Upcoming 2026 Changes to New Zealand’s Vocational Heights Training

Upcoming 2026 Changes to New Zealand's Vocational Education System

New Zealand’s vocational education landscape is undergoing a major shift as part of the Review of Vocational Education (RoVE). A key aspect of this reform is the replacement of existing Workforce Development Councils with new Industry Skills Bodies. These new entities are designed to give industry a stronger voice in setting training standards and defining the skills needed in real workplaces.

For learners, employers, and training providers working in heights and harness safety, these changes will be visible from 1 January 2026, when a new course structure comes into effect.

From Combined Programmes to Streamlined Courses

Historically, many vocational programmes bundled multiple topics and unit standards into a single, broader course. Under the new RoVE-aligned approach, training will move towards more streamlined, single-unit courses.

This shift is intended to:

• Make it clearer for learners to understand exactly what each course covers
• Allow industry and regulators to update specific units more easily as standards change
• Support more targeted upskilling and progression pathways

In the heights training space, this means that instead of one combined programme covering several height safety topics, learners will complete distinct, clearly defined unit-standard courses.

Heights Training Restructuring (Effective 1 January 2026)

From 1 January 2026, four new course offerings will replace the previous heights training structure. Each course is aligned to a specific unit standard and has a clearly defined purpose and audience.

1. Basic Heights – Harness Training (US 23229)

Format:

• Expanded from a half-day to a full-day course

Purpose and Audience:

• Designed as an entry-level course for new industry learners
• Suitable for secondary school students beginning vocational pathways
• Provides foundational knowledge and skills in basic height safety and harness use

Role in the Pathway:

• Acts as a prerequisite for the Height Safety Systems course (US 15757)
• Ensures all learners have a consistent baseline of safety knowledge before progressing to more advanced system-focused training

2. Height Safety Systems (US 15757)

Format:

• Full-day course

Prerequisite:

• Requires successful completion of US 23229 – Basic Heights – Harness Training

Focus:

• Emphasises the use of temporary proprietary height safety systems
• Aims at learners who will be working with these systems under limited supervision
• Builds on basic harness skills to cover system selection, setup, and safe use

3. Employ Height Safety Equipment (US 25045)

Format and Delivery:

• Delivered in the workplace, not as a generic classroom-only course
• Requires real-environment assessment, meaning learners are assessed using actual workplace equipment and conditions