About us
Welcome to Skills Matter. Funded by the Ministry of Health, we are a workforce development programme within Te Pou, charged with planning and funding post entry training for the nursing and allied health mental health and addiction workforce.
We provide a central point for relevant information about the roles, training, qualifications, career pathways, scholarships and funding available to New Zealand's mental health and addiction workforce.
Valuing the past to influence the future
The mental health and addiction workforce training, planning and funding services have, in the past, served the workforce population well.
They have been overtaken, however, by an emerging workforce that consists of new roles, an exploding technology platform that offers new ways to support the delivery of training and education, and debate over what is required now and in the future.
Te Pou has a passionate belief that as a sector we can do better with regards to workforce and that mental health training arrangements are a key bridge for our future workforce. Skills Matter, as a vehicle for change, will support the effective implementation of Let's get real and a National Training Plan.
Skills Matter is a critical enabler for Te Tahuhu: Improving Mental Health 2005-2015: The second New Zealand mental health and addiction plan, Ministry of Health, 2005, and Tauawhitia Te Wero, Embracing the Challenge: National mental health and addiction workforce development plan 2006-2009, Ministry of Health, 2005, and provides an opportunity for refreshed training, planning and funding arrangements.