FIELD                 AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

 

Review of Apiculture qualifications

 

National Certificate in Apiculture (Level 2) [Ref: 1036]

National Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) [Ref: 1069]

 

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

 

Date new versions published                                                          November 2009

 

The next qualification review is planned to take place during 2014.

 

Summary of review and consultation process

 

These qualifications were reviewed because they had reached their planned review date and because changes were required as a result of feedback from industry.  The qualifications were also updated as a result of the review of standards in the Apiculture domain.

 

The qualifications review process commenced in 2008 when a review meeting was convened with the apiculture industry committee.  The committee was made up of practising beekeepers, an entomology scientist, training providers, the President of the National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand, and New Zealand Food Safety Authority personnel.

 

The review process included the opportunity for wider industry and public comment and feedback via the Agriculture ITO's website.  Changes to apiculture qualifications were suggested via the website and directly from industry and training providers.  These changes were considered by the apiculture industry committee and incorporated if considered valid.

 

Final versions of the reviewed apiculture qualifications were endorsed by the apiculture industry committee and signed off by the President of the National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand, who was involved with all stages of the review.

 

Main changes resulting from the review

 

Standards were added to qualifications, and content was updated, to reflect changes to industry requirements.

 

National Certificate in Apiculture (Level 2) [Ref: 1036]

 

Review category

B

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Changes to structure and content

·         standard 25893 was added to the compulsory section

·         standards 6400, 6401, 6402, and 19888 were moved from the compulsory to the elective section

·         standard 497 was removed from the compulsory section

·         standard 19891 was replaced with standard 25889 in the compulsory section

·         credits for standard 19887 increased from 3 to 4

·         standards 1753, 24540, 25890, and 25894 were added to the elective section

·         standard 6916 was removed from the elective section

·         total qualification credits decreased from 58 to 49.

 

Transition

 

People working towards versions 2 or 3 of this qualification may either complete the requirements of those versions or transfer their results to this version.  The last date for entry to programmes or courses leading to the award of versions 2 or 3 is 31 December 2009.  The last date for assessments to take place for versions 2 and 3 is December 2011.

 

Training programmes or courses leading to the award of this version of the qualification may start as soon as the qualification is registered.

 

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

 

Credit for

Exempt from

17

19885

22

19046, 19047

5059

21554

18425

23450

19891

25889, 25890

 

National Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) [Ref: 1069]

 

Review category

B

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Changes to structure and content

·         standard 20252 was replaced with standards 25891 and 25892

·         credits for standard 20256 increased from 6 to 7

·         total qualification credits increased from 70 to 71.

 

People working towards versions 1 or 2 of this qualification may either complete the requirements of that version or transfer their results to this version.  The last date for entry to programmes or courses leading to the award of versions 1 or 2 is 31 December 2009.  The last date for assessments to take place for versions 1 and 2 is December 2010.

 

Training programmes or courses leading to the award of this version of the qualification may start as soon as the qualification is registered.

 

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

 

Credit for

Exempt from

20252

25891, 25892

 

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

 

Agriculture Industry Training Organisation

PO Box 10383

The Terrace

Wellington 6143

 

Telephone              04 801 9616

Fax                          04 801 9626

Email                       standards@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