Managed by Ako Aotearoa in partnership with the Tertiary Education Commission, the Dyslexia-Friendly Quality Mark (DFQM) aims to provide organisations with the necessary support and strategies to create a more empathetic and inclusive environment for their dyslexic learners.
Since its inception in 2021, a total of 18 organisations have now achieved the DFQM.
On 28 November 2024, Ako Aotearoa staff and DFQM facilitators awarded the DFQM to the following organisations:
- Skills 4 Work
- Premier Skills Group
- Number 10 | Southland Youth One Stop Shop
- ETCO Skills Group
- Hato Hone|St Johns Public Training and Clinical Services
- NZMA Learner Success Team
- Solomon Group
In congratulating representatives from the seven organsations, DFQM Programme Lead Annette Tofaeono praised them for meeting the 27 standards as a significant achievement.”You're opening the doors and transforming lives not only for your ākonga (learners), but also for their whānau (family)”, she said.
During the ceremony, a learner from Number 10 | Southland Youth One Stop Shop spoke about the support and recent successes they’ve experienced thanks to the strategies provided by the DFQM and the staff at Number 10. “It was just incredible. It really changed my perspective (on studying), it gave me hope and now I’ve graduated with a bachelor's degree in ECE”.
During the ceremony, it was also announced that the first three organisations to achieve the DFQM—UCOL Horowhenua, Kāpiti Youth Support, and Capital Training back in 2021 —have successfully completed their renewal process and extended their DFQM-awarded status for an additional three years.
We were thrilled to hear from representatives from the following organisations about their DFQM journey:
Head of Operations and Delivery, Jess Corbett | Premier – Part of Skills Group:
“One thing I would really like to do is acknowledge both Chris Lethbridge and Lee Agnew for their tireless work on this. Chris began this journey quite a number of years ago with real passion. And it's so, so good to see this come through. I know the impact that it is going to have for our learners who most of them struggle with literacy and numeracy and I think, having these strategies in place is just life changing for them”
Director, Jude Crump, Number 10 | Southland Youth One Stop Shop:
“It's an incredible honour to be here today as the director of Number 10, and to accept the dyslexia friendly quality mark award on behalf of our team. This award holds profound meaning for us, because it represents something that we are deeply committed to creating an environment where all young people felt, seen, heard, and supported. No matter the challenges they face.”
CEO, Tamai Roff, Skills4Work:
“To achieve both the dyslexia, friendly qualification mark, and also the Tapatoru Ako Professional Practice Award has sent a powerful message to our learners, the community and industry, that Skills4Work is truly committed to ensuring an equal playing field in education, allowing all learners to achieve educational success regardless of their neurodiverse, needs”
Public Training Quality Manager, Anne Stewart, Hato Hone | St. John's Public Training and Clinical Services:
“Learners are at the center of what we do. The DFQM award is an endorsement of our ongoing commitment and motivation to continue understanding, developing strategies and resources that accommodate the diverse needs of all our learners.”
Head of Learner Success, Rachel Evans, NZMA Learner Success Team:
“A big shout out to Annette and Chris, they made the whole process very seamless and seem very easy, but we all knew there was a lot of mahi (work) that had to go in to gain that quality mark ... It really allowed us to do a deep dive, and to ensure that we were on track, that we were doing the best that we could for all our students.”
Head of Educational Delivery Development and Performance, Sofia Farooq, Solomon Group:
“I really want to thank Ako and the DFQM team for this initiative and giving us this opportunity to be a part of it. Over the past 12 months this journey has been an incredible learning experience for us ...Through this process we’ve gained a lot of valuable insight, and we're committed to supporting our learners.”
A final congratulations to all seven organisations that achieved the DFQM in 2024. This significant accomplishment reflects your dedication to enhancing learner success and fostering supportive, empathetic environments for all learners.
Learn more about the DFQM and access other Dyslexia resources below.
