Review of Gas Industry qualifications

FIELD ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Review of Gas Industry qualifications

National Certificate in Gas Measurement (Level 3) [Ref: 0399]

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Leakage Control) (Level 3) [Ref: 0400]

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Gas Pressure Control) (Level 4) [Ref: 0401]

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Operations and Maintenance) (Level 3) [Ref: 0885]

National Certificate in Gas Industry (Gas Distribution) (Level 2) [Ref: 1020]

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Gas Pressure Control) (Level 3) [Ref: 1021]

National Certificate in Gas Network Construction (Level 3) with strands in Polyethylene Pipelaying and Steel Pipelaying [Ref: 1022]

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Operations and Maintenance) (Level 4) [Ref: 1023]

The NZ Extractive Industries Training Organisation has completed the review of the qualifications listed above.

Replacement qualification

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Level 3) with optional strands Operations and Maintenance; and Field Auditing [Ref: 1328]

Date new versions published October 2007

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

Summary of review and consultation process

This review combined the planned review of gas industry standards and qualifications with the newly introduced competency requirements of the Gas Association of New Zealand. These requirements are for employees to provide evidence of having and maintaining competency for the work they undertake, and for ancillary contractors to demonstrate safe practices when working in the vicinity of gas distribution networks.

A meeting of gas industry companies, providers, candidates, and assessors, held in July 2005, determined the focus and extent of the review, and nominated technical advisors for specific competencies.

Review meetings of technical advisors, providers, industry, and assessors were held in October, November, and December 2005 and the qualifications were distributed for wider industry feedback in January 2006.

Further changes to the qualifications were required during 2007 to take account of a review of Drainlaying unit standards and to meet changed industry requirements for gas pressure control and operations and maintenance competencies.

During the review, restrictions on achievement were removed, and competencies in gas network construction were differentiated from gas network operations and maintenance.

The core competencies for gas pressure control, and gas network operations and maintenance were found to overlap. Consequently, the two level 3 qualifications in these areas were combined into one new qualification. Removing the overlaps from the level 4 gas pressure control and gas network operations qualifications resulted in one qualification for gas pressure control. The level 4 gas network operations and maintenance qualification is no longer required by industry.

Main changes resulting from the review

· Changes to titles.

· Changes in structure.

· Changes in credit totals.

· Addition and deletion of standards within the qualifications.

· Changes in purpose statements to provide more information.

· Replacement of two qualifications with one.

· Expiry of three qualifications.

National Certificate in Gas Measurement (Level 3) [Ref: 0399]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· special notes removed

· standard 12454 replaced by standard 23084 in compulsory

· standard 3490 removed

· title of standard 12455 and level of standard 12510 updated

· credit ranges updated and total credit decreased from 73 to 69

· prerequisite diagram added

· qualification pathway diagram updated.

Transition

People currently working towards version 4 or 5 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version or transfer existing credits to version 6.

The last date to meet the requirements of versions 4 and 5 is 31 December 2008.

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
743	15845
1179	15851, 15852
12451	19544
12452	19545
12454	23084

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Leakage Control) (Level 3) [Ref: 0400]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· special notes removed

· standards 19546, 19549, 20877, and 20878 added to compulsory

· standard 10985 moved from optional to compulsory

· standards 1099, 3490, 12450, and 12522 removed from compulsory; and 12510, 12518, and 17602 removed from optional

· standards 6400 and 18426 moved from compulsory to optional

· standards 9550, 9575, and 23087 added to optional

· titles and levels of standards updated

· total credits increased from 96 to 97

· prerequisite diagram added

· qualification pathway diagram updated.

Transition

People currently working toward version 3 or 4 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version or transfer existing credits to version 5.

The last date to meet the requirements of versions 3 and 4 is 31 December 2010.

Credit for	Exempt from
10973	19547
12499, 12500	19552

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Gas Pressure Control) (Level 4) [Ref: 0401]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· standard 12456 moved from optional to compulsory section

· standard 19560 removed from compulsory section

· standards 17602, and 23090 added to compulsory section

· standards 12505, 17599, 17976, 17978, 19543, and 20848 added to optional section

· standards 16801 and 20590 removed from optional section

· the exemption for 17590 was corrected from 9599 to 9598

· credit total decreased from 126 to 110

· prerequisite diagram added

· pathway diagram updated.

