Link to Succession Planning & Standards

SeniorNet Research Published

“Improving our understanding of the older persons needs in learning new technology”.This important research has now been completed and the report
published. It is available on www.seniornet.co.nz along with an overview in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. The Federation will be working on the recommendations detailed in the report but overall we can all be proud of the findings in particular the high value that communities place on the work done at our Learning Centres. 

SeniorNet Federation, submission to TEC

The Federation has been invited to make a submission in respect to the Tertiary Education Draft Strategy 2010-2015. In our submission we were able to show significant alignment with the proposed focus on skills training for all New Zealanders and the important role SeniorNet Learning Centres have in achieving this for older adults. The publishing of our research has therefore been very timely in supporting this.

Partnering up to improve the safety of senior road users

SeniorNet and the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) have partnered up to improve the safety of senior road users. The NZTA has developed some new online resources and felt that SeniorNets’community learning network would be a great way to raise awareness of them. For many older people driving is a key to their independence, and many of them rely on their cars to get around – for shopping, appointments or visiting friends and family. While older drivers don't have as many crashes as younger drivers, if they do crash they are more at risk of being seriously injured or killed. This is due to increasing physical fragility. 

The NZTA’s new education resources for senior road users include the Staying Safe online toolkit at www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/senior-road-users.

This website section has been designed for older drivers and provides interactive activities and information to help older drivers improve safety for themselves. They’re designed to help people maintain their independence while also staying safe on the road.

The information includes:

• an online self assessment quiz that provides some guidance to senior road users to help them self-examine and compare their own ability with the requirements for safe-driving
• brief video clips of how to keep safe in the following driving situations:
• information on how to choose a safe vehicle
• information on safe alternatives to driving including walking and cycling.
• Safe driving rules
• Flush medians
• Roundabouts
• Traffic lights
• Motorways
• Open road driving

The website has simple usability, there are instructions on how to make the font larger online and navigation has been designed to be straightforward.

Staying Safe workshops:

The NZTA has also launched some Staying Safe workshop materials available to any organisation that wants to provide a refresher road safety workshop for senior road users. I’ll be talking to Learning Centres more about this through the year at our Regional Meetings.
The Staying Safe course content and supporting material are designed to help organisations provide classroom-based road safety refresher workshops for senior road users.
More information for organisations interested in running workshops is available at www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/senior-road-users/staying-safe.html.
There is no direct funding from NZTA to run these courses but the resources can be used free of charge if charges for Staying Safe workshops are for your time, the venue, refreshments, photocopying etc, and not for profit.