Ag & Horticulture Core Skills Project

Thanks to everyone involved in this project, core skills in agriculture, horticulture, conservation and land management have been described in updated qualifications, skill sets and units.

They have been revised to  reflect real job functions and support career pathways, including skills for working with the latest technology, systems and regulations, as well as skills in biosecurity, environmental sustainability, quality assurance and work health and safety.

Three new units and a skill set have been developed to address industry skills needs. One qualification and nine units are proposed for deletion as they are no longer required by industry.

For more information visit the project page.

Permaculture, Organic Production & Composting Project

Consultation has taken place throughout this project to update national skills standards for permaculture, organic production and composting. Qualifications, skill sets and units have been restructured and updated to reflect the skills required to provide for human needs in a way that works with natural processes and ecology.

Updates have been made to remove barriers to training delivery and better reflect job tasks. This includes descriptions of skills for compliance with certification schemes and regulations, environmental/human health, product quality compliance and work, health and safety (WHS).

In addition, skills for permaculture, composting and organic production have been incorporated throughout agriculture qualifications, as they are useful and necessary across a range of job roles and environments.

For more information, visit the project page.

Pig and Poultry Farming Project

Guided by industry, skill sets and units of competency for pig and poultry farming have been revised so that they incorporate current industry practices and job functions and support pathways for graduates into employment.

Both the Certificate III in Pork Production and Certificate III in Poultry Production have been restructured, and specialisations have been developed for niche skill areas of poultry farming. Units have been updated to better reflect modern industry practices including in biosecurity and skill sets have been updated to match these changes. Mandatory workplace requirements have been introduced into the pork units and a new pork (PRK) unit on caring for sows has been developed.

For more information, visit the project page.

Respect for Country Job Skills Project

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander project partners have led the review and update of qualifications, skill sets and units for cultural sites work and on Country management so that they reflect current skill needs and terminology.

Particular attention was paid to cultural safety and preferred language, with updates to qualifications, skill sets and units to reflect this. Unit sector codes were renamed from Aboriginal Sites Work (ASW) to Cultural Sites Work (CSW) and Indigenous Land Management (ILM) to On County Management (OCM).

Two qualifications were revised to be more flexible to deliver, to support adaptable career pathways and to reflect the latest technologies and equipment. Thirty five existing units were revised to improve their relevance and clarity, cover foundation skills and remove barriers to assessment. A number of units were updated to incorporate Indigenous Culture and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and a new unit was developed for contributing to the development of culturally safe processes for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Seven skill sets were updated to reflect changes in the units they contain.

For more information, visit the project page.