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Wild game harvesters primarily work as individuals, with their game collected by mobile chillers or ‘depots’. These depots then transport the game to licensed processors, thus providing an essential service for keeping game meat fresh, high quality and safe.While industry has high quality control standards that monitor and audit these field depots, the current training for game processing does not cover the skills required for this work. Industry has expressed a need for training in this key part of the supply chain, in order to support the production of wholesome and safe meat products.
The Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) approved this project via a Case for Change submitted by Skills Impact in 2019 on behalf of the
Meat IRC.Skills Impact and the Meat Industry Reference Committee (IRC) will manage this project, consistent with the
2012 Standards for Training Package Development.
Download Project Proposal (see pages 40-42)
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Over the past ten years there has been a significant shift towards formalising the training and accreditation requirements for the wild game harvesting sector in Australia. Given game harvesting is a pursuit performed by individual harvesters or property owners, quality control is a significant challenge. Compliance is required from harvest through to processing, including practices to ensure humane harvesting and food safety standards. To support the sustainability of the sector, there are regulations for where and when certain game can be harvested, as well as harvesting quotas. To support high quality, safe and ethically harvested game, skill sets have already been developed to address skills in wild game harvesting, components of which are now requirements in most state licensing systems.
While the current skill sets assist in setting a standard for individual harvesters, further support is needed for ensuring suitable standards in the transport and audit of game meats. This particularly applies to mobile chillers, called ‘depots’, that receive and chill game and transport the product to licensed processors. At present, there is a need for nationally recognised training that specifically deals with the internal auditing and the inspection of game field depots. These skills are essential in ensuring biosecurity measures are adhered to and meat is wholesome and safe for human consumption. This is also essential for demonstrating the high quality and safety of Australian products to international markets.Consultation with the meat processing industry will continue throughout the life of this project to ensure the quality and safety of Australian game products are supported by appropriate skills standards.
Project Scope
The proposed project will review current skill sets and units of competency to address skills in game harvesting auditing and wild game field depots. If necessary, a new Skill Set for Game Harvesting Auditing will be developed to ensure appropriate food safety and biosecurity standards are met within this highly specialised industry.
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Relevant Occupations
Units
Project Team
Timeline
August – September 2019
Initial scoping
September – October 2019
Development of draft skill sets and units
October – November 2019
Drafts available for broad consultation
December 2019 – February 2020
Validation of final drafts
February – May 2020
Finalisation of Training Package components
May – June 2020
Submission for endorsement
Subject Matter Experts
Subject Matter Experts will be drawn on throughout this project to help review and draft the revised units and qualifications.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
October and November 2019, and for the validation of final drafts between
December 2019 and February 2020. The qualifications 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,
Sharon Fitzgerald on
0408 612 883 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
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While wild game harvesting in Australia has moved towards more formalised training and accreditation requirements, there is still a need for nationally recognised skills standards for the internal auditing and the inspection of game field depots. These skills are essential in ensuring biosecurity measures are adhered to and meat is wholesome and safe for human consumption. This is also essential for demonstrating the high quality and safety of Australian products to international markets.The proposed project will review current skill sets and units of competency to address skills in game harvesting auditing and wild game field depots. If necessary, a new skill set for game harvesting auditing will be developed to ensure appropriate food safety and biosecurity standards are met within this highly specialised industry.
The project has been discussed at a number of meat industry network meetings and promoted through email broadcasts and MINTRAC’s newsletter. As a result a number of industry stakeholders have contacted the project team to register their interest in the project as either a member of the Technical Advisory Committee or as part of the broader general consultation process. Key industry stakeholders were also identified and invited directly to take part in the project.
Development outcomes and next steps
Development outcomes so far have included:
- Initial drafting of a unit, Inspect wild game field depot
- Initial drafting of a skill set, Game Harvest Internal Auditor Skill Set
Broad stakeholder consultation is scheduled to commence in mid-October, when draft units will be made available for comment on this webpage. Your input is welcome, please feel free to register your interest to keep informed of project updates and when draft materials are available for feedback.
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The transport of wild game by game field depots is an important step in the supply chain, providing a link between individual game harvesters and meat processors. While industry has been moving towards more formalised training and accreditation requirements, this is an area in which national skills standards are yet to be benchmarked to the job role. The internal auditing and inspection of game field depots is an essential role requiring a range of skills for the continued production of game meat that is wholesome and safe for human consumption. The recognition of these skills in nationally endorsed units of competency will help support industry to continue to provide high quality Australian game meat to local and international markets.Thank you to those who provided feedback on the draft unit of competency and skill set that were available on this wepage for feedback from 14 October – 8 November 2019.
During this time, feedback was collected via the online feedback hub, by phone 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 between December 2019 and February 2020. A summary of the feedback and how it was addressed in the final drafts will also be available.
