The following projects are underway to improve current units of competency, skill sets and qualifications. The Government allocates projects to Industry Reference Committees, based on advice in the annual IRC Skills Forecasts and Proposed Schedules of Work. On behalf of the IRCs, Skills Impact manages the projects.
Projects are established only when a Case For Change has been approved by the Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC), as outlined in the National Schedule. Following this approval, Skills Impact and the relevant IRC take the project through a process that adheres to the 2012 Standards for Training Package Development.
Click here for an outline of the project process.
Click on the project(s) listed below to find out more and to register your interest to receive updates.
Agriculture and Production Horticulture IRC
Ag Machinery – Safety & Technology Project
This project will review units of competency, skill sets and qualifications relating to the use of new technology and safety measures across a range of mobile farm machinery operations.
Apiculture (Bees) Project
Units of competency and the qualification in bee keeping are being updated to ensure all job functions are accurately described, with appropriate current knowledge and skill needs.
Carbon & Agribusiness Management Project
Agribusiness qualifications, carbon farming skill sets and related units of competency are being reviewed and developed so that all job functions are accurately described, with appropriate current knowledge and skill needs.
Pest Management Project
The Certificate III in Pest Management and its related skill set and units of competency are being reviewed to ensure all job functions are accurately described, with appropriate current knowledge and skill needs.
Viticulture Project
The Diploma of Viticulture and related units of competency will be reviewed to meet industry expectations for skills in leadership and management in vineyard operations.
Amenity Horticulture, Landscaping, Conservation & Land Management IRC
Ag Chemical Handling Project
Units of competency and skill sets for chemical handling are being reviewed to reflect current industry skills standards and practices, ensuring all job functions are accurately described.
Arboriculture Project
Existing arboriculture qualifications and units of competency are being reviewed and updated to reflect current industry practice, remove significant and unnecessary barriers to training and assessment, and satisfy the Standards for Training Packages 2012.
Sports Turf Management Project
Existing sports turf management qualifications and units of competency are being reviewed as part of new project that aims to bring them up to date with current industry practices, technologies, equipment and advances in turf agronomy.
Animal Care and Management IRC
Animal Incident Management Project
This project will identify and fill gaps in current qualifications, skill sets and units of competency to provide workers with high level skills to respond to incidents involving animals and large groups of animals, including skills in animal first aid.
Animal Technology Project
This project will review existing qualifications and units of competency for animal technology.
Farriery Project
The farriery qualification and units of competency are being updated to ensure all job functions are accurately described, with appropriate current knowledge and skill needs.
Horse Education Project
This project will identify and fill gaps in current qualifications, skill sets and units of competency to address skill needs for educating horses. Skills around horse branding and identification, and horse transport are also being reviewed and documented.
Veterinary Nursing Project
Veterinary nursing units of competency and qualifications are being reviewed to ensure they reflect the current occupational skill standards and needs of industry.
Work Safely Around Animals (Infection Control)
The project will research and develop up to six new units of competency to address infection control within various industries.
Aquaculture and Wild Catch IRC
Aquaculture, Fishing Operations & Biosecurity Project
Working concurrently with the Seafood Post Harvest Project, 12 qualifications, 13 skill sets and approximately 104 units of competency are being reviewed so that all job functions are accurately described, with appropriate current knowledge and skill needs. A focus of this project will be to incorporate skills to address changes in technology, legislative and regulatory requirements and environmental sustainability and management.
Seafood Post Harvest Project
Working concurrently with the Aquaculture, Fishing Operations & Biosecurity Project, 8 qualifications, 1 skill set and approximately 49 units of competency are being reviewed so that all job functions are accurately described, with appropriate current knowledge and skill needs. A focus of this project will be to incorporate skills to address changes in distribution, processing, storage, fishing and environmental management.
© Image: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Fisheries Compliance Project
Fisheries compliance qualifications and units of competency are being reviewed to address the growing compliance requirements in the seafood industry. Advancements in technology and environmental sustainability and management will also be considered.
Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical IRC
Artisanal Food and Beverage Project
This project will identify and fill gaps in current qualifications, skill sets and units of competency to address food safety and manufacturing processes in the growing artisanal cheesemaking, brewing and distilling, and, food and beverage fermentation markets.
Food & Beverage Manufacturing – Cross Sector Project
Working concurrently with the Food Science and Technology and the Wine Operations projects, 38 ‘cross-sector’ units of competency are being reviewed to ensure current knowledge and skill requirements are clearly identified and accurately reflect current industry practice.
