Working for a better future. Careers in Public Health

Transcription

1 Working for a better future Careers in Public Health

2 Background/acknowledgements 1 What is public health? 2 Are you up to the challenge? 2 What are some Public Health Careers? 2 What qualifications are needed? 3 How do you get started? 3 Career 1 Health Promoter 4 Career 2 Health Protection Officer 6 Career 3 Public Health Nurse 8 Career 4 Public Health Dietitian/Nutritionist 10 Career 5 Community Health Worker 12 Career 6 Programme Co-ordinator 14 Career 7 Public Health Physician 16 Career 8 Policy Analyst 18 Training and Qualifications Pathway 20 For more information 21 ISBN (book) ISBN (website) Ministry of Health First published in 2006 by the Public Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health. Second edition published in 2008 by the Public Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health. For additional copies, contact your nearest health education resource centre and quote: HE1804

3 Background This booklet has been developed as part of Te Uru Kahikatea: The Public Health Workforce Development Plan, an initiative to grow New Zealand s current and future public health workforce. It provides information on public health careers and training pathways for those interested in entering this exciting and developing field. Acknowledgements A special thanks to the individuals and organisations who agreed to be profiled in this booklet. Their generous contributions of time and expertise are greatly appreciated. This booklet is mainly about careers in public health services. However, it is important to note that there are a wide range of careers in the health sector that may be of interest and further information can be found at 1

4 What is public health? Public health is different to publicly funded health and personal health. Publicly funded health is a description of all the health and disability services that are paid for by our taxes. Personal health services focus on the health of individuals. Public health is about action that protects our environments, prevents illness and injury and promotes good health and well being of communities. It involves people and organisations working together to improve the health of communities and to reduce health inequalities. Key ways public health workers achieve results are by: creating environments that support communities to stay well strengthening communities to take positive action supporting families and whanau to make healthier choices developing healthy public policies advocating for health services that are responsive to peoples needs. This approach is from the Ottawa Charter, which is an international framework that recognises the need to address the economic and social factors that affect people s wellness. These factors are called the determinants of health. For instance, if people are to take responsibility for the health of their families and themselves, they need: protection from harmful environmental factors adequate housing a liveable income employment educational opportunities a sense of belonging and being valued a sense of control over life circumstances. Public health is an exciting career where the work you do can make a difference to the lives of many families and communities. Are you up to the challenge of a dynamic public health career? To work in public health you need to value and respect all people and be committed to supporting families and communities to make positive change. In return you will enjoy a career that is challenging, action focused and achieves results. You will be part of making a better future for New Zealand. What are some of the public health careers? This booklet profiles eight of the many careers in public health. Health Promoter Health Protection Officer Public Health Nurse Public Health Dietitian/ Nutritionist Community Health Worker Programme Co-ordinator Public Health Physician Policy Analyst 2

5 Some of the other roles that make up the public health workforce are: Epidemiologists: who study diseases in populations and assist in assessing health needs. Researchers: who research and evaluate social factors involved in health and safety. Public health managers: who scope the work and manage public health teams. Programme managers: who manage large programmes of work on key issues. People with generic skills: eg, contract management, service planning, and systems management and administration. Together all these people plan, implement programmes and monitor change in priority areas of health and safety. What qualifications are needed? Most public health positions require some form of tertiary study. This may be a non-degree tertiary programme, (such as a foundation certificate course); a university degree, or a post-graduate degree. Requirements vary according to the career you choose. Increasingly, some form of tertiary study in public health is required. Key public health qualifications are included on page 20. How do you get started? Check out the careers outlined in this booklet. Check out websites including and Call Career Services on Talk to careers advisors in schools, polytechs and universities. Talk to/visit someone working in the role that interests you. To do this, contact your local district health board and ask for the public health unit. 3

