With the help of Workforce Development Council Ringa Hora, the team at JNP Aviation Training can now offer the New Zealand Certificate in Aviation Ground Handling.  As part of its programme development, JNP worked through the pre-assessment moderation with Ringa Hora’s Quality Assurance team. JNP’s Academic Lead Alice Jones explains: “There's a lot of difference between industry training and a learning environment in an education setting.

“These ‘rampies’ [ground handlers] are fully trained in this high safety regulated environment and they are trained exceptionally well. But by giving them an opportunity to also embark on a New Zealand Certificate means that they get that extra support, learning and the communications side rather than just the hands-on doing.”

JNP Aviation Training have more pathways of study including a micro credential in leadership, assessing in aviation and a school gateway programme all awaiting New Zealand Qualifications Authority approval.  In addition, micro credentials in aviation security, aircraft cleaning and ‘airport front of house' are all in the development stage. Ms Jones says the support of Ringa Hora has been a massive boon for JNP which operates at sixteen airports throughout New Zealand. 

“To have Ringa Hora as support has been fantastic when it came to all these industry assessments. There were areas where myself and the subject matter experts were developing the assessments for new students, but also needed them to work for trainees already in industry. The moderators were awesome when at times I had to think… how can I assess this? Can I do that particular bit like this? And they helped me work through this which has been such a valuable part of the process.”

JNP CEO Josh Payne says the new programme and potential future qualifications are an incredible boost for those wanting to join the industry and for those already working in it.  “I know that the industry has been hammered through COVID. However, we only see opportunities. There is a massive need in the aviation industry, where we need people to further develop and adapt, to help with quicker aircraft turnarounds, have more aircraft fly in and out. We want to be at the forefront of education, to give people that tangible certificate. Not only because it increases the capabilities of staff members, it is an achievement to be proud of for those staff - on a personal level.  We want to enable that proud moment and provide staff with a formal qualification to keep up with the regulated environment we work in.”

NB: An earlier version of this article erroneously stated that the New Zealand Certificate in Aviation Ground Handling was a new qualification. The New Zealand Certificate in Aviation Ground Handling (Level 3) Ramp Operations strand qualification was in fact developed by ServiceIQ and was available for use by industry as a formal qualification. JNP are a newly registered provider and worked with Ringa Hora to gain NZQA approval for their programme.