About us

Our vision, mission and values

What we do

Careers New Zealand is the leading careers support agency for all New Zealanders needing information, advice and support to make life-defining decisions – with particular emphasis on young people, Māori and Pasifika.

As well as providing our services directly to New Zealanders, we work with school careers advisors, individuals and groups to provide relevant, high quality careers programmes and services for their students, staff and clients.

Careers New Zealand offers expert, free advice and support to help New Zealanders make smart, well-informed decisions about their career. We provide an extensive nationwide hub of careers expertise and support.  

As the leading experts in the careers sector, our holistic view enables us to define, practise and develop resources for use across the careers sector, improving the quality of career decision-making by New Zealanders.

We work with businesses, industry and community groups so that people have wider access to the information they need to make successful transitions into learning and work, so they are active contributors to New Zealand’s economy.

Careers New Zealand is uniquely placed to view all the elements, organisations, steps and links that come together to form the careers system in New Zealand. We work in partnership with government agencies, schools, tertiary providers, community organisations, businesses, unions, influencer groups, and users of our service.

Our vision is Mana Rapuara Aotearoa – Leading careers in New Zealand.

It is our mission as the government's career experts to lead, drive and build capability in the New Zealand careers sector. 

Our minister

Careers New Zealand reports to the Minister of Education, Hon Hekia Parata.

• Read our Briefing for the Incoming Minister - December 2011
• Beehive website - read more about Hon Hekia Parata

Our partners

Improving the New Zealand Careers System

We work in partnership with central and local government agencies, schools, tertiary providers, community-based organisations, business leaders, unions, influencer groups, and end users of our service.

We operate across the education, labour market and social development sectors, working with the Ministry of Education, the Department of Labour, the Ministry of Social Development, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, and other Government agencies on actions and policies where a career component is important.

We reach:

• schools through assisting them to self-review and enhance their practice using the career education benchmarks, tailored career resources (including electronic resources) , an e-newsletter,  professional development for staff through cluster deliveries and ongoing support to management and career teams to support school-wide career development
• tertiary providers and ITOs through professional development for staff, tailored career resources (including electronic resources) and ongoing professional advice to management to support provider-wide career education
• iwi, hapu and whānau through working alongside people to build their ability to support rangatahi in making career decisions
• regional leaders through regional development initiatives (such as Capable Auckland, Canterbury Careers, the Mayors' Taskforce for Jobs, economic development projects) and partnerships
• parents, churches, youth mentors and others in the community through capability building sessions, and targeted sections of the website
• employers through tailored packages and online resources to support staff’s career progression; and through advice and tailored programmes to support workers facing redundancy
• professional organisations and industry sector organisations through networking and partnerships.

Our clients

Careers New Zealand delivers career advice and support to people of all ages. Our website and phone-based services are available to all New Zealanders, and individuals can also contact us for personalised assistance online or phone.

Our more intensive services are targeted to specific groups, based on their needs.  We focus on the following groups to contribute to the Government’s priorities as well as the wider economic well-being of New Zealand.

We support:

• Parents, families and whānau

  Services include career information sessions to help parents, families and whānau support young people in making well-informed career decisions.
  
  

• Schools

  Services include professional development for staff, tailored career resources (including electronic resources) and ongoing professional advice to school management to support school-wide career education, including the development of Career Education Benchmarks for secondary schools.

• Read about the Career Education Benchmarks (Secondary Schools)

• Employers

  Services include advice and tailored programmes to support workers facing redundancy.

• Workers who have been made redundant

  Services include group career planning sessions and tailored website information.

• Migrants and refugees

  Services include a tailored website section and group career planning sessions.