Flour Milling Project

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Case for change

The flour and grain milling industry has been adapting its operations to meet high demand for its products and growing consumer preferences for healthier options. The necessary skills for the workforce are evolving to include more automated machinery, supply chain and traceability systems management, and food safety regulations compliance. This project will review the Certificate IV in Flour Milling, to meet the current skills requirements of technical millers in Australia.

The Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC) approved this project, out of the Annual Update IRC Skills Forecast and Proposed Schedule of Work.

Skills Impact and the Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industry Reference Committee (IRC) will oversee this project, consistent with the 2012 Standards for Training Package Development.

Download Project Proposal (see page 47)

Project Plan

Flour millers possesses highly technical and sought-after skills and are of critical importance to any milling company. As demand for flour, oats, maize and other milled products continues to grow, industry has introduced ever more sophisticated automated systems and processes, meaning the skills required of millers have also changed.

Flour millers are expected to be technologically savvy, with critical thinking skills and a strong grasp of how systems work. As the machinery used in mills becomes more complex and the workforce becomes more concentrated, individual millers need to be across a larger part of the process. Shifting consumer tastes for more local and specialised products, and growing interest in the origins and ingredients contained in food have also had an impact on skills needs, with more kinds of flour and grains in demand and increased focus on traceability. According to the Australian Technical Millers Association, there are approximately 400 millers employed across 39 main grain milling plants in Australia.

The Certificate IV in Flour Milling which supports the skills required for this work has not been updated in some time and industry feedback has indicated that it no longer meets the current skills requirements of millers in Australia. A review of the qualification is needed to help equip the next generation of millers with the technical expertise required. This will give future learners the chance to access skills standards which best reflect the job role.

Project Scope

This project will review the Certificate IV in Flour Milling and six grain-specific units of competency within this qualification, and identify how the skills for this sector can be best defined and supported. The five grain specific units of competency previously listed in the Food and Beverage Processing Project will also be reviewed. Initial discussions with the flour milling industry indicate that the Certificate IV in Flour Milling has not kept pace with innovations in technology.

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Relevant Occupations

Leading hand
Technical miller
Grain mill worker
Flour miller
Flour mill operator
Flour blending operator

Project Team

Susie Falk	Industry Skills Standards Specialist, Skills Impact	[email protected]
Julie Stratford	Industry Engagement Manager, Skills Impact	[email protected]
Jenni Oldfield	Industry Skills Standard Contractor

Timeline

August 2020
Initial scoping

September 2020
Development of draft qualifications, skill sets and units

September/October 2020
Drafts available for broad consultation

November 2020
Validation of final drafts (concurrent with the Food & Beverage Processing project validation)

January/February 2021
Finalisation of Training Package components

February/March 2021
Independent Quality Assurance, and Edit and Equity review of Training Package components

April 2021
IRC consideration for sign-off and submission for endorsement

Opportunities for stakeholder input

Experienced flour millers and others with knowledge in this field who are able to describe the skills needed for this industry are invited to engage with this project.

It is important that training provides a skilled and flexible workforce for the future. The qualifications, skill sets, and units need to reflect real work experience. So, if you work in the sector, Skills Impact welcomes your input and assistance.

The skills standards will be drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts and their networks. Opportunities to provide targeted feedback will occur when the draft skills standards are made available in September/October 2020, and again for validation of final drafts in November 2020. However, your feedback is welcomed at any time, and will help us in drafting the qualifications, skill set and units.

Please register your interest in project updates and consultation opportunities by following the newsletter subscription link. Alternatively, contact the project manager, Susie Falk on 03 9321 3526 or [email protected].

N.B. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Webinars will be held to replace the face-to-face consultation workshops Skills Impact would usually host around Australia.

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

The flour milling industry has been undergoing transformation over the last decade. There is a growing demand for a range of different varieties of flour, as Australian consumers buy more artisan and premium grain products. At the same time, technological developments have led to a concentrated workforce, with millers working across a larger part of the process. More complex machinery has led to the need for new digital and technological skills.

Subject matter experts met at the beginning of September 2020 to commence the process of reviewing the Certificate IV in Flour Milling. This qualification has not been updated in some time and the workshop participants clearly indicated that the qualification does not match current industry skills requirements. This is supported by evidence showing there has been little usage of the qualification for some years. The workshop participants indicated that there is a skills gap that could be filled by adding milling units, and potentially a specialisation, to the Certificate III in Food Processing. Feedback from these subject matter experts and from others consulted in the development of the project has indicated that the level of upskilling required beyond Certificate III level would not justify the continuation of a Certificate IV qualification. Instead, there are industry-supported options available outside of the VET system that appropriately meet any upskilling requirements.

The recommendation from this group of experts is to develop a milling specialisation in the Certificate III in Food Processing, which is currently under development as part of the Food & Beverage Processing Project. This will not only address the current skills gap; it should also assist in delivery and could be used as a pathway to support the current industry training available for upskilling. In doing this, several units of competency for grain processing will be reviewed and updated. This will be the foundation for the next stage of development work prior to drafts going out for public consultation.

