Edvance Workplace Education

08/09/2026

It was wonderful to recently celebrate the graduation of our Attainable Trust learners, who have completed 20 weeks of workplace communication training with Edvance.

“Our mission is to provide as many opportunities for people with disabilities as we can,” says Steve Drury, General Manager at Attainable Trust. “Edvance had the whole package for us — literacy, numeracy, health and safety.

"The biggest improvement we have seen is in confidence. When employees first come to us, they can be quiet and keep to themselves. After the programme, they are much more open to approaching management. They now take initiative and don’t hesitate to ask questions.”

Steve says that workplace learning is one of the best opportunities he can provide his staff to help them grow, both within their workplace and beyond. At Edvance, we couldn’t agree more. A stronger workforce starts with developing the people that are already in it.

26/08/2026

Cospak HR Advisor Miloni Trivedi Ahitan calls it a shared language — a new set of tools that empowers staff to communicate more effectively, improve processes, and take initiative with confidence.

That shared language was developed through Edvance’s foundational Introduction to Lean principles programme, delivered over 20 weeks for warehouse and customer service staff at Cospak New Zealand’s East Tamaki site.

In the video below, Ahitan shares how employees have grown into their roles through the workplace development programme. One of the biggest changes, she says, is seeing staff stop immediately turning to management to solve problems, and instead first consider how they can approach the issue themselves.

With noticeable reductions in wasted time and resources, Ahitan says the programme has been worth its weight in gold. Watch below.

18/08/2026

Edvance believes everyone should have the opportunity to share their experience and have their voice heard. So, when our usual programme evaluation wasn’t the right fit for our Community Participation and Factory learners at Attainable Trust, we thought outside the box and found a way for everyone to take part!

For the past three years, Edvance has worked with Attainable Trust to provide additional support in literacy, numeracy, communication, health and safety, and finance for neurodiverse and disabled adults. Attainable Trust is a fantastic not-for-profit organisation that supports people with disabilities to participate in activities and work experience, helping build greater inclusion within the community.

For programme feedback, instead of using paperwork or tablets, Edvance offered three faces that learners could hold up to show how they felt about their experience. Programme Manager Tania Vuletich also used pictures from their activities to jog the learners’ memory.

The approach worked beautifully — learners were engaged, excited to participate and keen to share their thoughts.

And best of all, for the majority of questions, the learners proudly held up their green smiley faces, showcasing just how positive their experience had been with Edvance.

23/07/2026

🎉Congratulations to the Snap Rentals team on graduating from our Simply Better Leadership programme!

It has been a pleasure working with the teams in Queenstown, Christchurch and Auckland, bringing everyone together online in a programme tailored around Snap's operational needs - including a pause over the busy summer season.

The feedback was outstanding, with learners sharing how much they gained both professionally and personally. A standout was understanding different communication styles, helping teams work together more effectively by appreciating each other's strengths.

To finish the programme, each site identified a real workplace challenge and applied the problem-solving tools and leadership skills they had learned to develop practical improvement proposals. Presenting these ideas at graduation was a fantastic way to showcase their learning and create meaningful change back in the workplace.

A huge thank you to Julia Bruce-Mayne for her outstanding facilitation, and to Megan and Sarah from Snap Rentals for their support and commitment to developing their people.

Congratulations to all of the graduates - we're excited to see your ideas come to life! 👏

15/07/2026

Edvance are proud to have partnered with Brosnan in Queenstown recently, delivering workplace ESOL training to their carpentry team that is making a real difference.

Here's what learners told us:

"I'm confident now to give ideas and ask questions in our morning pre-start meetings."
"It helps me ask more clarifying questions."
"I never hesitate to ask questions when a task isn't clear."
"I'm sharing what I've learned with my workmates."

Learners also praised the training experience, describing it as:

- Fun, engaging and easy to understand
- Supportive, patient and encouraging
- Practical, well-prepared and relevant to their work
- Focused on helping every learner achieve their goals

When people have the language skills and confidence to speak up, ask questions and contribute ideas, workplaces become safer, more productive and more inclusive.

