FIELD                 AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

 

Review of Seafood and Aquaculture qualifications

 

National Certificate in Seafood (Level 3) with optional strands in Aquaculture, and Processing [Ref: 0906]

National Certificate in Seafood (Level 4) with optional strands in Aquaculture, and Processing [Ref: 0854]

National Certificate in Aquaculture (Level 4) [Ref: 1417]

 

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

 

Replacement qualifications

 

National Certificate in Aquaculture (Level 3) [Ref: 1620]

National Certificate in Seafood Processing with strands in Basic Processing Skills, and Intermediate Processing Skills [Ref: 1621]

National Certificate in Seafood Processing (Advanced Processing Skills) [Ref: 1622]

 

Date new versions published                                                          February 2011

 

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

 

Summary of review and consultation process

 

The qualifications were reviewed by advisory groups from the Aquaculture and Seafood Processing sectors.  The advisory groups included assessors, representatives from providers who deliver training programmes that lead to award of the qualifications, industry experts, and employers.

 

The advisory groups recommended replacing the two national certificates in Seafood (Q0854 and Q0906) with smaller, sector-specific qualifications because the size of the qualifications was a barrier to completion.  Also, because of the significant flexibility of the qualifications, the skill sets of successful candidates varied greatly.

 

Replacement qualifications were then developed and the final versions of these qualifications were endorsed by the advisory groups.

 

The National Certificate in Aquaculture (Level 4) [Ref: 1417] was also reviewed to better reflect industry and training requirements.

 

Main changes resulting from the review

 

The two national certificates in Seafood (Q0854 and Q0906) were designated as expiring and replaced with three newly developed qualifications.  The National Certificate in Aquaculture (Level 4) [Ref: 1417] was also reviewed to better reflect industry and training requirements.

 

National Certificate in Seafood (Level 3) with optional strands in Aquaculture, and Processing [Ref: 0906]

National Certificate in Aquaculture (Level 3) [Ref: 1620]

National Certificate in Seafood Processing with strands in Basic Processing Skills, and Intermediate Processing Skills [Ref: 1621]

 

Review category

C

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Main changes

 

There are substantial differences between the replaced qualification and replacement qualifications.

 

The credit total has reduced from 90 credits to 40 credits for Ref: 1620 and to a range of 43-62 credits for Ref: 1621.

 

The replacement qualifications specify standards, whereas the replaced qualification allowed candidates to choose standards from domains in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Māori fields.

 

Transition

 

People currently enrolled in programmes leading to the award of version 2 of the National Certificate in Seafood (Level 3) with optional strands in Aquaculture, and Processing

[Ref: 0906] may either complete that version by December 2014, or transfer to the National Certificate in Aquaculture (Level 3) [Ref: 1620] or the National Certificate in Seafood Processing with strands in Basic Processing Skills, and Intermediate Processing Skills [Ref: 1621]; under the guidance of the Seafood ITO.

 

National Certificate in Seafood (Level 4) with optional strands in Aquaculture, and Processing [Ref: 0854]

National Certificate in Seafood Processing (Advanced Processing Skills) [Ref: 1622]

 

Review category

C

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Main changes

 

There are substantial differences between the replaced and replacement qualifications.

 

The credit total has reduced from 120 to 40 credits to better reflect industry requirements and realistic training timeframes.

 

The replacement qualification specifies standards, whereas the replaced qualification allowed candidates to choose standards from domains from the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries field.

 

Transition

 

People currently enrolled in programmes leading to the award of version 3 of the National Certificate in Seafood (Level 4) with optional strands in Aquaculture, and Processing

[Ref: 0854] may either complete that version by December 2014, or transfer to the National Certificate in Seafood Processing (Advanced Processing Skills) [Ref: 1622] under the guidance of the Seafood ITO.

 

National Certificate in Aquaculture (Level 4) [Ref: 1417]

 

Review category

B

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Changes to structure and content

·         The structure of the qualification was updated from two elective sections to a Compulsory and an Elective section.

·         The credit total of the qualification decreased from 60 to 40 credits.

·         Standards 18487, 18488, 19217, 19219, 19220, 19774, 20308, 21952, 21953, 23646, and 23647 are no longer specified in the qualification but are included in the Aquaculture and Aquaculture Diving domains from which candidates can choose standards in the Elective section.

·         Standards 19218 and 19773 were retained and included in the new Compulsory section of the qualification.

 

Transition

 

People currently enrolled in programmes leading to the award of version 1 of this qualification may either complete that version by December 2013 or transfer to version 2 of the qualification.

 

It is not intended that any existing candidates are disadvantaged by this review.  However, anyone who feels that they have been disadvantaged should contact the standard setter at the address below.

 

Seafood Industry Training Organisation

Private Bag 24901

Manners Street

Wellington 6142

 

Telephone       04 385 4005

Email                admin@seafood.co.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