New Zealand Security Association

Founded in 1972, the New Zealand Security Association (NZSA) is the largest industry representative body for the security industry in New Zealand, representing over 85% of the industry by revenue and employee numbers. Its members include security providers covered by the PSP&PI Act and ranging from large multinationals to sole traders, and also includes individuals and companies who are not direct providers of security services but have an interest in the industry.

The NZSA’s vision is to support and promote a thriving security industry in New Zealand that operates professionally and ethically, is committed to the safety of its workers and continuous improvement, meets the needs of its stakeholders and provides reward, opportunity and both professional and personal development for those who work within it.

The Association’s strategic focus includes promoting viable career pathways within the industry, ensuring industry training meets industry needs, improving industry best practice through standards, codes of practice and industry guidelines, advocacy and education.

Over the last five years, the NZSA has launched a number of initiatives that have supported our vision for the industry, including:

 

Security Services in New Zealand Good Practice Guideline

On 18 November 2011 Security Officer Charanpreet Singh Dhaliwal started work for a privately owned security provider in Auckland and was assigned to guard a local construction site overnight. Tragically he was not to return home from his first night at his new job. During the night four offenders came onto the site and when confronted by Mr Dhaliwal they struck him a number of times to the head using a piece of wood and causing immediate death.

The Coroner’s investigation into the death identified a number of industry issues around licensing and training and also highlighted the urgent need for an industry-wide Code of Practice or Guideline as to what constitutes good practice. Whilst the licensing and training recommendations were implemented with some expediency, the development of the COP/Guideline was unfortunately deemed to be low priority by WorkSafe (the agency tasked with development by the Coroner) and was never progressed.

In frustration at the inability to progress such an important industry resource, the NZSA took ownership of the project and through the collective efforts of the NZSA executive, board and a number of security providers, the Security Services in New Zealand Good Practice Guideline was launched in 2019 and is hosted on the NZSA website as a resource available for all industry.

 

Security Career Pathways Website

One of the greatest challenges for security providers currently is the recruitment and retention of sufficient workers to meet service requirements. This has been particularly exacerbated by the Covid pandemic.

To promote the breadth of security roles and the pathway opportunities for those seeking career progression, the NZSA designed and launched the NZ Security Career Pathways website www.securitycareers.co.nz under the banner Security: a career to be proud of.

The website includes information on the roles, skill set requirements, training requirements and options, indicative pay scales and possible pathways within the industry, and into other sectors or industries.

The site features a number of short videos of employees in their roles, talking about their jobs and what they most enjoy about their work. It provides an excellent support tool for the NZSA Skills for Industry programme and as an introductory tool for those seeking employment and career options – be it school leavers, those seeking a career change or the newly unemployed through the impacts of Covid-19 or economic conditions. It also provides a valuable reference resource for NZSA members in their reference process.

 

NZSA Accredited Members

The NZSA provides an accreditation process where members can be audited to see if they adhere to the NZSA Codes of Practice which apply within their respective industry sector, and that they comply with the NZSA Rules and Bylaws.

This provides those who go through the process with an added point of difference that they can use in promoting their business and gives confidence to the business, and their customers, that they are operating to a “best practice” standard.

The accreditation certificate is valid for a five-year period, subject to an annual declaration of continuity, and requires a re-audit to support renewal.

 

Security Leadership – Literacy and Numeracy Resources

The New Zealand security industry covers some 30,000 plus workers and it is estimated that between 20% and 25% of workers are impacted to some degree in the performance of their duties by literacy and numeracy challenges.

We recognise that such challenges can be overcome, with the right support. The key being to create an environment for our workforce where their great attributes and capabilities are encouraged to shine, whilst recognising and supporting their challenges.

The NZSA Security Industry Training and Professional Development Special Interest Group (SITPDSIG) has been instrumental in developing a package of resource modules designed to support those who have supervisory or managerial responsibility for security staff and recognise the need to imbed literacy and numeracy learning and development into everyday activities.

The modules cover:

• Leaders Introduction Module

• Effective Communications

• Time Management

• Health and Safety in the Workplace

• Customer Service and Professionalism

• Working Shift-work

• Behavioural Awareness and Self Awareness

• Identifying Learner Training Needs

The modules have been designed to help Supervisors and Managers understand the needs of their staff and to utilise best practice learning theory and resources to improve communication and understanding within their workforce.

Resources are available to all industry at no cost and in a format that allows companies to download onto their own Learning Management System (LMS).