Field Engineering and Technology

Review of Electricity Supply qualifications

National Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer- Low Voltage) (Level 3) [Ref: 0869]

National Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer- High Voltage) (Level 4) [Ref: 0870]

Infrastructure ITO has completed the review of the qualifications listed above.

Replacement qualifications

New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer Low Voltage) (Level 3) [Ref: 2228]

New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer High Voltage) (Level 4) with an optional strand of 33kV [Ref: 2227]

Date new versions published November 2014

The next qualification review is planned to take place during 2018.

Summary of review and consultation process

The New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer Low Voltage) (Level 3) [Ref: 2228] and the New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer High Voltage) (Level 4) with an optional strand of 33kV [Ref: 2227] resulted from a wider review of the national electricity supply industry education pathways as part of the Targeted Review of Qualifications. The review process included an industry learning needs analysis and consultation with providers and industry. Subsequent to the learning needs analysis, the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB) conducted a process of consultation to review the registration categories and requirements. This included the cable jointer class. The current EWRB registration is aligned with the, to be replaced, Level 3 cable jointer qualification [Ref: 0869], which only covers low voltage, (defined as up to and including 1kV). However, EWRB registration leads to a licence to work up to and including 11kV. High voltage is defined as up to and including 11kV. It was therefore decided that in the interests of clarity and safety, EWRB registration should move from the Level 3 cable jointer qualification, to the Level 4, high voltage qualification.

The Level 3 and the Level 4 qualifications for cable jointers were developed simultaneously to ensure alignment. EWRB registration licenses cable jointers to work at both low and high voltage – up to and including 11kV. Therefore, the replacement Level 4 qualification, which includes EWRB requirements to be eligible for registration, includes both low voltage and high voltage. This is achieved by including the knowledge and skills recognised by the Level 3 qualification within the Level 4 qualification.

There are also cable jointers who never work beyond 1kV. To enable the industry to identify who is qualified and safe to work up to this level of voltage; the Industry Steering Group saw the need for an identifiable qualification for these cable jointers. As a result, there is a separate Level 3 qualification.

Main changes resulting from the review

· The new Level 3 qualification will not meet the requirements eligibility for EWRB registration as a cable jointer. A cable jointer with the Level 3 qualification is qualified to work on low voltage up to 1kV.

· The new Level 4 qualification will now be the requirement for eligibility for EWRB registration as a cable jointer. The qualification encompasses all the knowledge skills and competencies required for eligibility for EWRB registration as a cable jointer.

· As there are low voltage requirements in the EWRB registration criteria, the knowledge and skills recognised by the Level 3 qualification is also included in the Level 4 qualification.

· Application of the knowledge and skills recognised by the New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Introductory) (Level 2) [Ref: 2136], is also included in the Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications, as it covers the EWRB requirements for a Trainee Limited Certificate, which is a requirement for work, experience and assessments to count towards registration as a cable jointer plus it is also a requirement for working on electricity supply sites.

· There is an optional strand on the Level 4 qualification for work on voltage up to and including 33kV. It is not a requirement for registration, however, it will be aligned with an optional endorsement on the EWRB license for a cable jointer.

The replaced Level 3 and Level 4 national qualifications are unit standard based. Because the electricity supply industry has significant inherent danger, industry’s preference is for mandatory, specific unit standards, in the replacement qualifications. In addition, EWRB requirements are expressed as competencies which are compatible with a unit standard based approach. However, where the Industry Steering Group thought this would not lead to any compromise of safety, to ensure flexibility to allow the qualification to be achieved through a range of contexts and learning pathways, some of the unit standards that cover the knowledge components of the graduate outcomes are optional.

National Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer- Low Voltage) (Level 3) [Ref: 0869]

replaced by

New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer Low Voltage) (Level 3) [Ref: 2228]

Review category

See Error! Reference source not found. at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· The replacement qualification is a larger qualification than Ref: 0869 (122 credits, versus 77 credits).

· The replacement qualification does not meet all the EWRB requirements for eligibility for registration as a cable jointer.

· All of the existing electricity supply unit standards in the replacement qualification have been reviewed for any necessary changes, and new unit standards were developed to meet the EWRB requirements and updates in industry requirements.

· There are no longer optional strands.

National Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer- High Voltage) (Level 4) [Ref: 0870]

replaced by

New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer High Voltage) (Level 4) with an optional strand of 33kV [Ref: 2227]

Review category

See Error! Reference source not found. at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· The replacement qualification is a larger qualification than Ref: 0870 (210 credits, or 245 with optional strand versus 44 credits, or 82 with optional strand).

· The replacement qualification includes the EWRB eligibility for registration requirements that are recognised within the Level 2 and the Level 3 qualifications.

· All of the existing electricity supply unit standards in the replacement qualification have been reviewed for any necessary changes to meet industry current and future requirements, and new unit standards were developed to meet the EWRB requirements.

· There are no longer elective unit standards available in the replacement qualification.

Transition

All existing candidates may either complete the requirements of the replaced qualifications or transfer to the replacement qualification according to programme availability. Candidates with the replaced Level 3 qualification who subsequently proceed to the Level 4 qualification may be required to complete mandatory unit standards that are requirements for eligibility for revised EWRB registration, as a cable jointer. Candidates with the replaced Level 4 qualification, who subsequently apply for registration as a cable jointer, may be required to complete mandatory unit standards that are requirements of the revised EWRB registration as a cable jointer.

All new trainees will be enrolled in programmes leading to the replacement qualifications from 31 December 2015.

The last date for assessments to take place for the National Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer Low Voltage) (Level 3) [Ref: 0869] and the National Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointer- High Voltage) (Level 4) [Ref: 0870] is 31 December 2017.

It is anticipated that no existing candidates will be disadvantaged by these transition arrangements. However, anyone who feels that they have been disadvantaged may appeal to Infrastructure ITO at the address below. Appeals will be considered on a case by case basis.

For further information contact:

Infrastructure ITO
PO Box 2759
Wellington 6140

Telephone      04 499 9144
Fax                  04 499 9145
Email             qualifications@infrastructureito.org.nz
Website          http://www.infrastructureito.org.nz

Key to Qualification Review Categories

Category A The qualification is published as a new version with the same NZQF 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 NZQF 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 NZQF 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