Transition

People currently working towards versions 3 or 4 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version or transfer existing credits to version 5.

The last date to meet the requirements of versions 3 and 4 is 31 December 2010.

All new trainees will be enrolled in programmes leading to the new version of the qualification.

Credit for	Exempt from
9598	17590
11325	19543

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Operations and Maintenance) (Level 3) [Ref: 0885] and

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Gas Pressure Control) (Level 3) [Ref: 1021]

replaced by

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Level 3) with optional strands in Operations and Maintenance; and Field Auditing [Ref: 1328]

Review category

Significant changes are made to the qualification in terms of components, structure, type or level

There are substantial differences between the new and replaced qualifications.

People currently working towards the National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Operations and Maintenance) (Level 3) [Ref: 0885] or the National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Gas Pressure Control) [Ref: 1021] may either complete the requirements for that qualification by 31 December 2010 or transfer existing credits to this qualification.

Transition

The last date to meet the requirements of the replaced certificates is 31 December 2010.

The replacement 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
9573	20590
10973	19547
12499, 12500	19552
12453, 12454	23084
12508	19551
12511, 12514	19555
12513, 12516	19557
12517	23088
12522, 19553	23088

National Certificate in Gas Industry (Gas Distribution) (Level 2) [Ref: 1020]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· standards 3490 and 23085 added to compulsory section

· standards 20877 and 20878 moved from compulsory to optional section

· standard 1099 removed from optional section

· standard titles, levels, and credits updated

· total credits increased from 44 to 49

· prerequisite diagram added

· qualification pathway diagram updated.

Transition

People currently working towards versions 1, 2, or 3 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version or transfer existing credits to version 4.

The last date to meet the requirements of the versions 1, 2, and 3 is 31 December 2008.

Credit for	Exempt from
5627	20877, 20878

National Certificate in Gas Network Construction (Level 3) with strands in Polyethylene Pipelaying and Steel Pipelaying [Ref: 1022]

National Certificate in Gas Network Construction (Pipelaying) (Level 3) [Ref: 1022]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· qualification restructured to eliminate strands, and new optional section added

· title amended to reflect structure

· content and structure justified in, and pathways added to, purpose statement

· special notes removed

· core compulsory renamed compulsory

· compulsory - standards 10977 and 19548 replaced by standard 23086; standards 9575, 10675, 10680, 10984, 10685, 10968, 10969, 10975, 10980, and 10988 added from strands; standards 6457, 20877, and 20878 added; standards 5628 and 6400 moved to optional section

· compulsory standards 1099 and 3490, and polyethylene strand standards 10981 and 10985 removed from qualification

· optional section - standards 9550, 9585, and 10972, 10974, 10983, 10986, 10987 and 12509 added from strands, along with 23087 which replaced standard 9585 from the strands

· standard classification, titles, levels, and credits updated

· total credits changed from 83 or 93 depending on strand, to 82.

· prerequisite diagram added

· pathway diagram updated.

People currently working towards version 2 or 3 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version or transfer existing credits to version 4.

The last date to meet the requirements of versions 2 and 3 is 31 December 2008.

Credit for	Exempt from
10971	19546
10973	19547
10976, 10990	23086
10977	23086
19548	23086

National Certificate in Gas Network Operations (Operations and Maintenance) (Level 4) [Ref: 1023]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

This qualification has been designated expiring as it no longer meets the needs of industry.

The last date to meet the requirements of this qualification is 31 December 2010

Appeals

It is not intended that anyone is disadvantaged by this review, and the above arrangements have been designed for a smooth transition. However, anyone who feels they have been disadvantaged may appeal to:

NZ Extractive Industries Training Organisation

PO Box 2623

CHRISTCHURCH

Telephone 03 964 4710

Facsimile 03 964 4714

Email info@exito.org.nz

Website http://www.exito.org.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