Development outcomes and next steps

Broad stakeholder consultation is scheduled to commence early October, 2020, 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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Drafts Available

The highly technical and sought-after skills of flour milling operatives are adapting to meet continued high demand and shifting consumer tastes for more local and specialised products. As industry adopts more sophisticated automated systems to increase efficiency, the flour milling workforce is becoming more concentrated, meaning individual milling operatives need to be familiar with more parts of the process. Growing interest in the origins and ingredients contained in food have also had an impact on skills needs, with more kinds of flour and grains in demand and increased focus on traceability.

In light of these developments, the skills standards for flour milling are being reviewed and updated to reflect the technical expertise required of this work, and to support flexible career pathways.

Thank you to those who provided feedback on the drafts qualification, skill sets, and units of competency that were made available for review and feedback from 2 October – 4 November 2020.

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 will be available for industry validation soon. A summary of the feedback and how it was addressed in the final drafts will also be available.

Feedback was sought on whether the drafts reflect the current skills standards and practices of industry, and whether job functions are accurately described. Consultation with subject matter experts had indicated that the Certificate IV in Flour Milling does not meet the current skills requirements of flour millers in Australia. These industry experts identified a need for a Certificate level three qualification instead. The recommendation from this group was to develop a milling specialisation in the Certificate III in Food Processing, which is currently under development as part of the Food & Beverage Processing Project. This will not only address the current skills gap; it could also be used as a pathway towards existing industry training options for upskilling outside of the VET system.

The Certificate IV in Flour Milling was proposed for removal to be replaced by the Certificate III in Food Processing, with a flour milling specialisation. Industry indicated that these changes would better reflect the work performed by miller’s assistants or miller operatives, as the skills are similar to many used across the food processing industry at a Certificate III level. Seven units of competency were also proposed for removal, with six of these seven units covering job tasks at a supervisor/management level not needed at a Certificate III level where the skills gap for this industry exists. Alternative industry-supported training options exist for supervisor/management level. One of the units proposed for removal, FBPGRA2002 Recognise mill operations and technologies, is no longer needed at it describes basic knowledge of the milling environment which is embedded in other units.

Qualification - for review

The Subject Matter Expert Working Group for Flour Milling identified skills gaps at AQF level 3 and proposed the creation of a Milling/Miller operative specialisation within this the Certificate III in Food Processing as this qualification is also currently under review.

Qualification code and name	Proposed changes or rationale	Link
FBP3XX20 Certificate III in Food Processing	Addition of a Miller/Miller operative specialisation; containing seven GRA (grains) units of competency.	View draft qualification

The draft document can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by clicking here.

Qualification - proposed for removal

Qualification code and name	Proposed changes or rationale	Link
FBP40117 Certificate IV in Flour Milling	Industry has indicated that this qualification does not address the skills needs of industry and that these would be better captured in the Certificate III of Food Processing, with a flour milling specialisation.	View qualification on training.gov.au

You can email your feedback to [email protected].

Skill sets

These skill sets have been developed as part of the Food Processing project.

Skill Set code and name	Proposed changes or rationale	Link
FBPSSXXXX05 Supervised Food Processing Operator Skill Set	New skill set. Recommended through feedback on FBP Food Processing project to meet the needs of skilled workers transitioning into food processing (including in COVID-19 times).	View draft skill set
FBPSSXXXX06 Food Processing Operator Skill Set	New skill set. Recommended through feedback on FBP Food Processing project to meet the needs of skilled workers transitioning into food processing (including in COVID-19 times).	View draft skill set

The draft document can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by clicking here.

Units - for review

Elements and Performance Criteria have been clarified, Performance Evidence refined to ensure the outcomes are clear, Knowledge Evidence updated to ensure its currency for the job role, and Assessment Conditions clarified. Download the Flour Milling mapping document for specific changes.

Unit code and name	Link
FBPGRA3X10 Monitor a scratch and sizing process	View draft unit
FBPGRA3X11 Monitor a break roll process	View draft unit
FBPGRA3XX2 Operate and monitor a grain conditioning process	View draft unit
FBPGRA3XX3 Operate and monitor a grain cleaning process	View draft unit
FBPGRA3XX4 Receive and handle grain in a storage area	View draft unit
FBPGRA3XX6 Operate and monitor a sifting and grading process	View draft unit
FBPGRA3XX9 Monitor a purification process	View draft unit

The draft document can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by clicking here.

Units - proposed for removal

Unit code and name	Rationale	Link
FBPGRA2002 Recognise mill operations and technologies	This unit is not required by industry as it describes skills for recognising parts of the milling environment that are embedded across other units.	View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA3003 Lead flour milling shift operations	These units describe skills at a management or supervisor level, which are being met by alternative industry-supported training options.	View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA3004 Control mill processes and performance		View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA4001 Control power and automation for milling processes		View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA4002 Supervise testing procedures for wheat and flour		View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA4003 Manage mill logistics and support services		View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA4004 Establish and supervise dust control procedures in a grain processing enterprise		View unit on training.gov.au

  You can email your feedback to [email protected].

