1. A Careers System Strategy for New Zealanders
Approach for leading the development of a careers system strategy with a 10 year horizon for New Zealand

2. Executive Summary
TEC is leading the development of the Careers Services Strategy at a ‘whole of system’ level for the government.
We’ll collaborate across government and the private sector. A primary focus is securing alignment on the essential opportunities and challenges to design for.
We’re taking a systems thinking approach, the output will be directional not directive.
We’re taking a customer-led approach to development the Careers System Strategy and have identified 7 key customer groups which the strategy must serve. Draft problem statements have been developed to guide the strategy development process.
Learners, Parents/Whānau, Unemployed, Employed, Employers, Providers (channel), Government.
The strategy will be developed using an accelerated design sprint framework using design thinking principles. There will be 5 sprints – each one focusing on specific customer groups.
A core ‘permanent’ design team of 8 people is required for 5 weeks – supported by a facilitator and the Careers Transition project team. The team will be based on level 2, 44 The Terrace, Wellington.
Subject matter experts will be invited to join the design team for various sprints as required.
The Strategy development will be guided by 8 design principles and requires significant stakeholder input and consultation to ensure alignment.
The design process is 100% transparent, and works on the basis that any stakeholder is welcome to visit and provide input at any time. External visitors and input will be encouraged.
There will be daily updates and opportunities for feedback for internal team members not based in Wellington using Yammer and Tuia.
Strategic direction will be secured by the end of 2017 and the narrative refined in January 2018 for review by the TEC Board in February 2018.

3. TEC is leading the development of the Careers Services Strategy at a ‘whole of system’ level for the government.
We’re collaborating across government and the private sector to co-create a 10 year strategy to support NZers from education through to employment and beyond.
We aspire to enable a sustainable world class system that equips all NZers with the knowledge and capabilities needed for lifelong success.
Our approach in developing an effective system strategy must:
Define what we mean by the “Careers System”. Who are the key customers and players in this eco-system?
Secure alignment across the key customers and players on the essential problems and opportunities to design for.
Take a systems thinking approach – the Government is just one player in the system.
Be directional but not directive. An iterative approach is required to secure alignment on the key areas of focus and strategic direction.

4. We’re taking a customer led approach
We’re taking a customer led approach. We’ve identified 7 core customer groups in the Careers System with different needs and issues. We’ve drafted initial problem statements to guide the strategy development process.
I’m generally positive and confident, but career decisions are hard. I feel apprehensive and overwhelmed about the future. I don’t know where to go to get help or how to tell what is good advice. The language used often doesn’t connect with me.
My business keeps me busy. Keeping and sourcing talent to meet my current needs is expensive and hard. I don’t have time to spend trying to work out and plan for an unknown future. It’s frustrating, but what can I do? The education system isn’t helping. I need people with the right skills and ready to work.
1: Learner 5:
Employer 2:
Parent /
Whānau
Raising kids is hard. There is so much pressure on me and I’m really under the pump trying to fit everything in. I don’t know where I can get quality information that I can trust to help me guide my kids. This makes me feel anxious and inadequate as a parent.
I feel frustrated that what is expected from me doesn’t match what I’m asked to do. I’m a player in the system but the buck doesn’t stop with me. I give advice and information, I’m not selling guarantees or promising job certainty. I feel a sense of responsibility but ultimately I’m not responsible. 6:
Provider
I don’t have the right skills and capabilities to get a job and I don’t know how to fix the situation I’m in. This makes me feel really anxious. I’m just not confident that I’ll be able to find a job. The services and information out there is so general, it doesn’t help me with what I need.
We’re confident we can fix a fragmented career system but we’re challenged by the speed of the changes coming to the labour market and ability to respond. We want New Zealanders to have the information and tools they’ll need to make informed choices and be confident about the future. 3:
Unemployed 7:
Government
I know the world of jobs is changing. This makes me feel uneasy. But you know what; I’m busy just trying to get through today. I don’t have time to plan for the future and anyway, there aren’t opportunities to improve my capabilities that I can easily access. 4:
Employed

5. We’ll run a series of 5 design sprints to develop and get alignment across the System on a Careers System Strategy. Each sprint will focus on specific customer groups.
The sprints are based on an accelerated problem solving/human centered design approach and will follow a standard process:
Problem Definition Phase
Define the business and customer problem statements (initial drafts complete )
Complete a current state assessment of the performance of the careers system for each customer group
Identify leading practice to guide the development of the strategy
Define and scope the opportunity statement
Validate the size of the prize/benefits to be realised
Design Phase
Complete ideation
Test & Refine Phase
Experiment, prototype and test strategic options
Develop minimum viable product strategies and solutions
Showcase Phase
Showcase to our stakeholders the output of each sprint
Review of products & services
Employers and employed
Unemployed
Learner and Parents /whānau
Providers & Government

6. The development of the strategy will be guided by a set of 8 design principles.
Customer led: Ensure customers at the heart of the final strategy
Use human centered design to develop and validate the strategy. Assumptions & ideas are tested and validated
Systems Thinking: Design with the whole system in mind
Understand and respect the interdependencies between the players
Embrace design thinking & experimentation: Low-res / low-fi first. Test and validate ideas
Remove duplication and waste: Ensure government agencies, services and interventions are aligned and effective
Ensure alignment, engagement and transparency: Alignment across the system of the key opportunities and problems to design for is key
Early and on-going engagement with stakeholders representing our customer groups to ensure the strategy is fit for purpose and aligned
Enable our staff to input into the process by providing regular (daily) updates and inviting their input using forums that are accessible and engaging
Invite external feedback and input into the process. Work in such a way that any member of the public is welcome to inspect our work even when incomplete or in draft form.
Be mindful of the Treaty of Waitangi, the Tertiary Education System and TEC’s operating mandate
Encourage public /private collaboration: Healthy, equitable partnerships and collaboration across the eco-system is key
Recognise and respect that it is hard for the Government to innovate or be as agile as the private sector and other players in the system
Create room for private enterprise to flourish
Be Inclusive: Recognise that NZ’s super diversity is a source of strength to leverage
design for new New Zealanders to take in our diversity
Support life-long learning
Develop strategic direction and focus areas: Avoid designing specific solutions, policies or interventions

7. We’ll make it easy for our stakeholders to be involved in the process to support system alignment and ownership of the finished product.
Checkpoints and Showcases
There’ll be opportunities for Stakeholders to engage in the design sprints. Stakeholders can attend the:
two x 20 minute check-points attended by the Sponsor per week,
weekly 30 min check-points at a time that suits the stakeholder,
weekly 1-hour Sponsor Showcase, and
Be kept up to date on the progress being made, and input into the design sprints, via YAMMER