6 Health promoters plan, implement and evaluate activities that promote health and wellbeing in communities. Health promotion is about supporting people to increase control over the factors that influence their health and wellbeing. Health promotion is directed at the underlying, as well as the immediate causes of ill health. Most health promoters work on one or two key issues (such as nutrition, tobacco control, violence prevention). They may work in settings such as schools or marae, and may focus on a particular group, such as children. They use strategies that are based on evidence to achieve change. ACTIVITIES HEALTH PROMOTERS MIGHT DO: build an alliance of people to work on child obesity prepare advice to a territorial local authority on the blood alcohol limit for drivers develop a mental health programme for youth run a campaign on sun safety work with a primary healthcare organisation to plan and deliver health promotion/public health programmes. What school subjects do you need? Health promoters carry out a wide range of activities. All roles require good communication and people skills and on-going learning. What qualifications will you need? Most positions require either a specific health promotion qualification or a tertiary qualification in a related area such as the social sciences. Health promoters need a wide range of skills and usually continue to train in specific areas in which they work. Who employs health promoters? Health promoters work in a wide range of organisations: Public health units of district health boards and primary health organisations Iwi and other M aori providers. Non-government organisations like the Heart Foundation, Cancer Society, Mental Health Foundation Local and regional government 4

7 CAREER 1: HEALTH PROMOTER Cassius, Hutt Valley Health Cassius Kuresa is a New Zealand born Samoan with a passion for Pacific health. He has three main responsibilities as a health promoter at the regional public health unit. He co-ordinates Pacific sexual health promotion, co-ordinates Pacific child and youth health promotion and facilitates and leads the organisation s 13 strong Pacific caucus. The Pacific caucus provides advice to colleagues on effective health promotion programmes for Pacific peoples in the Wellington/Wairarapa region. Cassius has a certificate in sexual health promotion, has completed the Health Promotion Forum certificate in health promotion offered at Manukau Institute of Technology and is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Health Science at Massey University. He loves his work as a health promoter which involves him in health education, advocacy, policy development and community development. Cassius s understanding of Pacific values and beliefs is a real asset in his work with Pacific people. He works closely with other agencies to advocate and promote Pacific health. Before becoming a health promoter Cassius worked in a variety of jobs. Now, in addition to his health promotion work, he works with youth career advisers to promote the many exciting public health career opportunities to school leavers and others. I am such a strong advocate for professional development. I always support my staff to do health promotion courses because I know what a big difference they can make. I am also really supportive of them doing courses that include Pacific models of health because I really want to help our peoples health improve in ways that are appropriate for them 5

8 Health protection officers (HPOs) identify and manage potential health risks to the public. HPOs investigate and take action on public health concerns, provide advice and information, and contribute to the management of sustainable environments. They enjoy a mixture of fieldwork, scientific report writing and being involved with the public. HPOs carry out a regulatory role on behalf of the Director-General of Health and have the power to perform investigations sometimes leading to legal action. The three main areas HPOs are involved in are: environmental health communicable diseases food safety. ACTIVITIES HEALTH PROTECTION OFFICERS MIGHT DO: monitor and remove exotic mosquitoes around seaports and airports check homes and advise families on taking action for lead poisoning follow up a case of infectious disease to prevent it from spreading investigate a chemical spill and provide advice to protect the public develop a food safety programme. What school subjects do you need? Chemistry and biology lay a sound foundation for health protection work. What qualifications will you need? To be a designated HPO in a public health unit, you need academic, practical and personal competencies that have been identified by the Director-General of Health. Academic competencies (skills and knowledge) will be achieved by anyone completing a Bachelor of Applied Science (health protection major) from Auckland University of Technology, or a Bachelor of Applied Science (environmental health major) from Massey University. However if you already have a Bachelor of Science you could complete the Graduate Diploma in Environmental Health (Massey University) or other public health qualifications. Contact your local public health unit (PHU) for advice about your particular requirements. Who employs health protection officers? Health protection officers are part of public health teams in the district health board. Many take on a specialist role such as biosecurity, drinking water, or smokefree environments, while retaining some general tasks. Other roles, related to HPOs, include technical officers in public health units and environmental health officers in territorial local authorities. In the future, a wider range of organisations may seek the sort of skills which health protection officers bring to public health and the professional scope of this work may grow. 6

