Field Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Revision of Horticulture qualifications

National Certificate in Horticulture (Level 4) with optional strands in Amenity Horticulture, Fruit Production, Landscape, Nursery Production, Postharvest, Viticulture, and Vegetable Production [Ref: 1014]

National Certificate in Horticulture (Advanced) (Level 4) with strands in Amenity Horticulture, Fruit Production, Landscape, Nursery Production, Postharvest, Production Horticulture, Viticulture, and Vegetable Production [Ref: 1015]

National Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) (Level 4) with an optional strand in Advanced [Ref: 1534]

The New Zealand Horticulture Industry Training Organisation (NZHITO) has revised the qualifications listed above.

Date new versions published April 2012

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

Reason for the revision

The revision of these qualifications has been undertaken to ensure they are attainable by candidates who have met all requirements; and to reflect the review of the pest, disease and weed unit standards across the primary sector, which resulted in the registration of a new Primary Sector domain.

Main changes resulting from the revision

Changes to structure and content

· Amendments were made to the Vegetable Production strand to remove barriers to completion for some candidates.

· A Land Skills Elective was added to align this qualification with other Horticulture qualifications and to allow recognition of agriculture lands skills that are important to horticulture while retaining the horticulture focus of the qualification.

· Exemptions for standards 26551 and 26552 (included in the new Land Skills Elective) were added for candidates that hold expiring Core Health standards 6400, 6401 and/or 6402.

· Expiring standard 1783 was removed from the Postharvest Strand but can still be used towards the Horticulture Elective.

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
6400	26551, 26552
6401	26552
6402	26551
1024	22209
1594	17269
17260	25399, 25401
2770, 2819	25404

This qualification contains a classification that replaces an earlier classification. For the purposes of this qualification, people who have gained credit for standards in the lapsed classification may continue to use those credits to meet the qualification requirements - see table below.

Standards from	Are treated as Standards from
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Horticulture > Organic Horticulture	Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Horticulture > Production Horticulture

National Certificate in Horticulture (Advanced) (Level 4) with strands in Amenity Horticulture, Fruit Production, Landscape, Nursery Production, Postharvest, Production Horticulture, Viticulture, and Vegetable Production [Ref: 1015]

Changes to structure and content

· The elective Horticulture component of the strands was moved to the core qualification and the Pest Management Elective, which is now a maximum of 20 credits, was integrated into a new Horticulture Core Elective. This was a result of candidates working towards the Landscape and Postharvest Strands finding it difficult to achieve the Pest Management section of the qualification requirements and followed on from the review of the pest, disease and weed standards in the primary sector, and the resulting registration of the Primary Sector domain.

· Amendments were made to the Vegetable Production Strand to mirror changes made to the National Certificate in Horticulture (Level 4) with optional Strands in Amenity Horticulture, Fruit Production, Landscape, Nursery Production, Postharvest, Viticulture, and Vegetable Production [Ref: 1014] to remove barriers to completion for some candidates.

· A correction was made to the sub-rule of the Nursery Production Strand to make the requirements clear.

· Expiring standard 1783 was removed from the Postharvest Strand but can still be used towards the Horticulture Set of the Horticulture Core Elective.

· An amendment was made to the qualifications pathway diagram to reflect the changes made following the revision of this qualification.

Credit for	Exempt from
1024	22209
1594	17269
17260	25399, 25401
2770, 2819	25404

Standards from	Are treated as Standards from
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Horticulture > Organic Horticulture	Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Horticulture > Production Horticulture

National Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) (Level 4) with an optional strand in Advanced [Ref: 1534]

Changes to structure and content

· Remaining standards from the Arboriculture domain were listed in the strand to provide a clear distinction between the core requirements and those of the optional Advanced strand.

· Exemptions for standards 26551 and 26552 were added for candidates that hold expiring Core Health standards 6400, 6401 and/or 6402.

· The details of reviewed standard 6917 were updated (now at Level 2 and 8 credits).

· Standard 17152 was added as an option in the optional Advanced Strand.

· The overall credit value was increased from 149 to 150.

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

Credit for	Exempt from
14	22174
772	22177, 22178
17260	25399, 25401
2822	25406
2764	17150
2770, 2819	25404
2770, 2771	25404
2818	25405
2823	17151
6400	26551, 26552
6401	26552
6402	26551

Transition

No transition arrangements are required for the first two qualifications listed above as previous versions of the qualifications are enhanced by the additions made. Candidates can continue to complete previous versions or transfer to the latest version.

The last date for assessment for version 1 of the National Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) (Level 4) with an optional strand in Advanced [Ref: 1534] is 31 December 2012 to encourage the transfer of candidates to version 2, as standards specified in the compulsory section of the qualification that are also covered by the classification (Arboriculture) listed in the optional strand are being counted twice.

Version 1 of [Ref: 1534] and the National Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) (Level 3) [Ref: 1533] replaced the National Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) with strands in Ground Worker, Consultant Climber, Transplant Worker, Basic Climber, Advanced Climber, and Utility Worker [Ref: 0896]. People part way through the replaced qualification may either complete that qualification, or transfer existing credit to meet the requirements of either of the replacement qualifications.

The last date for assessments to take place for the National Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) with strands in Ground Worker, Consultant Climber, Transplant Worker, Basic Climber, Advanced Climber, and Utility Worker [Ref: 0896] is 31 December 2012.

For the purpose of the expiring qualification, people who have gained credit for the replacement standards are exempt from the requirement to gain credit for the expiring standards - see table below.

Credit for	Exempt from
25399	17260
25406	2822
26551, 26552	6400
26551	6402
26552	6401

The NZHITO intends that no existing candidate be disadvantaged by the revision of this qualification. Any person who feels that they have been disadvantaged by these transition arrangements should contact NZHITO at the address below.

New Zealand Horticulture Industry Training Organisation

PO Box 8638

Riccarton

Christchurch 8440

Telephone 03 964 4735

Email mike@hortito.org.nz

Website http://www.hortito.org.nz/