Workplace Savings Professional

A membership category that recognises an individual's professional commitment to the workplace savings industry.

Workplace Savings NZ is pleased to recognise a special membership group for whom "Continuing Professional Training" is a core criterion.

The name given to the membership group is Workplace Savings Professional (abbreviated to "WSP").

Download the Application for Workplace Savings Professional Membership form here.

Fit within existing Membership Structure:

Existing members can choose to voluntarily register eligible staff members as workplace savings professionals, or individual members who satisfy the criteria could choose to register. Either way, individuals in this new membership group are able to use attendance at our Industry Breakfasts, Trustee Certificate training, ad-hoc Seminars, and annual Conference to meet the membership category's ongoing professional development requirements.

Membership Criteria:

To qualify as a Workplace Savings Professional, the current eligibility criteria specified by Council are that the individual:

Is working in or for the workplace savings industry;
And
Has completed at least one module from the Workplace Savings NZ "Certificate in Trusteeship";
And
Has completed one or more units from the National Certificate in Financial Services (Financial Advice) (Level 5) as specified from time to time by the Workplace Savings NZ Council (see below), or completed an alternative accepted or specified from time to time by Council (note that completion of all four modules of the Workplace Savings "Certificate in Trusteeship" is an accepted alternative);
And
Has undertaken at least 15 hours of professional development or training in the workplace savings industry in the year preceding application for membership of the workplace savings professional group, as recognised or accepted by the Workplace Savings NZ Council.

An applicant who satisfies points 1 and 4 above and has paid the WSP membership fee (if applicable) will be granted ‘provisional' WSP Membership if he/she has booked to complete the Certificate in Trusteeship. This will be changed to ‘full' WSP Membership once the applicant has completed one of the modules prescribed as a part of the Certificate in Trusteeship, And has satisfied point 3 above.

The Units and alternatives specified by Council for the purposes of point 3 above are currently:

The applicant has completed Unit 24755, 25642, 25648 or 25649 from the National Certificate in Financial Services (Financial Advice) (Level 5);
OR
The applicant is a Fellow of the New Zealand Society of Actuaries;
OR
The applicant has attained the Workplace Savings NZ "Certificate in Trusteeship";
OR
The applicant has attained one of the Alternative Qualifications to Unit Standard Set A of the National Certificate in Financial Services (Financial Advice) (Level 5), as set out in the Financial Advisers (Code of Professional Conduct for Authorised Financial Advisers) Notice 2010 (SR 2010/384).

The Workplace Savings NZ Council will consider alternatives to the above on a case by case basis.

Once an applicant has been accepted as a provisional or full WSP member, he or she will need to complete at least 15 hours of continuing professional development or training in the workplace savings industry each year, as recognised or accepted by the Workplace Savings NZ Council.

CPD Points/Hours Allocation:

In satisfying the requirement for 15 hours professional development or training (CPD) in any year, Workplace Savings NZ will grant the following CPD hours for participation in the following events, which form the structured continuing professional development programme managed by Workplace Savings NZ:-

Attending a Workplace Savings NZ Breakfast - 1.0 hours of CPD
Completing one module in the Certificate of Trusteeship - 4.0 hours of CPD
Attending the Workplace Savings NZ one-day Forum - 7.0 hours of CPD
Attending the Workplace Savings NZ two-day National Conference - 14.0 hours of CPD
Attending a seminar provided or endorsed by Workplace Savings NZ for the purposes of CPD - 1.0 hours of CPD or as otherwise specified.

Up to 5 hours per year of continuing professional development or training relevant to WSP status provided by a member of Workplace Savings NZ will also be recognised for the purpose of satisfying CPD requirements. However, to count as part of the structured CPD programme managed by Workplace Savings NZ (and therefore count as structured training for the purposes of the Code of Conduct for Authorised Financial Advisers), the session in question must be submitted by the WSP (or member provider) and will be assessed by the Workplace Savings NZ Council for recognition as part of the programme, on a case-by-case basis.

Membership Application Process: