Review of Water Industry qualifications

FIELD ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Review of Water Industry qualifications

National Certificate in Wastewater Treatment (Site Operator) [Ref: 0879]

National Certificate in Water Treatment (Site Operator) [Ref: 0880]

National Diploma in Wastewater Treatment (Site Technician) [Ref: 0966]

National Diploma in Drinking-Water with strands in Drinking-Water Assessment, and Water Treatment (Site Technician) [Ref: 1012]

The Agriculture Industry Training Organisation has completed the review of the qualifications listed above.

Date new versions published February 2009

The next qualification review is planned to take place during 2013.

Summary of review and consultation process

The review was carried out because these qualifications had reached their planned review date, and feedback from industry and moderators indicated that changes were required to reflect current industry practices.

Key industry representatives and Agriculture ITO staff from each of the water industry sectors (domains) were recruited for the qualification review panels, and meetings were convened in conjunction with the review of the standards. Initial discussions focused on the current status of the industry sector, any changes which had occurred since the last review which impacted on training, and the future direction of the industry.

The information was collected and taken into consideration when reviewing existing qualifications and changes were made in consultation with review panel representatives.

Feedback received since the last review was also considered by the review panels and, where this was considered valid, was included in the updated versions of qualifications.

Draft qualifications were circulated for internal ITO consultation to training advisers, key accounts managers, and moderators. Suggestions were further considered by the review panel and incorporated if valid.

Final drafts were then placed on the website and all stakeholders were notified of the opportunity to provide feedback. Stakeholders consisted of water industry employers, any industry which had an association with water, industry sector organisations, training providers, and other ITOs that may have an interest in water or wastewater treatment.

Feedback was considered by the review panel, and qualifications were updated. The qualifications were endorsed by the Water Industry Committee.

Main changes resulting from the review

Unit standards have been updated or replaced as a result of the review of Water Industry standards. Standards that are no longer required by industry have been removed and new skills required by industry have been added where relevant.

National Certificate in Wastewater Treatment (Site Operator) [Ref: 0879]

National Certificate in Wastewater Treatment (Level 4) [Ref: 0879]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· Standards have been updated or replaced as a result of the review of Water Industry standards (see exemption table below).

· Standards 497, 5228, 5241, 6400, 6401, 6402, and 9707 have been removed as they are no longer required in this qualification.

· Total credits have increased from 123 to 136.

· The descriptor Site Operator has been removed from the qualification title as reference to the job title is no longer required.

· The level of the qualification has increased from 3 to 4 and this has been added to the title.

· The recognition of prior learning (RPL) assessment process which was introduced in version 2 of this qualification to upgrade holders of the ‘C' and ‘B' Certificates in Wastewater Treatment is no longer available and has not been included in this version of the qualification.

This qualification contains standards that replace earlier standards. For the purposes of this qualification, people who have gained credit for the expiring standards are exempt from the requirement to gain credit for the replacement standards - see table below.

Credit for	Exempt from
17873	24913
17875	24916
17876	24917
17878, 17879	24927
17880	24928
17883	24929
17884	24930
17888	24931

Transition

People currently working towards versions 1 and 2 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version or transfer their results to version 3. The last date for entry to programmes or courses for the replaced version is December 2009.

The last date for assessments to take place for versions 1 and 2 is December 2011.

National Certificate in Water Treatment (Site Operator) [Ref: 0880]

National Certificate in Water Treatment (Level 4) [Ref: 0880]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· Standards have been updated or replaced as a result of the review of Water Industry standards (see exemption table below).

· The level of the qualification has been added to the title.

· The descriptor Site Operator has been removed from the qualification title as reference to the job title is no longer required.

· Standards 19200, 24953, and 24974 have been added to the Compulsory section.

· Standards 5228, 5241, 6400, 6401, 6402, 9681, 9707, 17892, and 17893 have been removed from the Compulsory section as they are no longer required in this qualification.

· A new elective section has been added.

· Total credits have increased from 120 to 134.

· The recognition of prior learning (RPL) assessment process which was introduced in version 2 of this qualification to upgrade holders of ‘C' and ‘B' Certificates in Water Treatment is no longer available and has not been included in this version of the qualification.

Credit for	Exempt from
17873	24913
17875	24915
17876	24917
17889	24950, 24951
17898	24964
17899	24965

Transition

The last date for assessments to take place for versions 1 and 2 is December 2011.

National Diploma in Wastewater Treatment (Site Technician) [Ref: 0966]

National Diploma in Wastewater Treatment (Level 5) [Ref: 0966]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· Standards have been updated or replaced as a result of the review of the Water Industry standards (see exemptions below).

· The level of the qualification has been added to the title.

· The descriptor Site Technician has been removed from the qualification title as reference to job title is no longer required.