Food Science and Technology Project
Four qualifications and approximately 81 units of competency are being reviewed to ensure all job functions are accurately described in the training package components, with appropriate current knowledge and skill needs.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Standards Project
Units of competency, skill sets and qualifications in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry are being reviewed to reflect current skills standards and practices, ensuring all job functions are accurately described.
Wine Operations Project
Wine industry units of competency and qualifications are being updated to reflect changing industry skills requirements, especially in the area of technology.
Meat IRC
Meat Processing Project
This project will review and develop units of competency and skill sets within the AMP Australian Meat Processing Training Package to address skills gaps across eight different areas.
Timber Building Solutions IRC
Advances in Woodmachining and Sawdoctoring Project
This project will assess the current skills requirements for wood machinists and sawdoctors as a result of technological developments and a business imperative to operate in a competitive environment. This project will result in revised woodmachining and sawdoctoring qualifications.
Prefabricated Building Systems Project
Units of competency for timber truss and frame design and manufacture are being reviewed and updated to reflect emerging industry skill requirements, including prefabrication of panelised building systems, so that all job functions are accurately described.
Sawmill Timber and Process Optimisation Project
New and improved units of competency are being identified to address skills requirements for optimisation of timber and material flow within sawmills.
Timber and Wood Processing IRC
Cross Laminated Timber Building Systems Project
Units of competency relating to cross-laminated timber (CLT) and Glulam production are being reviewed and updated, to incorporate the skills and knowledge that is required to operate machinery, so all job functions are accurately described.
Racing and Breeding IRC
Greyhound Health Assistance Services Project
This project will explore and identify the skills and knowledge requirements for providers administering complementary therapy practices to greyhounds/canines, such as massage and first-aid.
Horse Breeding Skills Project
This project will look at the knowledge and skills that are essential to breed racehorses in line with specific Australian breeding requirements, taking into consideration foaling down, nutrition, development of the foal, knowledge of pedigrees, business management and relevant rules and regulations.
Retraining Horses & Greyhounds to New Environments Project
This project will look at the skills required to assess, re-train and re-home horses and greyhounds after their racing careers have finished, and to incorporate these skills into qualifications, skill sets and units for the racing industry.
The Process
Skills Impact supports 12 Industry Reference Committees (IRCs) to carry out projects to improve current units of competency, skill sets and qualifications.
Outlined below, is the process that all projects follow from when a Case for Change is approved by the AISC, to when the project is finalised and endorsed by the AISC for publication on training.gov.au.
*Stages of the project that have been completed and/or are underway will be highlighted in green. Consultation takes place at every stage of the projects.
1. Case for Change (reason and aim of the project)
- Explanation of why the project was established
- Summary of skills gap or emerging skills need that the project needs to address
2. Project Plan (project scope, timeline and details)
- Project scope
- Timeline
- Key deliverables
- Relevant occupations
- Project team
- Technical/Subject Matter Experts
- List of units, skill sets and qualifications that will be reviewed
3. Development (development of draft units, skill sets and/or qualifications)
- Research, workforce functional analysis
- Consultation with Subject Matter Experts, enterprises and the IRC
- Preparation of draft units, skill sets and/or qualifications (for consultation stage 4)
4. Drafts available (broad stakeholder consultation, to gather feedback on the draft units, skill sets and/or qualifications)
- Draft units, skill sets and/or qualifications available for download and comment
- Face-to-face consultation workshops and webinars where required
- Involvement of the Subject Matter Experts and IRC in feedback analysis process
- Revisions made to drafts based on feedback received
5. Validation (checking the validity or accuracy of final draft units, skill sets and/or qualifications)
- Final draft units, skill sets and/or qualifications available for download and comment
- Confirmation from industry representative organisations whether final drafts meet industry needs
- Revisions made if necessary to the final drafts
6. Finalisation (project completion: finalised draft units, skill sets and/or qualifications submitted for endorsement)
- Units, skill sets and/or qualifications checked for editorial, equity and quality assurance
- Case for Endorsement prepared and reviewed by the IRC and State/Territory Training Authorities (STAs/TTAs)
- Case for Endorsement submitted to the AISC
- ASIC decision process
- Once approved by the AISC, the units, skill sets and/or qualifications are published on training.gov.au