A huge thank you to Brosnan Limited Queenstown for investing in your people and creating opportunities for your team to grow.

03/07/2026

Always wanted to join the POLICE?
FIRE & EMERGENCY? CORRECTIONS? DEFENCE FORCE?

Our FREE* Pre-Entry Preparation online course will help you prepare for the psychometric pre-entry assessments for these careers.

The course covers abstract, numerical and verbal reasoning, timed multi-choice test practice, literacy & numeracy upskilling, and much more.

Register your interest now: https://edvance.co.nz/for.../pre-entry-preparation-training/

The next course intake is due to start soon. Online classes will be 2 evenings per week for approx. 17 weeks.

*Course can be free if you are eligible – conditions apply

Prepare for NZ Police, Defence, Fire & Emergency, or Corrections entry tests with Edvance's targeted training. Boost your literacy, numeracy, and reasoning skills for success.

30/06/2026

Our Client Relationship Manager, Jo Austin, recently attended the Safeguard National Health & Safety Conference.

The conference was a fantastic opportunity to connect with health and safety professionals from across New Zealand, meet some great people, and hear from an excellent line-up of speakers sharing practical experiences from a range of industries.
One presentation that particularly resonated with Jo was the closing keynote on Day One by Scott McMillan from Melbourne Park. Scott spoke about the often-hidden literacy challenges many adults face in the workplace and how these can influence health and safety outcomes.

His message about keeping workplace health and safety documentation clear, simple, and uncluttered aligns closely with the work we do at Edvance. Clear communication isn't just good practice; it helps people understand expectations, follow procedures with confidence, and contribute to safer workplaces.

Thank you to the Safeguard team for hosting another worthwhile event, and to everyone Jo had the opportunity to meet and chat with.

26/06/2026

Our team has officially dropped off this year's Jammies for June donations!

A big thank you to Edvance Workplace Education and New Zealand Skills and Education staff, and everyone else who contributed. Your generosity will help ensure local tamariki have warm pyjamas this winter, helping make a real difference during the colder months.

We're proud to have been part of Dame Valerie Adams' Jammie Army again this year, alongside Middlemore Foundation.

Thank you for helping us spread a little warmth where it's needed most 💞

22/06/2026

A highlight of the recent NZ L&D Leadership Summit for the Edvance team was seeing Jo Austin and Hope Laurence take the stage to present on "The Hidden Skill Gap Costing Your Business."

Their session challenged a common assumption in workplace learning: that every performance issue is a training issue.

Through practical examples and audience discussion, Jo and Hope explored how the real causes of workplace challenges can often lie elsewhere – in communication, confidence, leadership, systems, processes or role clarity.

One message that particularly resonated with attendees was: "The most expensive training intervention is the one solving the wrong problem." For Learning & Development professionals, taking the time to diagnose the root cause of a challenge before designing a solution can make the difference between activity and impact.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended the session, shared their perspectives, and contributed to the discussion. The level of engagement and curiosity in the room was fantastic.

We're proud to have been part of a conference focused on helping organisations create meaningful learning experiences that deliver real results.

16/06/2026

What a fantastic experience sponsoring and attending the NZ L&D Leadership Summit in Auckland last week.

This year's theme, "Learning Together Matters! Harnessing the power of collective intelligence to shape change", provided the perfect backdrop for two days of connection, learning and inspiring conversations with Learning & Development professionals from across Aotearoa.

A huge thank you to the HR Leadership Network (APAC) team for hosting such a valuable event, and to everyone who visited the Edvance stand to share their experiences, challenges, and ideas. We left with new perspectives, valuable connections, and plenty of inspiration for the future.

Congratulations to our conference prize draw winners, Jo from Kiwibank and Becky from Juken New Zealand - JNL. Jo won a complimentary workplace training workshop, and both winners received a magnum of Drappier Carte d'Or Champagne. We're grateful to our friends at Hancocks Family Merchants for generously donating the champagne and helping us celebrate the fantastic L&D professionals who attended the summit.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to connect with us. We look forward to continuing the conversations in the weeks ahead.