New qualification launched for New Zealand park rangers

A new national qualification for people working in the parks and reserves sector has been launched by Skills Active Aotearoa and New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA).

The National Certificate in Parks and Reserves (Park Ranger) allows people working as a park ranger or park officer to gain recognition for the field skills, customer service and health and safety management they use in their day-to-day work. It also recognises their knowledge of the flora and fauna, history, development and cultural significance of the park area they work in.

Skills Active Aotearoa Chief Executive Grant Davidson "park rangers and park officers are the guardians of New Zealand's outdoor environments. They play an important role in protecting, restoring and preserving our unique natural areas.

"In addition, their role in providing opportunities for New Zealanders and international visitors to interact with our forests, coastline, wetlands and regional and urban parks every year is a vital one. It allows thousands of people to learn about and experience our outdoors. They also help make a significant contribution to New Zealandï¾s economy, particularly through international visitors."

Park rangers at the Greater Wellington Regional Council provided valuable support in finalising and 'fine tuning' the resources for the qualification, and will be the first rangers in the country to achieve it.

The Level 3 qualification takes approximately 12 months to complete for someone just starting out in their career and, for more experienced staff, can be achieved by providing relevant evidence against the qualification requirements.

Details of the qualification are available on the Skills Active website at www.skillsactive.org.nz

26th August 2009 - NZ PARK RANGERS TO BENEFIT FROM PARTNERSHIP