What's happening now?
Te Pou is pleased to announce that all Skills Matter provider contract negotiations for 2010 have now concluded.
Across the six Skills Matter programmes, courses are offered through 13 contracts with providers – please visit our ‘Your 2010 funding questions answered’ page for full programme and provider details.
Since taking on the management of the Skills Matter contract in 2008, Te Pou has funded the training of 535 frontline clinical postgraduate trainees. A total of up to 267 trainee places will be funded in 2010, with 140 of these allocated to New Graduate to Specialist Practice – Mental Health and Addiction Nursing programmes. This is an increase of 25 nursing places from 2009 and it equates to $500,000 in additional funding going directly to training our future mental health and addiction nursing workforce.
Te Pou is committed to remaining proactive, efficient and effective in its management of the Skills Matter fund. We have been mindful of our mandate to align the fund with the strategic intent of the Ministry of Health and channel funds to identified areas of mental health and addiction workforce need.
Looking to the future, a priority that Te Pou is already addressing is a revision of the formula for allocation of all Skills Matter-funded programme places. We intend to work closely with the sector on this. Te Pou is particularly concerned that the allocation formula should be based on considerations of equity and mental health sector workforce need. We understand that workforce needs change and that each region and district health board will have unique drivers for training and recruitment.
We thank you for your patience and understanding during 2009, and look forward to working closely with sector representation groups in 2010.
For more information
Please contact kristie.wilcox "at" tepou.co.nz.