Learning Pathways

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All of the offender management qualifications are designed for the majority of the training and assessment to take place in the workplace.

Trainees are typically able to achieve each level of the qualification in a two year period.

There are currently three national qualifications for the offender management sector, each building on the previous with the Level 3 being a pre-requisite for level 4 and level 4 for level 5.

National Certificate in Offender Management (Level 3)

Designed for corrections officer roles within a prison to provide safe, secure, and humane containment of inmates while working towards reducing re-offending. The certificate covers both generic and professional skills.

General skills include:

  • Response to fires in the workplace
  • Managing anger, time, stress and change
  • First aid and basic life support
  • Interpersonal communications

Professional skills cover the major activities corrections officers do in during the course of their work and relate to:

  • The management and rehabilitation of prison inmates
  • The management of safety and security in the prison environment

National Certificate in Offender Management (Level 4)

Equips the trainee for more senior corrections officer roles in the prison environment by broadening the professional skills gained at level 3.

  • Adding word processing and report writing skills to improve administrational capability
  • Adding interpersonal communication skills to prepare the trainee for increased levels of responsibility in relation to management of inmates
  • Adding skills relating to adult training to allow for facilitation of staff training programmes for more junior levels

National Certificate in Offender Management (Level 5)

This is for those working or seeking work as a principal corrections officer within a prison and could lead to higher qualifications in business or business administration. The qualification builds on the National Certificate in Offender Management (Levels 3 and 4) and equips the candidate for team leader roles in the prison environment.

The qualification covers the following skills and knowledge:

  • Use of computers for word processing and spreadsheet preparation
  • Compliance with policy, procedures, and legal requirements
  • Concepts and principles of quality and its management
  • Meeting requirements for the provision of public sector services
  • Te Tiriti O Waitangi, kaupapa and tikanga Maori
  • Management, leadership, and training expertise
  • Monitoring and control of expenditure
  • Optional skills and knowledge include:
  • Coordinating escorts and court services for prison inmates
  • Operation of organisations representing Maori with which the government may interact