FIELD                 AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

 

Review of Forestry qualifications

 

National Certificate in Forestry (Cable Harvesting - Extraction) [Ref: 0828]

National Certificate in Forestry (Establishment and Silviculture) (Level 3) [Ref: 0702]

National Certificate in Forestry (Forest Establishment) [Ref: 0829]

National Certificate in Forestry (Foundation Skills) [Ref: 0703]

National Certificate in Forestry (Ground Based Harvesting - Extraction) [Ref: 0830]

National Certificate in Forestry (Harvesting) (Level 3) [Ref: 0704]

National Certificate in Forestry (Log Loading) [Ref: 0831]

National Certificate in Forestry (Log Making) [Ref: 0832]

National Certificate in Forestry (Mechanised Harvesting) [Ref: 0489]

National Certificate in Forestry (Silvicultural Pruning) [Ref: 0836]

National Certificate in Forestry (Silvicultural Thinning) [Ref: 0835]

National Certificate in Forestry (Tree Felling) [Ref: 0837]

 

The Forest Industries Training and Education Council (FITEC) has completed the review of the qualifications listed above.

 

Replacement qualification

·      National Certificate in Forest Foundation Skills (Level 2) with strands in Establishment, Pruning, Chainsaw Operations, Breaking Out, and Landing Operations [Ref: 1410]

 

New qualifications

·      National Certificate in Forestry (Generic Skills - Workplace Safety and Operation) (Level 2) [Ref: 1409]

·      National Certificate in Forest Operations (Level 3) with strands in Establishment,

Pruning, Thinning to Waste (Small Trees), Tree Felling - Basic Techniques, Breaking Out for Ground Based Harvesting, Breaking Out for Cable Harvesting, and Landing Operations [Ref: 1411]

·      National Certificate in Forest Operations Advanced (Level 4) with strands in Establishment and Silvicultural Operations, Production Tree Felling, Hauler Set-Up, Machine Operations - Hauler, Head Breaker Out - Cable Harvesting, Log Making, Machine Operations - Log Extraction, Machine Operations - Loader, Mechanised Tree Felling, Mechanised Processing, and Helicopter Logging [Ref: 1412]

 

Date new versions published                                                          August 2008

 

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

 

Summary of review and consultation process

 

FITEC undertook a significant consultation with the forest industries in 2004 and 2005 to determine the skills requirements of the industry going forward.  As a result of this consultation process it was clear that new qualification structures were required by the industry.

 

A Steering Committee and several Technical Advisory Groups were established in 2005 to work with FITEC on the development of new qualifications.  The Steering Committee was responsible for the design of qualifications across all the wood manufacturing industries.  The Technical Advisory Groups then developed the detailed content of the specialist strands or technical qualifications identified in the design.

 

Following the design work it was clear that the structure of the forest industry domains required revision to meet the needs of the new design.  As a result new domains in Forest Foundation Skills, Forest Operations, Forest Operations Advanced, Forest Operations Management, Forest Silvicultural Operations, Forestry - Breaking Out, and Machine Operations - Forestry, and Non Commercial Forestry Skills were registered; and the domains Chainsaw Operating, Forest Cable Harvesting, Forest Harvesting, Forest Harvesting - General, Forest Silviculture, Forestry Business Management, Forestry Operations, and Log Making and Technical Forestry were designated lapsing.  The content of these new domains was then added to the new qualifications.

 

Main changes resulting from the review

 

·      The reviewed qualifications have been designated as expiring.

·      There are now only three qualifications to cover silvicultural and harvesting operations.  They are the National Certificate in Forestry Foundation Skills (Level 2) [Ref: 1410], the National Certificate in Forest Operations (Level 3) [Ref: 1411], and the National Certificate in Forest Operations Advanced (Level 4) [Ref: 1412].

·      Each of these qualifications has a core section, which covers generic skills for forest operations at the relevant level, and strands relating to particular job skills.  The level 2 qualification contains strands which cover entry level knowledge and skills.  The level 3 qualification strands cover the knowledge and skills required to become a competent operator in the relevant job.  The level 4 qualification covers advanced skills and knowledge relating to jobs requiring more specialist technical knowledge and/or management skills.

·      The review also resulted in the creation of the National Certificate in Forestry - Generic Skills Workplace Safety and Operations (Level 2) [Ref: 1409].  This qualification provides training for forestry roles outside of the usual roles undertaken in silvicultural and harvesting operations.

 

National Certificate in Forestry (Foundation Skills) [Ref: 0703]

National Certificate in Forest Foundation Skills (Level 2) with strands in Establishment, Pruning, Chainsaw Operations, Breaking Out, and Landing Operations [Ref: 1410]

 

Review category

C

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Differences between qualifications

·         qualification structure comprises a core compulsory and five strands

·         standards 6400, 6401, and 6402 from elective 1 included in core compulsory

·         compulsory standard 6916 in the Chainsaw Operations and Landing Operations strands

·         compulsory standards 17757, 17760 and 17761 replaced by standard 22997

·         compulsory standard 13108 and 13109 from elective 1 replaced by 22994

·         compulsory standard 6917 and elective standard 43 replaced by 23411 in the Chainsaw Operations strand

·         standards 6923 and 6949 from elective 1 replaced by 23000 and 22998 in the Establishment and Pruning strands respectively

·         all other elective standards and classifications no longer included

·         credit requirements reduced from 60 to 43-50 depending on strand.