· Standards 21336, 24904, 24917, and 24948 have been added to the Compulsory section.

· Standards 8085, 17497, 18197, 19188, 19189 have been removed from the Compulsory section.

· Standard 24947 has been added to the Elective section.

· Total credits have decreased from 133 to 131.

· The recognition of prior learning (RPL) assessment process introduced in version 2 of this qualification in order to upgrade holders of ‘B' and ‘A' Certificates in Wastewater Treatment is no longer available and has not been included in this version of the qualification.

Credit for	Exempt from
17876	24917
19179	24932
19180	24933
19181	24934
19182	24935
19183	24936
19184	24937
19185	24938
19186	24939
19190	24940
19191	24941
19192	24942
19193	24943
19194	24944
19195	24945
19196	24946

Transition

The last date for assessments to take place for the replaced version is December 2012.

National Diploma in Drinking-Water with strands in Drinking-Water Assessment, and Water Treatment (Site Technician) [Ref: 1012]

National Diploma in Drinking-Water (Level 5) with strands in Drinking-Water Assessment, and Water Treatment [Ref: 1012]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content:

· Standards have been updated or replaced as a result of the review of Water Industry standards and exemptions given for replaced standards where appropriate (see table below). Replaced standards that have been moved or where no exemptions have been granted are included in this summary of changes.

· The level of the qualification has been added to the title.

· The descriptor Site Technician has been removed from the Water Treatment Strand as reference to job title is no longer required.

· Standard 18453 has been replaced by standards 24900-24902 in the Core Compulsory.

· Standard 18455 has been removed and a recommended alternative, standard 24904, has been added to the Core Compulsory.

· Standard 21336 has been added to the Core Compulsory section.

· Standard 18440 has been removed from the Drinking-Water Assessment Strand and the Water Treatment Strand Elective 2 and placed in the Core Compulsory section.

· Standard 3491 has been removed from the Drinking-Water Assessment Strand.

· Standard 24912 has been added to the Drinking-Water Assessment Strand and Water Treatment Strand Elective 1.

· Standard 17497 has been removed from the Water Treatment Strand Compulsory.

· Standard 8085 has been moved from the Water Treatment Strand Compulsory to the Water Treatment Strand Elective 1.

· Standards 24966-24973 have been added to the Water Treatment Strand Elective 2.

· Standards 18438 and 18445 have been replaced by standard 24896 and moved to the Core Compulsory section.

· Standard 18439 has been replaced by standard 24907 and moved to the Core Compulsory section.

· Standard 19350 has been replaced by standards 24966-24969 and standard 19351 has been replaced by standards 24970-24972 in Water Treatment Strand Elective 2.

· Standard 19353 has been removed from the Water Treatment Strand Elective 2 and the recommended alternative, standard 24904, has been included in the Core Compulsory.

· Standard 18447 has been replaced by standard 24911, which has been included in the Drinking-Water Assessment Strand and the Water Treatment Strand Elective 1.

· Total credits have changed from 135-142 to 159-164.

· The recognition of prior learning (RPL) assessment process introduced in version 2 of this qualification to upgrade holders of ‘B' and ‘A' Certificates in Water Treatment is no longer available and has not been included in this version of the qualification.

Credit for	Exempt from
18438, 18445	24896
18439	24907
18442, 18443	24908
18444	24909
18447	24911
18448	24897, 24898
18452	24899
18454	24903
18457	24905
18460	24906
19352	24973

Transition

The last date for assessments to take place for versions 1 and 2 is December 2012.

It is not intended that anyone be disadvantaged by this review. However, anyone who feels they have been disadvantaged may appeal to the Agriculture Industry Training Organisation at the address below.

Agriculture Industry Training Organisation

PO Box 10383

The Terrace

Wellington 6143

Telephone 04 801 9616

Email standards@agricultureito.ac.nz

Website http://www.agricultureito.ac.nz/

Key to Qualification Review Categories

Category A The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID	Changes are made to SSB name, contact details or purpose statement
	No change is made to title, rules or components of the qualification
	No transition arrangements are required
Category B The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID	Changes are made to title, rules or components
	The new version of the qualification recognises a similar skill set to that recognised by the previous version
	The SSB is confident that people awarded the new or previous version are comparable in terms of competence
	Transition arrangements are required if candidates must gain additional/different credits for the new version
Category C A new (replacement) qualification is published with new NQF ID	Significant changes are made to the qualification in terms of components, structure, type or level
	The SSB views people with the replacement qualification as being significantly different in terms of competence from those with the replaced qualification
	Transition arrangements are required
	Transition may be limited to phase-out dates
Category D Qualification will expire. There is no replacement qualification	Qualification is no longer required by industry
	The qualification is designated as expiring and a last date for meeting the qualification requirements is set