9 CAREER 2: HEALTH PROTECTION OFFICER KIRSTEN, Nelson Marlborough Public Health Service KIRSTEN TODD IS A TRAINEE HEALTH PROTECTION OFFICER BASED IN BLENHEIM where she works and trains with two experienced health protection officers. She is working mainly in a regional commercial shellfish programme, ensuring that water quality and hygiene conditions are good enough to ensure the shellfish is safe to eat. Kirsten also investigates the occurrence of notifiable diseases such as campylobacter and salmonella. She is part of a project to eliminate the saltmarsh mosquito and a programme to prevent the accidental importation of exotic mosquitoes at the port. As a lab technician testing marine phytoplankton samples in Nelson, Kirsten was attracted to the varied and interesting responsibilities of the health protection officers she was working with and took the opportunity to become a trainee health protection officer when it became available. Kirsten has a Bachelor of Science and with the support of her employer, is studying towards a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Health. Training on the job has really helped her in her study as it has given her practical experience to draw on. Kirsten s training will enable her to become designated as a health protection officer by the Director-General of Health. Kirsten says a big part of her job is educating and informing people about food preparation and hygiene and says it s really empowering to positively influence change in the community. Every time the phone rings I can never be quite sure what I ll be required to deal with and this means I am constantly learning. I thrive on the variety and challenge of not being in a routine role 7

10 Public health nurses (PHNs) are registered nurses whose work and focus is on community health and wellbeing. PHNs do health assessments and disease prevention activities in schools and community settings. Most have very broad responsibilities and are involved in a great variety of work. Some specialise in particular issues such as refugee health, housing issues, child protection and communicable disease control. PHNs play a key co-ordination role between families/ wh anau, communities, and health (and other) organisations and agencies. They are also among the first people to gauge any major health and social trends in the community as they see these trends impacting on their clients. ACTIVITIES PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES MIGHT DO: work with teachers to promote health programmes in schools work with others to develop one-stop-shop health services, for example, a one-stop-shop for youth health play a major part in implementing an immunisation programme advocate for healthy home environments with families/wh anau and communities work with a primary healthcare organisation (PHO). What school subjects do you need? English and science subjects such as biology, chemistry or physics are important to get into the Bachelor of Nursing degree. What qualifications will you need? A three year Bachelor of Nursing degree is the basic requirement followed by a current practicing certificate, which needs to be renewed each year. Many public health nurses complete further qualifications such as a postgraduate course in public health. Who employs public health nurses? Almost all public health nurses are employed by district health boards. Some work in public health units and others in departments such as Child Health, or Family Health. Most PHNs are very mobile, moving around their community every day, touching base with a wide number of organisations and people. They are key players in ensuring the health and wellbeing of communities. 8

11 CAREER 3: PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE COREY, Northland Health COREY PIA S (NGATI HINE) PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING HAS A YOUTH FOCUS working mostly with children from pre-schoolers to 18-year olds. He is based at The Pulse a one-stop youth health centre where he has access to a number of participating agencies including Child, Youth and Family Service, community health workers, a school for pregnant mums, a GP clinic and a community constable. Programmes he is involved with include child immunisations (within a school-based programme), dental hygiene in kohanga reo and kindergartens, sexual health education for high school students, monthly injections for those with rheumatic fever, vision and hearing testing, well child checks and his weekly health clinics at Whangarei Boys High School. Corey loves working in the community and says it s incredibly rewarding watching kids develop from primary school children into wonderful young adults. There are times when you have to be tough but mostly you have to build trusting relationships so that people know they can rely on you. He feels that as a male M aori public health nurse he is able to make a particular difference through his work at the high school where he can mentor boys and provide neutral, caring advice especially around sexual health issues. He says being bilingual is a real asset for his work. Corey works with other stakeholders including local iwi health providers, the Asthma Society, the Cancer Society and primary health organisations. His dental hygiene education in local kohanga has been well supported by a manufacturer who supplied free toothbrushes and toothpaste for the children in the education sessions. Corey has a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Diploma in Nursing. He was working at Bay of Islands hospital when a friend encouraged him to follow a public health nursing career and Corey says he s never looked back. It s important to keep up-to-date with training that s what I really like. We are encouraged to do that all the time. I ve just finished BCG training (for Tuberculosis (TB)). I m really committed to making a difference with TB in the North 9

