New Zealand Park Rangers to Benefit from Partnership

Skills Active and the New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) have announced a partnership that will benefit New Zealand's Park Rangers.

The partnership aims to identify, through industry consultation, the most effective workplace based training pathway, with particular focus on the Park Ranger Level 3 qualification as well as career pathways and further development opportunities for park rangers.

Skills Active and NZRA will identify a group of up to seven proactive and experienced ranger managers to form a technical advisory group. The purpose and priority of this group will be:

• To provide technical input to the training and assessment resource and system development for the delivery of Park Ranger qualification in the Workplace.
• To examine wider park ranger issues and the identification of further training and development needs and career pathways for Park Rangers.
• Group will meet twice per year and will have an active role via e communication between these meetings
• Ranger data base to be established

Those interested in being considered for the technical group, or whom can contribute through consultation or other means please contact Jude Rawcliffe, Parks and Open Space Project Manager on 02 7353 5532 before 28th August 2009.

Skills Active is the Industry Training Organisation for the recreation, sport & fitness sectors and is part of the Government's drive to create an educated, skilled and adaptable workforce - the sort of workforce that's needed to transform New Zealand into a high-value, knowledge economy. Skills Active is funded by industry and the Government to bring workplace learning and training to the various workplaces in the recreation, sport and fitness sectors including parks and open spaces. Park Rangers are key to recreation provision, being the conservators and providers of recreation spaces, and the facilitators of recreation activities in parks and open spaces.

NZRA is recognised by the International Rangers Federation as the NZ body representing park rangers. NZRA has a strong network of parks managers and operational staff, many of whom are current park rangers. Over the past 18 months NZRA has worked with ranger groups assessing their current status with regard to training and vocational needs. Promotional work has been undertaken around World Park Ranger Day celebrations across regions in 2008 and 2009.