Summary
The Public Health Workforce Development Plan (PH WDP) provides a national strategic approach to public health workforce development for the next 10 years (2007–2016). It is a broad, intersectoral and coordinated approach to workforce development that encompasses an expansive view of public health action.
The vision is that inequalities will be reduced and the health of all peoples in New Zealand will be improved through public health and societal strategies that are:
- delivered by a properly configured, responsive, well-trained and competent workforce (including culturally competent)
- strengthened with core public health skills and knowledge
- supported by infrastructure and workplaces that actively encourage and develop the public health workforce.
Implementation of the PH WDP framework will, over time, build a whole-of-sector systems approach to public health workforce development. The work builds on existing workforce development activities, will adapt to emerging challenges in the public health environment, and will link to and engage with workforce development happening in other sectors.