12 Public health dietitians and public health nutritionists work with groups and communities of people, rather than individuals. Dietitians and nutritionists work to make healthy food choices the easy food choices. This can involve them in everything from working with the media, to advising on food and nutrition guidelines, through to developing nutrition/exercise programmes for adults and children. A key responsibility is to ensure that the public receives clear and consistent nutrition messages, rather than confused latest fad ones. ACTIVITIES PUBLIC HEALTH DIETITIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS MIGHT DO: encourage school environments to support healthy and affordable food choices support a local marae by providing advice on healthy food options work with a local sports trust to evaluate a workplace nutrition/exercise programme develop a resource to educate communities on the fat content in key foods work with the food industry to change the composition of foods and to offer more healthy choices. What school subjects do you need? Science subjects such as chemistry and biology are really important, as are mathematics and English. You might also be interested in food and technology. What qualifications will you need? You will need either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Consumer and Applied Sciences majoring in Human Nutrition (including food service management). You need to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics to be a registered dietitian. To be a registered nutritionist, you need to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Science (community nutrition) as well as an appropriate undergraduate degree, relevant work experience and professional development. Most public health dietitians and nutritionists then complete a specific qualification in public health. Who employs public health dietitians/ nutritionists? District health boards, the Ministry of Health or non-government organisations like the Heart Foundation, Cancer Society and iwi providers employ public health dietitians and nutritionists. Nutrition is at the heart of many public health issues, so public health dietitians and nutritionists are likely to be in demand in the foreseeable future. 10

13 CAREER 4: PUBLIC HEALTH Dietitian NICKY, Community and Public Health, Canterbury District Health Board AS A DIETITIAN WORKING IN A PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT, NICKY MCCARTHY uses her knowledge of nutrition to help prevent diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes. She works closely with related organisations including the Heart Foundation, Cancer Society, public health nurses, health promoters, primary health organisations and community health workers. Nicky s interest in food and health helped her decide to become a dietitian. Her work includes providing up to date and accurate nutrition information to the community, by offering nutrition training for health professionals and community workers, and working with local media to reduce the amount of misinformation published about food and its effects. She enjoys promoting wellness and helping people to get the information they need to stay well and prevent disease. Nicky has a bachelor of science in Human Nutrition, a Post Graduate Diploma in Dietetics and is studying towards a Post Graduate Diploma in public health. She says the most valuable part of having good qualifications is her ability to work at all levels of public health nutrition. One of the projects Nicky has been involved with is an initiative to improve the health of the 8,000 employees at Canterbury District Health Board by replacing unhealthy foods from vending machines and cafeterias with healthier choices. She is also involved with other health professionals in a project for overweight women who participate in a 6-week programme to help them make healthy lifestyle changes. Nicky says people are initially resistant to change, but it is very rewarding to see behaviour change at a population level and know that you are making a big difference. Sometimes in public health change is slow but when we make gains, they are generally big ones and this is hugely rewarding 11

14 Community health workers use specific cultural or community knowledge, and strong networks within their own communities to promote health. Community health workers are often leaders in their own communities and act as a key link between specialist health knowledge and theory, and the needs of communities. As interpreters of this knowledge, their role is a critical one. They make public health messages and actions meaningful to those who often are not reached by mainstream and commercial messages. The work involves action in a wide range of health issues, such as alcohol, social environments, tobacco control and oral health. ACTIVITIES COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS MIGHT DO: advise other professionals about language issues and the need for cultural sensitivity work to set up a child car-seat scheme arrange a community meeting to address the issue of young people involved in drug taking demonstrate low-fat cooking methods to wh anau and ringawera (kitchen workers or cooks) provide support to family and whanau dealing with social services. What school subjects do you need? English, M aori, or your own language are the key requirements. It might also be helpful to have skills in information technology and science. What qualifications will you need? Up until recently, a persons personal attributes and life experience were key to being a successful community health worker. Now, however, it is increasingly expected that community health workers have at least a Certificate in Community Skills or a Certificate in Health Promotion to support them in their role. This study may well be completed while the person is in their job. Who employs community health workers? Iwi providers, other M aori organisations, Pacific, Asian, and new migrant agencies along with district health boards, non-government organisations and a wide range of other organisations currently employ community health workers. The more community health workers formalise their qualifications and training, the greater likelihood that they will evolve into an even more critical workforce within public health. 12

