E22 A4 Annual Report 2010 FP.indd - Northland District Health Board

NORTHLAND:
Whakapiki Ake Programme
Whakapiki Ake is a Ministry of Health initiative, and it is operated as
a partnership scheme between the University of Auckland and Northland
DHB. The programme is in its seventh year and it exists to encourage young
Maori students to pursue a career in medical and health sciences.
The programme’s primary focus is to increase the Maori workforce, by
exposing Maori secondary students to health careers and University study
pathways within the Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
.This is a key event of the programme and it is held during the secondary
school holidays in July. Since 2008, over sixty Northland secondary school
students have participated in this programme.
Incubator Programme
The Northland Incubator Programme was launched in June 2009 and is a
workforce development initiative for secondary school students to nurture
an interest for a vocation in health. The programme is franchised through
Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and is a targeted approach to workforce
development that nurtures the passion for a vocation in health through
experience and knowledge of people in the health sector.
Currently the programme is available to year 12 and 13 students in fi fteen
schools in various district health boards throughout New Zealand. In
Northland, the programme has commenced within Kamo and Tikipunga
High Schools and work is underway to identify health professionals, from a
wide range of disciplines within the health and disability sector, to support
the programme in the schools.
Pihirau-Te Tai Tokerau Hauora Maori Scholarship
One of the barriers to success for many Maori wishing to pursue undergraduate
qualifi cations has been the lack of funding support for costs of
completing tertiary education and training as noted in the report He Tipu
Hareke.
Northland DHB is committed to growing workforce capacity and capability
to serve the growing needs of the population of Northland and operates an
internal annual scholarship fund for current Maori employees.
The district health board has established a scholarship fund to support and
enable Maori entering the health and disability workforce to successfully
complete tertiary studies, through minimising one of the barriers to successful
recruitment - affordability.
The scholarship also compliments other health workforce recruitment
programmes such as Whakapiki Ake and Incubator.
Approved Training Organisation (ATO)
Northland DHB’s application to the New Zealand Institute of Chartered
Accountants to renew Northland DHB’s registration as an ‘Approved
Training Organisation’ was successful.
The ATO’s function is to provide an environment in which a trainee can
develop the necessary skills and attributes to become a competent Chartered
Accountant or Associate Chartered Accountant.
As an ATO approved organisation, Northland DHB is recognised as being
capable of offering the type of work experience that fulfi ls the practical
experience requirements for admission to the College of Chartered
Accountants or College of Associate Chartered Accountants.
Oral Health Scholarship
In 2008, Northland DHB introduced the Oral Health Scholarship, offering
fi nancial support to those either wishing to train, or currently training, as
dental therapists or dental surgeons at Otago or Auckland Universities, and
who intend to work within oral health services in Northland on completion
of their training.
Two scholarships were awarded to students in 2008 for therapist hygienist
training. In 2009 and 2010, there were four scholarships awards. Three
of the scholarship recipients are completing a Bachelor of Health Science
(Oral Heath) and another is studying for entrance into dentistry. They are
at varying stages in their studies and are funded for the following year, on
passing of the previous year’s exams.
The fi rst Northland DHB scholarship student will graduate from the Auckland
University of Technology with a Batchelor of Health Science (Oral Health)
degree at the end of this year, and is expected to be working in Northland
from 2011 onwards.
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