The PAA has been appointed as a Delegated Assessment Organisation (DAO), which will allow it to offer its members the Level 5 National Certificate in Financial Services - including assessing Standard Sets modules in-house. 

The PAA's professional development manager, Jenny Campbell, said "it was important for us to step up to DAO status as it reinforces our commitment to members to make business education as accessible as possible". 

As a professional association, the PAA was already delivering training and structured CPD hours, she said.

"Our ability to assess and encourage members who pursue their certificates is a valuable service, and underlines the PAA's mission to make continuing education a painless process for members," Campbell said.

She said achieving DAO status was a key goal following amalgamation of the PAA and the NZMBA in April, creating an association of over 1100 members.

"We are delighted to have this goal ticked off within the first six months of amalgamation" she said.

The announcement coincides with the news that the Insurance Brokers Association of New Zealand (IBANZ), and PAA are now sharing offices in the Auckland CBD. 

PAA chairman Peter Leitch said this promises to be a valuable collaborative partnership: "Both professional associations were identifying obvious synergies and cost-efficiencies including effective delivery of professional and educational development."

Meanwhile, ETITO (Electrotechnology Industry Training Organisation) has announced that it will be changing its name to The Skills Organisation.

Chief executive Gary Fissenden said, "Our new identity better reflects who we have become and how what we do relates to your industry."