15 CAREER 5: JUSTEENA, Te Kohao Health, Waikato COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER JUSTEENA LEAF (NGAPUHI, NGAI TE RANGI) is one of 10 community health workers at Te Kahao Health (a M aori health organisation), where she is responsible for programmes relating to Auahi Kore (Smokefree) and Aukati Kaipapa (Smoking Cessation). Her day-to-day work involves health education and working with wh anau to support them to give up smoking and pursue healthy lifestyles. Justeena was inspired to get into community health work as a year 12 student by a youth education group who ran a sexual health workshop at her school. Justeena says doing the course in health promotion at Manukau Institute of Technology was a turning point for her because it gave her a structure and some really valuable theory upon which to base her years of flax-roots experience. She draws inspiration from the name of her organisation which is based on a famous saying from the Waikato region. Kotahi te kohao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro ma, te miro pango, te miro whero There is but a single eye of the needle through which white, black and red threads must pass She said that for her, the white, black and red threads represent the diversity of her region and remind her of the need to weave together all parts of the community, toward a single goal of strong, healthy wh anau. Justeena believes that to be a successful community health worker you need to be passionate about the kaupapa you are promoting and have a big heart for the people. She recommends that anyone interested in a job like hers should do some community work to get experience and then follow it up with good qualifications. If I could be three people I would because there is just so much to do. I really wish more people would get into public health because it s such a positive way to make change 13

16 Programme co-ordinators work on a wide range of public health issues and are based in many different settings. While much of the detail of their work is different, most programme co-ordinators will be involved in researching, planning, implementing and evaluating programmes and in community networking. Many will work in a specific, issues based programme. A travel planner is just one example of a programme co-ordinator role in public health. Travel planners work with schools and workplaces to develop sustainable travel plans. Public health concerns being addressed here are cleaner air, injury prevention and improved physical activity for children and adults. ACTIVITIES TRAVEL PLANNERS MIGHT DO: survey current travel patterns for a school help to establish a walking school bus take action to reduce chaos at the school gate help young people set up a cycle club. What school subjects do you need? There is no typical profile of school subjects. English, mathematics and information technology would lay a sound foundation for a range of programme co-ordinator roles. What qualifications will you need? Most programme co-ordinators will need two sets of skills knowledge in their particular area of work and generic skills such as project management, planning, evaluation and communication skills. Many qualifications mentioned elsewhere in this booklet will be relevant for their work, particularly qualifications in health promotion and public health. Like most public health roles, ongoing training in specific areas of need is likely to be required over time. Who employs programme co-ordinators? Programme co-ordinators are employed in nearly all agencies undertaking public health work. This includes local and regional government, non-government organisations, public health units, primary healthcare organisations and iwi providers. 14

17 CAREER 6: PROGRAMME CO-ORDINATOR HANNAH, Travel Planner, Auckland Regional Transport Authority WHILE MOST PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS ARE BASED IN PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES in district health boards or non-government organisations, some programme co-ordinators like Hannah Mitchell work within local and regional councils. A key objective for travel planning is to get people to use active and sustainable transport options and use cars less frequently. This, Hannah says, will have a direct bearing on the health of the population because air and water quality will improve, roads will be safer and people will get more physical exercise. Hannah engages a number of people and organisations in her travel planning work, including schools, local councils, local residents, community boards, sports trusts and police education officers. Hannah developed her interest in travel planning during her study toward a Masters Degree in Human Geography where she wrote her thesis about removing barriers for children to use public space. She believes children are often overlooked in travel planning and need to be given more acknowledgement as citizens so that their right to safety, independence and experience is protected. Hannah and her colleagues have had recent successes in primary schools where walking buses have cut the number of children who are driven to school, increasing their level of physical activity and getting cars off the road at rush hour. Hannah loves her role. She says innovation, communicating, promoting ideas and problem solving are really important aspects to manage diverse individual and organisational relationships. You also have to be well organised. Hannah says she could take many paths in her future career, but wants to remain in environmental and sustainable planning. One of the best things about the walking bus project is that they are community-owned and operated. This is what I love about public health communities solving their own problems 15

