He Puāwai
Certificate in Adult & Tertiary Teaching
Tirohanga whānui
Develop facilitation skills for your workplace
Want to create practical facilitation and workshop‑hosting skills for adult learners? Whether you’re already teaching, facilitating, or bringing relevant life or work experience, this programme will give you skills you can use right away.
Lead engaging workshops (including technology‑enhanced approaches), embed literacy and numeracy, and evaluate your practice so adult learners succeed.
This qualification is intended for people aspiring to or engaged in a career in adult, tertiary or vocational teaching or training who have a qualification or equivalent experience in their trade, vocation or other primary discipline. It represents the expected sector baseline qualification for a professional adult and tertiary teaching practitioner.
Graduates of this qualification have the skills and capabilities to provide high quality, contemporary and culturally appropriate teaching and learning in a range of teaching or training contexts.
He aha tāu ka whiwhi?
What you’ll gain from this programme
Completing this programme means you’ll be able to:
Design learning that caters to diverse needs
Facilitate quality learner‑centred teaching
Apply varied facilitation strategies
Use technology‑enhanced teaching and learning
Embed literacy and numeracy techniques that help learners learn
Use fair, authentic assessment, feedback and moderation to enhance learning
Evaluate and implement plans for continuous improvement
Mā te mahi ka ako
Learn by doing
Apply your learning through a structured practicum/placement (104 hours) alongside workshops, one‑day wānanga and noho.
You’ll plan and deliver:
Teaching sessions
Trial digital tools
Embed literacy and numeracy
Gather learner feedback
Evaluate and refine your approach with support from kaiako and peers
Ngā ara e wātea ana
Where will this take me?
On completion, you’ll have the skills to:
Keep studying
Explore higher levels in adult and tertiary teaching.
Use at work
You could teach or facilitate learning in vocational, tertiary, marae-based, workplace, or community settings.
Community initiatives
Support community, iwi and workplace training initiatives by designing equitable, culturally responsive learning for adult learners.
He meka
Quick facts
- Level 5 (Intermediate)
- 60 Credits
- 20 Weeks
- NZ Certificate in Adult and Tertiary Teaching Level 5
- No fees
- NZQA Accredited
Paearu whakauru
Entry criteria
To enrol in this programme, a potential student must:
Be a New Zealand citizen or resident (or citizen of Australia, Tokelau, Niue or the Cook Islands
Reside in New Zealand
Be at least 18 years of age at the commencement of the programme
Have successfully completed a Level 4 qualification or NCEA Level 2
Applicants who do not meet these entry requirements may be granted special admission by Aukaha Ako (delivery). In this case, applicants must:
Provide proof of relevant educational/work/life experience in adult education
Meet the competencies required in literacy and numeracy
Provide evidence of their ability to successfully pursue and complete the programme
All applicants must also:
Complete an application package
Participate in an interview and selection process to demonstrate suitability to the programme
Important information: You'll need to have access to at least six adult learners throughout the duration of the programme. Ako sessions (practicum) are a compulsory component of this programme.
Te wā
Time commitment
This programme is:
Full-time
60 credits
20 weeks long
Noho-based, with a supervised practicum, wānanga (workshops) and tutorials
Kōnae Ako
Learning Modules
Ki hea, mō āhea hoki au ako ai?
Where and when can I learn?
Kaupapa anamata
Upcoming events
He Puāwaitanga Kawerau 2026
Graduation Ceremony, Kawerau
He Puāwaitanga Whirikoka 2026
Graduation Ceremony, Gisborne
Pitopito kōrero o te wā
Latest news
Turning point inspires commitment to change, community, and career
In 2024, Bryce Marsh faced a major turning point in life that led to him studying Manaaki Tangata at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, setting him on a path of healing, self-discovery and a desire to give back to his community.
A whānau journey of learning at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
Studying at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa wasn’t just a personal journey for Tania Dargaville (Te Rarawa). It became a whānau journey, shared alongside her sister and son, learning, growing and now graduating together.
Creating second chances for rangatahi
Kaimahi working in Youth Engagement Services at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa play a vital role in empowering rangatahi to discover who they are, build practical skills, and shape futures that feel right for them.
Wānanga study supports career shift into social services
When COVID-19 hit, it changed the direction of Dee Clark’s life. At the time, she was working in airport security as a behavior analyst, but the impacts of COVID-19 caused her role to change and so did her sense of purpose.
Strengthening Indigenous‑led global partnerships
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust to host delegation from Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford Delegation and formalise Māori Curatorial Partnership
Upholding reo Māori beyond kura kaupapa
At 18 years old, Te Tatau Strother walked into his first Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi class at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa feeling like the youngest voice in a room full of experienced reo Māori speakers.
Weaving a shared journey of growth
What began as an opportunity to learn something new for Riri (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Pākehā) and Rich Rio (Kuki Airani, Ngāti Maniapoto) grew into a journey of confidence, deeper connection to te ao Māori, and a shared sense of purpose as husband and wife.
Cambridge Museum project guided by wānanga tikanga studies
Cambridge Museum manager, Elizabeth Harvey, is combining her tikanga studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa with her passion for local history, to support the museum’s Voices of Cambridge project.
Wānanga launches first of their kind mātauranga Māori certificates, marking a new era for Indigenous knowledge education
Responding to the growing needs and aspirations of tauira, iwi and communities, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is breaking new ground with the launch of 2 new Level 4 certificates that will be the first standalone programmes of their kind in Aotearoa.
Learning tikanga to strengthen community work
After making the move to Aotearoa in 2014 from Germany, Almaz Bergz set out to gain a better understanding of the people, whenua, and culture that shape life here.
Thriving as a kaiako after He Korowai Ākonga
When Marlena Martin began her studies in He Korowai Ākonga – Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) in 2023, she never imagined where it would take her and how much she would grow as an individual.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new international reo Māori learning
iReo is a flexible, self-directed, online short course made up of 5 standalone modules, each running over 6 weeks. Learners can study at their own pace, weaving te reo Māori into everyday life alongside work, whānau, and other commitments.