The following projects are underway to improve current qualifications, skill sets and units of competency. The Government allocates projects to Industry Reference Committees (IRCs), based on advice in the annual IRC Skills Forecasts. 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. The project then goes through a process that adheres to the 2012 Standards for Training Package Development.
Click on a project below to find out more and to register your interest to receive updates.
Cross Sector
Environmental Sustainability Skills Project
Australia’s transition toward a more environmentally sustainable society is being driven by political, economic, social and environmental imperatives. The transition brings challenges for the vocational education and training system to ensure the workforce is equipped with the skills required for new, and more sustainable, ways of working.
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Agriculture and Production Horticulture IRC
Agronomy Project
A Diploma of Agronomy is being developed to address the skills and knowledge requirements for job roles relating to applied agronomy.
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Biosecurity and Emergency Response Project
The skills standards for preventing and managing biosecurity issues and outbreaks are being identified and benchmarked to job roles and activities, to support industry address the biosecurity issues within Australia today, and prevent those issues of tomorrow.
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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.
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Horticulture and Nursery Project
Units of competency relating to sectors engaged at all stages of the horticultural value chain will be reviewed as part of this project. This includes units relating to production nursery, retail nursery, plant culture and management, production horticulture, soils and media, and water.
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Download outline of the project development process
Completed Projects
Once a project has been finalised, the revised qualifications, skill sets and units are published on training.gov.au and available for delivery by registered training organisations.
Click here to view completed projects
Horticulture Technology Project
Qualifications and units of competency are being reviewed and developed to address the skills and knowledge requirements for protected horticulture activities and irrigation technologies.
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Medicinal Crops Project
National units of competency will be developed that include the skills and knowledge required to grow medicinal cannabis and poppies in Australia.
Rural Merchandising and Sales Project
Nationally-endorsed units of competency that align with the industry sectors associated with Rural Merchandising will be reviewed as part of this project. This includes the Certificate III in Rural Merchandising and 12 units of competency covering sales and merchandising in rural products and industries.
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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.
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Amenity Horticulture, Landscaping, Conservation & Land Management IRC
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.
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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.
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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.
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Animal Technology Project
This project will review existing qualifications and units of competency for animal technology.
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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.
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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.
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Aquaculture and Wild Catch IRC
Fishtech and Aquabotics Project
This project will review relevant units of competency to ensure they relate to new emerging technologies in fishtech and aquabotics, particularly real-time distant operations. There is scope to develop new units and skill sets, and to import units and skills sets from the MAR Maritime Training Package where appropriate.
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.
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Food & Beverage Processing Project
A lot has changed in the food and beverage processing world in the past decade, from regulatory changes to trends in what consumers want to eat and drink. Some of the most used food and beverage qualifications are being reviewed to address these changes and give industry the tools it needs to keep up with consumer trends.
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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.
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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, such as massage and first-aid.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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