Review of Plastics Processing Technology (Technical) qualifications

FIELD MANUFACTURING

Review of Plastics Processing Technology (Technical) qualifications

National Certificate in Plastics Processing Technology (Technical) (Level 1) with strands in Injection Moulding, Extrusion, Blow Moulding, Thermoforming, Blown Film Extrusion, Film Conversion, Injection Stretch-Blow Moulding, and Rotational Moulding [Ref: 0260]

National Certificate in Plastics Processing Technology (Technical) (Level 2) with strands in Injection Moulding, Extrusion, Blow Moulding, Pressure Thermoforming, Vacuum Thermoforming, Blown Film Extrusion, Film Conversion, Injection Stretch-Blow Moulding, and Rotational Moulding [Ref: 0394]

National Certificate in Plastics Processing Technology (Technical) (Level 3) with strands in Injection Moulding, Extrusion, Blow Moulding, Pressure Thermoforming, Vacuum Thermoforming, Blown Film Extrusion, Film Conversion, Injection Stretch-Blow Moulding, and Rotational Moulding [Ref: 0395]

National Certificate in Plastics Processing Technology (Technical) (Level 4) with strands in Injection Moulding, Extrusion, Blow Moulding, Thermoforming, Blown Film Extrusion, Injection Stretch-Blow Moulding Single Stage, Injection Stretch-Blow Moulding Two Stage, and Rotational Moulding [Ref: 0396]

The Plastics and Materials Processing Industry Training Organisation (PaMPITO) has completed the review of the qualifications listed above.

Date new versions published September 2010

The next qualification review is planned to take place during 2015.

Summary of review and consultation process

Anecdotal information and quantitative data led PaMPITO to an early review of these qualifications.

The target market for these qualifications has enlarged in the last two years to include industry trainees who wish to complete the higher level (Level 3 and 4) certificates. The qualifications structure did not allow for entry at the higher level without prior award of a previous level qualification and strand.

Originally only apprentices were signed into four-year programmes using these qualifications. To incorporate trainees other than apprentices in industry training, PaMPITO has amended the content and entry requirements for each qualification.

A nationwide consultation round was undertaken with industry representatives, accredited providers, workplace assessors and industry experts from June to October 2009. They concurred with the structural changes being presented in this report.

Main changes resulting from the review

Candidates are no longer required to complete a pre-requisite lower level qualification to enter each qualification. Prior to the review, candidates had to complete each level qualification in sequence. PaMPITO will continue to recommend this in practice, but it will not be a strict qualification requirement.

Strand prerequisite requirements in each qualification were also removed.

Overall the credit requirement for each of these qualifications was reduced. The qualification structures were made less rigid with many of the compulsory standards being replaced by domain electives.

The National Certificate in Plastics Processing Technology (Technical) (Level 1) [Ref: 0260] has been designated expiring and the critical components of that qualification have been included in the Level 2 certificate, [Ref: 0394], as appropriate.

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

There were no changes to structure or content.

Transition

All existing candidates may complete version 6 of this qualification or transfer their existing achievements to the National Certificate in Plastics Processing Technology (Technical) (Level 2) with strands [Ref: 0394] as appropriate.

Similarities between [Ref: 0260] and [Ref: 0394]

All standards in the strands of [Ref: 0260], except for standard 295, are included in [Ref: 0394] and can be used towards meeting its requirements.
All standards in the Compulsory section, except for 1978, 4248, and 12349, are included in [Ref: 0394] and can be used towards meeting its requirements.

The last date for completing the assessment requirements of version 6 of this qualification is 31 December 2011.

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

The National Certificate in Plastics Processing Technology (Technical) (Level 1) with strands [Ref: 0260], which was formerly a prerequisite for this qualification, has been designated expiring and the crucial components of that qualification have been included in the strands of this qualification. Candidates may transfer their existing achievements from [Ref: 0260] to version 8 of [Ref: 0394].

Changes to structure and content

· Qualification and strand pre-requisites were removed.

