QUALIFICATION CHANGE REPORT

 

FIELD                 Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

SUBFIELDS             Rural Contracting, Agricultural Contracting

 

Review of Agricultural Contracting Qualification

 

National Certificate in Agricultural Contracting with optional strands in Crop Production, Fencing, Harvesting, Land Development, Mechanical Vegetation Control, Transport, and Zero Tillage (Level 3) [Ref:0230]

 

Infrastructure ITO has completed the mandatory review of the qualification listed above.

 

Replacement qualification

 

New Zealand Certificate in Rural Contracting with strands in Crop Production, Harvesting, and Vegetation Control (Level 3).

 

Date new versions published                                                          July 2015

 

The next qualification review is planned to take place prior to the 31 December 2020.

 

Summary of review and consultation process

 

The mandatory review of this qualification formed part of the wider review of Infrastructure Works which began in April 2012.  A focussed Working Group for Rural Contracting was formed which completed the qualification review in December 2014.

 

The review process included broad consultation with industry and providers spanning a range of subsectors within infrastructure works, to ensure that the new qualification would meet current and future needs, and resulted in the recommendation that the National Certificate in Agricultural Contracting with optional strands in Crop Production, Fencing, Harvesting, Land Development, Mechanical Vegetation Control, Transport, and Zero Tillage (Level 3) [Ref:0230] be replaced by the New Zealand Certificate in Rural Contracting with strands in Crop Production, Harvesting, and Vegetation Control (Level 3) [Ref: 2728]

 

Main changes resulting from the review

 

National Certificate in Agricultural Contracting with optional strands in Crop Production, Fencing, Harvesting, Land Development, Mechanical Vegetation Control, Transport, and Zero Tillage (Level 3) [Ref:0230]

New Zealand Certificate in Rural Contracting with strands in Crop Production, Harvesting, and Vegetation Control (Level 3) [Ref: 2728]

 

Review category

C

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

The last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualification is 31 December 2016.  The last date of assessment for the replaced national qualification is December 2018.  People working towards the replaced qualification may either meet the requirements by 31 December 2018 or transfer their results to the New Zealand replacement qualification.  However, there are significant differences between the new and replaced qualification, and it is recommended that candidates complete the qualification in which they are enrolled.

 

It is anticipated that no existing candidates will be disadvantaged by these transition arrangements.  However, anyone who feels that they have been disadvantaged should contact Infrastructure ITO at the address below:

 

Infrastructure ITO

PO Box 2759

Wellington 6140

 

Telephone     0800 486 626

Email              qualifications@connexis.org.nz

Website          http://connexis.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