Section 1 RUA 98 SECTION 1 NATIONAL COMPETENCY STANDARDS ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES QUALIFICATIONS National Competency Standards, Assessment Guidelines and Qualifications © Australian National Training Authority Endorsed 98 Section 1 RUA 98 TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 1 - Introduction Agriculture Training Package endorsed and non-endorsed components .............................................................1 Part 2 - Competency Standards 1 - Coverage ..............................................................................................................................................................................2 2 - Customisation of competency standards.............................................................................................................................3 3 - Incorporation of other standards in the Agriculture Industry..........................................................................3 4 - Licensing ..........................................................................................................................................................4 Part 3 - Assessment Guidelines 1 - Introduction......................................................................................................................................................5 2 - Assessment System Overview .........................................................................................................................6 Benchmarks for assessment .........................................................................................................................................6 Role of Registered Training Organisations..................................................................................................................6 Assessment Pathways...................................................................................................................................................7 3 - Assessment requirements .................................................................................................................................8 Graded assessment .....................................................................................................................................8 Assessor qualifications...............................................................................................................................8 Role of the assessor....................................................................................................................................9 4 - Guidelines for designing assessment materials .............................................................................................10 Components of assessment materials.........................................................................................................................10 Collecting evidence ....................................................................................................................................................11 5 - Guidelines for conducting assessment...........................................................................................................12 6 – Appeal and reassessment process..................................................................................................................14 7 - Sources of information on assessment...........................................................................................................15 8 - Glossary (assessment specific).......................................................................................................................18 Part 4 - Qualifications 1 - Introduction....................................................................................................................................................20 2 - Titling .............................................................................................................................................................20 3 - Packaging units of competency......................................................................................................................21 Gaining a qualification .....................................................................................................................................................23 4 - Issuing of Qualificatons .................................................................................................................................25 5 - Alignment to the Australian Qualifications Framework ...............................................................................25 6 - Customisation of qualifications .....................................................................................................................25 7 - New Apprenticeships .....................................................................................................................................26 National Competency Standards, Assessment Guidelines and Qualifications © Australian National Training Authority RUA 98 Section 1 National Competency Standards, Assessment Guidelines and Qualifications © Australian National Training Authority 3 Endorsed 98 RUA 98 Section 1 PART 1 INTRODUCTION The Agriculture Training Package is based on: 1. New and revised national competency standards for the Agriculture Industry. 2. The national Agriculture and Horticulture Assessment Policy guidelines that were endorsed by the industry in 1997. These guidelines have been modified for the purpose of this endorsed component in accordance with the Draft Australian Recognition Framework paper. 3. The national qualifications for the industry, which reflect the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels and titles, including references in the titles to sectors within the Agriculture Industry. Endorsed components of the Training Package National Competency Standards The current package is the result of a total review and enhancement of all the units, evidence guides and assessment information for the Agriculture Industry competency standards. New requirements for evidence guides have been incorporated and provided in two parts for each unit: an Evidence Guide and an Assessment Guide. The sectors for which competency standards have been developed for this Training Package are listed in Part 2, Coverage. Assessment Guidelines The Industry’s Assessment Guidelines describe the industry-wide approach to assessment, the industry requirements for the qualifications of assessors, and Guidelines for development of assessment material. (See Part 3: Assessment Guidelines) National Qualifications National qualifications in Agriculture (see Part 4) will range from Certificate I to Advanced Diploma in general, sector specific or specialist qualifications. Units of competency which will form these qualifications are a combination of industry core, sector specialisation, and options that are relevant to the individual enterprise. In this way maximum flexibility has been maintained. The packaging also allows for the qualifications to be useful nationally regardless of region, and caters for the varying nature of agricultural requirements on large and small properties. This approach also enables the New Apprenticeships at the entry levels of the industry to be relevant to individual employers and employees, and to form a broad foundation of training for the industry as a whole. Non-endorsed components of the Training Package The learning materials being developed as part of the Training Package will include Learning Guides, Industry Training Prospectuses, Training Guides and Competency Portfolios/Record Books. National Competency Standards, Assessment Guidelines and Qualifications © Australian National Training Authority 1 Endorsed 98 RUA 98 PART 2 COMPETENCY STANDARDS 1 COVERAGE The Agriculture industry has packaged its competency standards in industry sectors. The sectors covered in this Training Package are: Revised Standards Newly Developed Standards Beef Cattle Production Cotton Production Dairy -Milking Harvesting Goat Production Dairy - Production Horse Breeding *Farm Chemical Users Rural Merchandising Grain Production Pig Production Poultry Production Rural Business Management Sheep/Wool Production Sugar Cane Production Wool Harvesting (* note: Farm Chemical Users - this is not a separate industry sector but these standards are incorporated into every sector). The industry sectors covered by this Training Package largely reflect the extent of the sectors of the Agriculture Industry. The industry also includes some areas yet to be covered by competency standards. These are: • Agricultural explosives • Camelids (Saurine) • Deer/Elk etc (Cervine) • Emus/Ostriches (Other Avian Species) • Vertebrate Pest Management • Biological Control Field Operators It is anticipated that these areas will be developed in the near future, and that further sectors will be added as new specialisations emerge. Although the standards have been grouped under sector or other specialisation to ensure industry sector ownership, all units are available for national qualifications to meet employment or other needs. Units may also be added to or from the Horticulture Training Package. ©Australian National Training Authority c-3 Endorsed 98 RUA 98 2 CUSTOMISATION OF COMPETENCY STANDARDS The Agriculture Industry has maximised the use of common units and has therefore relied less on the need to customise generic units for incorporation within sectors. The following guideline illustrates the principle on which customisation