18 Public health physicians are qualified medical doctors who choose to specialise in the health of groups or whole communities rather than working in individual healthcare. Public health physicians are involved in promoting health and preventing disease by assessing a community s health needs and providing services to these communities. Partnerships with the communities they serve are key to successful outcomes. Most public health physicians are involved in planning, funding and managing health services, the delivery of public health projects, communicable disease control as well as in academic areas such as research and teaching. Like other public health roles the focus is on population health and prevention and on the underlying social factors that affect peoples health and wellbeing (the determinants of health see page 2). ACTIVITIES PUBLIC HEALTH PHYSICIANS MIGHT DO: research the health of a particular population or health issue plan, deliver and monitor for the health needs identified in that research set up key public health projects and programmes, for example in cardiovascular (heart) health or immunisation provide advice to senior managers and politicians on major health issues and initiatives lecture on public health at tertiary institutions. What school subjects do you need? You should aim for high marks in all NCEA subjects, particularly in mathematics, chemistry, physics biology and English. What qualifications will you need? First you will need to become a qualified doctor. This requires a Bachelors degree in Science and then a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. After this you will need to complete a year as a hospital intern and a minimum of a further two years clinical experience. After this medical training, to become a public health physician you will need to do specialist training for four years in the public health medicine training programme, which includes work experience and completing a Masters in Public Health. Who employs public health physicians? Many public health physicians are employed by the Ministry of Health or district health boards. Others are employed with universities as researchers or teachers. Public health physicians also provide services under contract as independent consultants. 16

19 CAREER 7: PUBLIC HEALTH PHYSICIAN DALE, Waitemata District Health Board AS MANAGER OF THE HEALTH GAIN TEAM AT WAITEMATA DISTRICT HEALTH BOARD, Dale Bramley (Ngapuhi, Ngati Hine) provides clinical leadership and strategic direction for population health programmes to address diabetes and cardiovascular (heart) disease. Other programmes within his broad work area include cancer control, healthy lifestyles, child health and the quality use of medicines. An important focus of his work is to reduce the inequalities that exist between the health of M aori and other New Zealanders. His passion for M aori health has taken him to international forums for indigenous health and to New York to pursue a Harkness fellowship. Dale has qualified as a doctor, has a Masters of Public Health and is studying towards a Masters in Business Administration. He insists however that you don t have to be brilliant to pursue a career like his. He believes passion and persistence are key attributes along with dedication and a commitment to lifelong learning. Dale attributes the success of his programmes to working with a broad range of other public health professionals whose combined work is essential to improving community health. One such programme is the Wellbeing in Schools project in which schools participate in a range of initiatives to improve and maintain good health including better nutrition, and increased physical activity. Dale says creating links with primary care is also an important aspect of his work. This means that while the focus of his work is in preventing disease and maintaining wellness there is a need to care for those individuals who have become unwell. Dale is also involved in health research using it to inform his day-to-day work. He says he is a great believer in the need for research, but he must be able to apply it to his work. I am committed to working in public health because I think there are greater gains to be made by working with communities for better health 17

