Competencies • Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia

CAPHIA Public Health Graduate Competency Framework

For Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea

The CAPHIA Public Health Graduate Competency Framework provides a shared account of the capabilities required by contemporary public health graduates across the region.
Developed through cross-country collaboration and a multi-phase evidence-informed process, the Framework supports universities, students, employers and the wider public health sector to strengthen alignment between public health education and the capabilities needed for current and emerging practice.

The Framework is designed to support curriculum judgement, workforce dialogue and professional development. It does not prescribe a single curriculum, qualification structure or model of public health practice.

For public health academics

The Framework gives employers and partners a clearer shared language for the capabilities expected of public health graduates and the areas that will continue to develop through workplace experience.

Use the Framework to inform:

graduate role expectations and early-career development
induction, supervision and mentoring
workforce capability planning and professional development pathways
micro-credentials, short courses and partnership opportunities with universities
dialogue with CAPHIA and member institutions about future workforce needs

For governments, industry, partners and employers

The Framework gives employers and partners a clearer shared language for the capabilities expected of public health graduates and the areas that will continue to develop through workplace experience.

Use the Framework to inform:

graduate role expectations and early-career development
induction, supervision and mentoring
workforce capability planning and professional development pathways
micro-credentials, short courses and partnership opportunities with universities
dialogue with CAPHIA and member institutions about future workforce needs

For students and graduates

The Framework helps students and graduates see how individual subjects connect to broader public health capability and contemporary workforce expectations.

Use the Framework to:

understand the capabilities developed across your public health degree
reflect on strengths and areas for further learning
choose electives, placements, projects or professional development opportunities
prepare portfolios, applications and interview examples
describe public health capability to employers in clear, practice-oriented language

For public health professionals

The Framework can support public health professionals, professional bodies and service leaders to plan continuing professional development, mentoring, workforce capability uplift, sector dialogue and emerging capability needs across the career span.

Implementation support and services

Member-only implementation resources

Implementation resources will be available to CAPHIA member institutions only. These resources will support local interpretation and practical adoption of the Framework across different countries, institutions, programs and workforce contexts. These resources will include guidance for curriculum mapping, assessment alignment, program review and local adaptation of the Framework. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date.

Competencies implementation workshop

Pre-Forum Competencies Implementation Workshop

Wednesday 11 November 2026 – In person only – Hosted by Curtin University, Perth

Embed the new competencies in your public health curriculum

Join CAPHIA in Perth for a full-day implementation workshop exploring how to embed the new Public Health Graduate Competency Framework in public health curricula. The workshop will feature practical sessions on curriculum mapping, assessment alignment and detailed workshops on areas including AI in public health, decolonising public health curricula, climate and health, and more. Register here.

Paid CAPHIA member services

CAPHIA is now offering paid services for member institutions seeking tailored support with curriculum quality, assessment and competency alignment.

Need tailored support?

CAPHIA can provide expert review of curricula, assessment design, alignment to CAPHIA competencies, public health workforce relevance and implementation planning for member institutions. Contact us for details.