The draft document can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by
clicking here.
The draft document can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by
clicking here.
Summary of consultation to date
The draft skill set and unit have been drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts who have formed a Technical Advisory Committee and provided information about the key requirements of the job roles covered by the skill set and unit. People working directly in the wild game industry participated and provided information on the skills and knowledge required for job roles and tasks. Thank you to those who provided feedback during these activities.
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Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Meat Processing’ as your industry of interest on the subscription form. |
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As the game harvesting industry moves towards more formalised training and accreditation requirements, there is a need to define skills standards in auditing within the sector. This includes the audit of game field depots which transport game from individual harvesters to the meat processors. This is a vital step in the supply chain, requiring a range of skills for the continued production of game meat that is wholesome and safe for human consumption.Thank you to those who provided feedback on the final draft skill set and unit of competency for wild game harvesting internal auditing that were made available on this webpage for feedback from 4 December 2019 – 2 February 2020.Validation means checking and confirming that the documents are logical, factual and accurate. Final drafts of the skill set and unit can be viewed in the lists below.
Summary of consultation to date
The units were drafted with guidance from Subject Matter Experts, made up of workplace experts and industry. Thank you to those stakeholders who provided feedback on the drafts that were made available from 14 October to 18 November, under the ‘Drafts Available’ stage. During this time, feedback was collected via the online feedback hub, face-to-face consultation and, and via phone call and email. Feedback that was received on the initial drafts was considered to redraft versions of these final drafts.A description of how feedback has been considered and applied in these final drafts can be downloaded below. Please click the ‘Download Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions’ button.
The wording for ‘suggested words for Statement of Attainment’ was changed to improve clarity.
Several minor wording changes were made to this unit as a result of the feedback, and some additions were made to the Performance Criteria.
Register your interest in the project
Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Meat Processing’ as your industry of interest on the subscription form. |
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Differing from the traditional paddock to plate that most meat products undergo, game meat is harvested by individual harvesters or property owners who pass game on to meat processors. A significant step in this value chain is the transport of game meat from the harvester to the processor by mobile chillers or 'depots'.Thanks to the input of industry throughout this project, national skills standards are now available for work in game harvesting auditing.A skill set and unit of competency have been developed in consultation with industry experts, to account for the role of depots in transporting game meat. The skills for auditing and inspecting depots have been described to support compliance with biosecurity and food safety regulations during this vital step of the journey. These skills are critical to ensuring meat is wholesome and safe for human consumption, supporting the reputation of Australian game meat to local and international markets.The skill set and unit were published on the training.gov.au website on 18 December 2020, within the
AMP Australian Meat Processing Training Package. They are available for use by registered training organisations (RTOs).
Key Outcomes
The unit,
AMPG307 Inspect wild game field depot, has been developed to describe the skills needed for performing inspections of hygiene, equipment, carcasses, the harvester, records and documentation, and for preparing an inspection report. The skill set,
AMPSS00066 Wild Game Harvest Internal Auditor Skill Set, includes this new unit as well as two existing units to provide individuals with the skills and knowledge required to conduct internal audits in the game sector. This will support the Australian game processing sector to continue to produce high quality, safe products for expanding local and international markets.
Summary of consultation
The unit and skill set were developed with guidance from a group of nine Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), made up of workplace experts and industry. The broader industry were then consulted on the draft documents at two different stages – the ‘Drafts Available’ and ‘Validation’ stages.
Throughout the project there was engagement with a broad cross sector of stakeholders from the sector, including a kangaroo harvester, game meat processing companies, the NSW state regulator, and training providers. Notifications regarding the project and opportunities for feedback were sent out to MINTRAC and Skills Impact networks on a regular basis.Feedback was collected via the online feedback hub, face-to-face consultation and, and via phone call and email. The project was also discussed at AMPC Network Meetings held between July 2019 and February 2020. A summary of feedback and how it was been considered and applied at the ‘Drafts Available’ and 'Validation' stages can be downloaded below.
The unit of competency and skill set were endorsed by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (
read the communique) and State and Territory Ministers after undergoing an edit and equity and independent quality assurance process and consideration by the State/Territory Training Authorities (STAs/TTAs). A Case for Endorsement was submitted alongside the draft unit and skill set, including a rationale of why these changes are needed and evidence of industry support.
Click here to download the Case for EndorsementPlease find below links to the final documents, that are published on the
training.gov.au website.
Companion Volume Implementation GuideA Companion Volume Implementation Guide has also been produced to assist industry and registered training providers (RTOs) deliver the unit and skill set. It contains key information to help trainers adapt to any new changes, as well as additional information about the impacts of regulation and licensing implications and workplace health and safety on their training.
Click here to download the Companion Volume Implementation Guide Part 1
Click here to download the Companion Volume Implementation Guide Part 2
Skill Set
Unit
