Case for change

The Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) approved this project out of the Aquaculture and Wild Catch Industry Sector IRC Skills Forecast and Proposed Schedule of Work 2019-2022 (see pages 48-55).

Skills Impact and the Aquaculture and Wild Catch Industry Reference Committee (IRC) will manage this project, consistent with the 2012 Standards for Training Package Development.

Download Project Proposal (see pages 48-55)

Project Plan

“Innovation and technological advances are changing approaches to how work tasks are being performed. This in turn is driving the industry to introduce new technology… requiring employees to be adept in utilising the tools and computer programs to drive hardware. The industry therefore needs to prepare for the future and a focus now needs to be on the development of a workforce who is strong in digital literacy,” Natalie Cheequee, Organisational Manager, Huon Aquaculture.

Employers are keen to promote digital skills not just for the use of current technology, but to prepare their workforce for the future. Skills in servicing equipment, understanding and communicating data and general digital literacy will provide the Australian aquaculture industry with what it needs to flourish.

Project Scope

The purpose of this project is to review relevant units of competency to ensure they are also appropriate for use in real-time distant operations. There is scope to develop new units where these skills cannot be covered by what is available. The project does not plan to  review any qualifications, though it may result in the development of skill sets. There is also opportunity to identify and import units and skills sets from the MAR Maritime Training Package where appropriate.

Subject Matter Experts

Subject Matter Experts will be drawn on throughout this project to help review and draft the revised units and skill sets.

If you are interested in applying to be a subject matter expert and are able to volunteer your time to this project, please email details of your expertise to [email protected]

Opportunities for stakeholder input

Stakeholder input is appreciated throughout the duration of this project. The documents will be drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts and their networks. Opportunities to provide targeted feedback on first drafts will occur in November 2019, and for the validation of final drafts in January 2020. The skill sets and units need to reflect real work experience in order to ensure training provides a skilled and flexible workforce for the future. As such, your feedback is welcome at any time, to assist in the development of appropriate draft documents.

If you work in the sector, Skills Impact would appreciate your input. Register your interest to receive project updates and information about consultation opportunities by following the newsletter subscription link below. Alternatively, please feel free to contact the project manager, Susie Falk on 03 9321 3526 or [email protected]

Stakeholder Consultation Process

A list of key stakeholder organisations has been identified for this project based on their industry role, size or specialty. Skills Impact will ensure contact is made with each of these organisations to seek their involvement and views on all draft skill sets and units. Consultation is not limited to the organisations on this list, they have simply been identified as the most, likely to have a key interest in the development and outcomes of this project

If you are aware of an organisation that you think should be involved, please contact the project team to ensure they are contacted by us.

Development

Drafts Available

Feedback was sought on whether the draft skill sets and units reflect the skills standards and practices of industry, and whether job functions are accurately described. With new aquabotic technology at the heart of this project, industry was encouraged to consider both current skills and those required in the near future.

During this time, feedback was collected via the online feedback hub, six face-to-face consultation workshops, a webinar, and email. The drafts, including any comments made on the feedback hub, are still available for viewing below.

Feedback will inform the work on the final drafts which are expected to be available for industry validation in late March 2020. A summary of the feedback and how it was addressed in the final drafts will also be available.

New Units & Skill Sets

Revised Units

These units were reviewed in full in 2018. Only minor changes have been made in order to address references to automation, technology, environment and biosecurity. Track changes have been left visible to highlight the changes.

More information on last year’s review of the units is availble on the project pages for the following three projects:

• Aquaculture, Fishing Operations & Biosecurity Project
• Fisheries Compliance Project
• Seafood Post Harvest Project

Acronym references:

PC: Performance Criteria / KE: Knowledge Evidence / PE: Performance Evidence / AC: Assessment Conditions

Summary of consultation to date

Consultation began in Tasmania where industry and training experts discussed how technology is currently being used in the seafood industry and how they predict technology to be used in the near future. Subject Matter Experts brainstormed current and future job roles, tasks and associated skills gaps, and confirmed that while minor changes to some existing units of competency will strengthen them with respect to the use of technology, there is also a need for technology specific units to be developed. Site visits were undertaken to observe job roles in the workplace and as a result, 10 units of competency and three skill sets, with a direct focus on technology, mechanisation and environment have been drafted.

Thank you to those who have provided feedback to date, a special thank you to those who welcomed Skills Impact into their workplaces in order for us to better understand the needs of the seafood industry.

Validation

Key changes since the initial drafts

Prior to validation the drafts were updated to reflect the differing use of technology across the many sectors of the seafood and aquaculture industry. The following key changes were also made to better reflect job functions and tasks: 

• Replacement of references to ‘fisheries and aquaculture’ in the documents with ‘aquatic’ to enable broader use across different sectors.
• Refinement of the draft skill sets, to address induction activity, aquatic technology use and aquatic environmental audit, and better reflect industry needs.
• Development of a new draft Skill Set, SFISSXXXX5 Aquatic Environmental Audit to capture important knowledge and understanding of environmental auditing skills.
• Development of a specific unit for SFIAQU4X4 Operate ROVs as well as a generic unit for SFIAQU4X1 Operate aquabotic technology, to capture the immediate need for specific training in the use of remotely operated vehicles and anticipated need for training in technological devices that may be available in the near future.
• Revision of the units’ Knowledge Evidence to ensure that it is concise and does not pose barriers to training delivery.
• Where existing units were able to be amended to meet vocational functions, development of some draft new units was not continued. The proposed new unit SFIAQU3X3 Conduct remote stock feeding has been incorporated into the existing unit SFIAQU206 Feed Stock and the contents of SFIAQU5X1 Plan the use of new or emerging technology in fisheries or aquaculture has been incorporated across appropriate existing units.
• The number of proposed new units has been decreased from 12 to nine.

Further details about changes are available below. 

Summary of consultation to date

Thank you to those stakeholders who provided feedback on the drafts that were made available from 20 December 2019 – 9 March 2020, under the ‘Drafts Available’ stage. During this time, feedback was collected via the online feedback hub, national face-to-face consultation workshops, site visits and webinars, and via phone call and email. The units were drafted with guidance from Subject Matter Experts, made up of workplace experts and industry.  

A description of how feedback has been considered and applied in these final draft products can be downloaded below. Please click the ‘Download Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions’ button.