· Film Slitting and Expanded Polystyrene Moulding strands were added and the qualification title was amended.

· An Elective section was added.

· The overall credit requirement was reduced from 94-117 to 75 credits.

· The credit requirement of the Core Compulsory section was reduced from 84 to 33 credits.

· Standards 2395, 20917, and 23129 were added to the Core Compulsory section.

· Standards 1277, 1304, 2387, 2397, 2430, 2431, 3492, 3501, 4435, 9677, 15851, 17344, 17345, 20597, 20598, 20611, and 20612 were removed from the Core Compulsory section, but can still be used to meet the requirements of the new Elective section.

· Standards 252 and 253 from [Ref: 0260] were added to the Injection Moulding strand.

· Standards 281 and 282 from [Ref: 0260] were added to the Extrusion strand.

· Standard 296 from [Ref: 0260] was added to the Blow Moulding strand.

· Standards 261 and 262 from [Ref: 0260] were added to the Pressure Thermoforming and the Vaccum Thermoforming strands.

· Standards 287 and 288 from [Ref: 0260] were added to the Blown Film Extrusion strand.

· Standards 275 and 276 from [Ref: 0260] were added to the Film Conversion strand.

· Standards 15206 and 15207 from [Ref: 0260] were added to the Injection Stretch-Blow Moulding strand.

· Standards 16116 and 16117 from [Ref: 0260] were added to the Rotational Moulding strand.

Transition

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
273	23130
2824	21911, 21912
4795	20917
4796	20799
12299	21913

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

Standards from	Are treated as Standards from
Engineering and Technology > Mechanical Engineering > Fluid Power	Engineering and Technology > Mechanical Engineering > Fluid Power - Pneumatics
Engineering and Technology > Mechanical Engineering > Fluid Power	Engineering and Technology > Mechanical Engineering > Fluid Power - Hydraulics

All existing candidates may complete version 7 of this qualification or transfer their existing achievements to version 8. The last date for assessments to take place for version 7 of this qualification is 31 December 2012.

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· Qualification and strand pre-requisites were removed.

· An Expanded Polystyrene Moulding strand was added and the qualification title was amended.

· An Elective section was added.

· The overall credit requirement changed from 71-100 to 75 credits.

· The credit requirement of the Core Compulsory section was reduced from 59 to 33 credits.

· Standard 23130 was added to the Core Compulsory section.

· Standard 2780 was removed from the Core Compulsory section.

· Standards 3488, 4438, 8077, 8081, and 8087 were removed from the Core Compulsory section, but can still be used to meet the requirements of the new Elective section.

· Standard 2403 was removed from the strands, but can still be used to meet the requirements of the new Elective section.

Transition

Credit for	Exempt from
273	23130
274	23131
2388	22913

All existing candidates may complete version 6 of this qualification or transfer their existing achievements to version 7. The last date for completing the assessment requirements of version 6 is 31 December 2012.

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· Qualification and strand pre-requisites have been removed.

· An Elective section was added.

· Overall credit requirement was reduced from 68-74 to 55 credits.

· Overall credit requirement for the Core Compulsory section was reduced from 62 to 30 credits.

· Standards 1297, 1299, 1312, 1988, 8082 and 8089 were removed from the Core Compulsory section, but can still be used to meet the requirements of the new Elective section.

Transition

This qualification contains standards that replace earlier standards and a standard that has been substituted for an earlier standard. 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
1984	18336
9676	21335

The last date for entry into programmes leading to the award of previous versions of [Ref: 0394], [Ref: 0395], and [Ref: 0396] shall be the same as the first day of registration of the new versions of these qualifications.

The Plastics and Materials Processing Industry Training Organisation has endeavoured to ensure that no person has been disadvantaged by this review. Anyone who thinks that they have been disadvantaged should, in the first instance, contact the ITO at the address below.

Standard Setting Body

Plastics and Materials Processing Industry Training Organisation Incorporated

PO Box 76378

Manukau City

Auckland 2241

Telephone 09 254 4877

Email info@pampito.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