 

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

43, 6917

23411

6923

23000

6949

22998

13108, 13109

22994

17757, 17760, 17761

22997

 

National Certificate in Forestry (Establishment and Silviculture) (Level 3) [Ref: 0702]

National Certificate in Forestry (Harvesting) (Level 3) [Ref: 0704]

National Certificate in Forestry (Silvicultural Pruning) [Ref: 0836]

National Certificate in Forestry (Silvicultural Thinning) [Ref 0835]

 

Review category

D

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

These qualifications no longer meet the needs of industry and are expiring.  However the following qualification has been developed to meet current industry requirements.

 

National Certificate in Forest Operations (Level 3) with strands in Establishment, Pruning, Thinning to Waste (Small Trees), Tree Felling - Basic Techniques, Breaking Out for Ground Based Harvesting, Breaking Out for Cable Harvesting, and Landing Operations [Ref: 1411]

 

There are substantial differences between the expiring qualifications and Ref: 1411.

 

·      The knowledge and skills covered by Ref: 0702 have been separated into the Establishment, Pruning and Thinning to Waste (Small Trees) strands.

·      The knowledge and skills covered by Refs: 0704, 0835 and 0836 were related to a variety of forestry jobs.  These are now contained within the remaining strands of the qualification.

·      Standards in common with those in the expiring qualifications include: 43, 1221, 1227, 1232, 1234, 1236, 1237, 1238, 1243, 1245, 1247, 1252, 1256, 6916, 6924, 6950, 6951, 6952, 6972, 6973, 17763, 17766, and 17772.

 

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

43, 6917

23411

6923

23000

6949

22998

 

National Certificate in Forestry (Cable Harvesting - Extraction) [Ref: 0828]

National Certificate in Forestry (Forest Establishment) [Ref: 0829]

National Certificate in Forestry (Ground Based Harvesting - Extraction) [Ref: 0830]

National Certificate in Forestry (Log Loading) [Ref: 0831]

National Certificate in Forestry (Log Making) [Ref: 0832]

National Certificate in Forestry (Mechanised Harvesting) [Ref: 0489]

National Certificate in Forestry (Tree Felling) [Ref: 0837]

 

Review category

D

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

These qualifications no longer meet the needs of industry and are expiring.  However the following qualification has been developed to meet current industry requirements.

 

National Certificate in Forest Operations Advanced (Level 4) with strands in Establishment and Silvicultural Operations, Production Tree Felling, Hauler Set-Up, Machine Operations - Hauler, Head Breaker Out - Cable Harvesting, Log Making, Machine Operations - Log Extraction, Machine Operations - Loader, Mechanised Tree Felling, Mechanised Processing, and Helicopter Logging [Ref: 1412]

 

There are substantial differences between the expiring qualifications and Ref: 1412.

 

·      The core of this qualification contains some new generic unit standards relating to health and safety and crew management written especially for forestry environments.

·      The knowledge and skills covered by Ref: 0828 related to various jobs within a cable harvesting operation.  The knowledge and skills have been separated into the Head Breaker Out - Cable Harvesting, Hauler Set-Up, and Machine Operations - Hauler strands.

·      The knowledge and skills covered by Ref: 0489 have been separated into the Mechanised Tree Felling and Mechanised Processing strands.

·      The knowledge and skills in Ref: 0837 relating to breaking out now included in the relevant breaking out strand

·      New tree felling standards related to specialist tree felling skills are contained in the Production Tree Felling strand.

·      Standards in this qualification in common with those in the expiring qualifications include: 1222, 1224, 1231, 1252, 1254, 1256, 1258, 1262, 1266, 1268, 1269, 1270, 6920, 6921, 6924, 6926, 6927, 6928, 6930, 6931, 6932, 6934, 6935, 6936, 6937, 6941, 6943, 6944, 6945, 6946, 6947, 6948, 6964, 17756, 17758, 17764, 17765, 17766, 17771, 17773, 19765, 20597, 20599, 20613.

 

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

1255

24569, 24570

2722

20613

2723

20597

2724

20599

 

Transition

 

All existing candidates may choose to complete the above listed expiring qualifications, or where applicable, transfer their existing achievements to one or more of the new qualifications.

 

Programmes leading to the award of the new qualifications can start from August 2008.  The last date for entry into programmes leading to the award of the expiring qualifications is December 2009.  The last date for assessments to take place for the expiring qualifications is 31 December 2012.

 

It is not intended that any existing candidate be disadvantaged by these arrangements.  However, any candidate who considers they have been disadvantaged may appeal to:

 

Forest Industries Training and Education Council (FITEC)

PO Box 137 067

PARNELL

Auckland

 

Telephone       09 356 7250

Email                info@fitec.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