes are teaching. Rather, for example, you’ll be able to say, "I want a graduate in IT who is able to create responsive websites," and feel confident about receiving that.

What stage is NMIT at?

We started introducing new programme upgrades in 2016. This is continuing throughout 2017 and in 2018 we’ll have some more coming through. By the end of 2018 all NMIT programmes will have received attention.

What about NMIT postgraduate qualifications?

Our Level 7, 8, and 9 Postgraduate Diplomas are also changing. Not by force, by choice. We see it as an opportunity to make sure there is greater alignment and benefit for our learners.

All our existing qualifications have an expiry date on them. This means you won’t be able to enrol until the new programme is in place. Anyone who started a specific qualification prior to the changes will need to be finished by a certain date. This is happening across the board throughout New Zealand.

It’s an exciting time for our learners and industry. It is also a great time to be a graduate in our fast changing world.