20 Policy analysts develop and implement public health policy, programmes and regulation. A policy analyst may work on a specific public health issue or across the wider public health field. Most policy analysts plan, research, write, and discuss and assess papers and reports. Providing evaluation and informed commentary and feedback to others on a range of public health policy, such as proposed strategies or legislation, is often part of this role. KEY TASKS FOR A POLICY ANALYST CAN INCLUDE: gathering, analysing and presenting information preparing policy and making recommendations managing projects, information and contracts media liaison. Each role will have its particular emphasis, depending on the priorities of the organisation. ACTIVITIES POLICY ANALYSTS MIGHT DO: help develop a wellbeing strategy in a territorial local authority prepare a submission on problem gambling for a government select committee analyse the literature on suicide prevention and propose specific strategies for developing future programmes help produce a government strategy paper on the future of public health. What school subjects do you need? You will need high marks in all NCEA subjects, especially English and mathematics. What qualifications will you need? You will need to hold a relevant qualification that relates to policy. This may be in public health, public policy, social policy, sociology, law, economics or any other discipline where you have done significant analytical work. You would also usually require knowledge in a relevant public health field. Who employs public health policy analysts? Non-government organisations, such as the New Zealand Aids Foundation, National Heart Foundation and Mental Health Foundation, often employ policy analysts, as do some local authorities and district health boards. Policy analysts also work in many government departments including the Ministry of Health, the Accident Compensation Corporation and the Ministry of Social Development. 18

21 CAREER 8: POLICY ANALYST KERiaTA, Senior Policy Analyst, New Zealand Drug Foundation KERIATA STUART (TE ATI AWA, TARANAKI) IS THE SENIOR POLICY ANALYST at the New Zealand Drug Foundation a non-government organisation (NGO) based in Wellington. Keriata says her role is difficult to pigeon-hole. It includes researching, monitoring issues, networking and information analysis to provide evidence-based policy advice about matters relating to alcohol and drugs, including tobacco. This work often forms the basis of submissions for shaping government policy and legislation. Keriata says one of the benefits of policy work is that the skills are easily transferable to different organisations. She says that until relatively recently, many people, including her, were accidental policy analysts promoted into the newly established roles because of their research, analysis and writing skills. Today, however, it is possible to complete study in public policy and many people choose policy analysis as their career path. Keriata is currently studying towards her Masters in Public Health. Her work has provided inspiration for her Master s thesis which has a focus on M aori women, alcohol and pregnancy. Keriata suggests that, while obtaining a relevant degree is the starting point for anyone wanting to pursue a career in policy analysis, it is really important to back that up with practical work experience. For Keriata, patience is a key personal attribute for policy analysts because it s difficult to measure short term results. She says you need to take a long term view of your work and trust that you are positively influencing policy makers. More and more people doing post graduate studies are pursuing careers in policy anslysis because it is so interesting and varied. For me doing policy work in an NGO is a really good option because my skills contribute to achieving important public health outcomes 19

22 Training & Qualifications Pathway for Public Health Careers THREE MAIN ENTRY POINTS INTO PUBLIC HEALTH CAREERS Community experience School leavers Other careers TERTIARY QUALIFICATIONS Examples of some prior qualifications on which further public health qualifications can be built Undergraduate degrees eg, Many tertiary institutions also offer certificates in areas such as community health, Ma ori or Pacific health or health sciences; these would be useful prior learning for public health qualifications PUBLIC HEALTH QUALIFICATIONS IN NEW ZEALAND COURSE LEVEL COURSE NAME Issues based training eg, 20 Public Health Careers

23 For more information Access information about public health careers at You could also talk to careers advisors in schools, polytechs and universities or visit someone working in the role that interests you. Ring your local district health board and ask for the public health unit. Other key contacts for public health careers information are: Public Health Association of New Zealand Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand Careers Services AND University of Auckland Auckland University of Technology Massey University University of Otago Waikato University Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences Southern Institute of Technology Manukau Institute of Technology Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine Te Wananga o Raukawa New Zealand Institute of Environmental Health University of Victoria Public health is about people and organisations working together to prevent illness, promote health and protect the wellbeing in communities. M a pango, m a whero, ka oti te mahi. Communities working together to achieve healthy outcomes. You could make a contribution to this exciting, challenging and rewarding area of work by pursuing a career in public health. Take action now. 21

24 M a pango, m a whero, ka oti te mahi Communities working together to achieve healthy outcomes