Summary of consultation to date

The qualification, skill sets and units were drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). A full day online workshop was held in early September, and several follow up emails and phone calls have been made for clarification. A Workforce Functional Analysis was carried out during this initial SME workshop and provided the direction for these draft documents. Individuals who work directly in the milling industry participated and provided information on the skills and knowledge required for job roles and tasks. We thank them for their contributions.

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Validation

The flour milling industry is adopting ever more sophisticated automated systems and processes, in response to continued high demand for flour, oats, maize and other milled products. This means the highly technical and sought-after skills of milling operatives have also had to adapt, with the workforce becoming more concentrated and individual milling operatives needing to be familiar with a larger part of the process. Shifting consumer tastes for more local and specialised products, and growing interest in the origins and ingredients contained in food have also had an impact on skills needs, with more kinds of flour and grains in demand and increased focus on traceability.

The skills standards for flour milling are being reviewed and updated to reflect the technical expertise required of this work, and to support flexible career pathways.

Thank you to everyone who provided validation of the final draft qualifications, skill sets and units that were made available from 12 November – 4 December 2020.

The final drafts will shortly progress through to the Finalisation stage of the project which includes quality assurance of the documents and review and feedback from the State/Territory Training Authorities. They will then be forwarded to the Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industry Reference Committee (IRC) for consideration and sign off, before being submitted to the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) to consider and approve for publication on training.gov.au.

One unit was also available for broader feedback and discussion. This unit was developed as a result of feedback received on the previous drafts and describes the skills required to monitor a reduction system. This unit will also be available for validation in early 2021.

Skills standards were also available for validation as part of the related Food and Beverage Processing Project. Due to the large number of components to be validated across both of these projects, this validation phase lasted four weeks instead of the usual two.

Feedback was sought on whether:

core units in the qualifications reflect requirements of the job roles being targeted
the specialisations in the Certificate III in Food Processing address the required skills for that specific sector
the content of units meets the needs of industry
the requirements for assessment in units is reasonable
terminology is used correctly throughout all components.

Summary of changes

Milling specialisation added to the Certificate III in Food Processing following feedback from industry associations, industry experts, employers and registered training organisations (RTOs). This specialisation covers skills gaps that were identified at Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) level 3, for the mill operative or miller’s assistant role and offers greater flexibility for learners and RTOs than a stand alone qualification.
Seven units of competency have been reviewed to fully address the skills gaps for mill operatives. Two initially proposed for deletion have been reinstated on request, and one unit has been created to specifically address ‘reduction’ as an essential system in milling that was previously not catered for. Changes include:
- AQF alignment of units reviewed – most units have had code changes to reflect their correct nominal AQF level
- Several units have new more appropriate titles
- The terminology used throughout has been reviewed and more targeted language has been used
- These units are written for Mill Operatives/Millers Assistants; all work is to be under the direction of the Head Miller
- Foundation Skills clarified (and Core Skills for Work statements removed)
- Performance Evidence clarified
- Knowledge Evidence has been refined, with greater milling specific terminology and specific reference to; good manufacturing practices, food safety risks, traceability, biosecurity requirements and environmental requirements for waste disposal.
Feedback received to date supports the removal of the Certificate IV in Flour Milling from the National Register.

Summary of Consultation to Date

Thank you to those stakeholders who provided feedback on the drafts that were made available from 2 October – 4 November 2020, under the ‘Drafts Available’ stage. During this time, feedback was collected via the online feedback hub, two consultation webinars, by phone and email.

The qualification, skill sets and units were drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). A full day online workshop was held in early September 2020, and several follow up emails and phone calls have been made for clarification. A Workforce Functional Analysis was carried out during this initial SME workshop and provided the direction for these draft documents. Individuals who work directly in the milling industry participated and provided information on the skills and knowledge required for job roles and tasks.

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.

Download Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions

Quailfications, Skill Sets and Units for Validation

Qualifications

Further details of changes are available in the Flour Milling tracking document

Qualification code and name	Proposed changes of rationale	Link
FBP3X120 Certificate III in Food Processing	A milling specialisation has been added to address skills needed for Mill Operatives; including eight GRA (grains) units of competency.	View final draft qualification

Qualification - proposed for removal

Further details of changes are available in the Flour Milling tracking document

Qualification code and name	Proposed changes or rationale	Link
FBP40117 Certificate IV in Flour Milling	Industry has indicated that this qualification does not address the skills needs of industry and that these would be better captured in the Certificate III of Food Processing, with a flour milling specialisation.	View qualification on training.gov.au

Skill Sets

Further details of changes are available in the Flour Milling tracking document

Click here to download a zipped folder of all units in this group.

Skill set code and name	Link
FBPSSXXXX05 Supervised Food Processing Operator Skill Set	View final draft skill set
FBPSSXXXX06 Food Processing Operator Skill Set	View final draft skill set

Units - for review

These units have been revised to reflect current industry skills needs. Further details of these changes are available in the Flour Milling tracking document

Click here to download a zipped folder of all units in this group.

Unit code and name	Link
FBPGRA3XX9 Monitor a purification system	View final draft unit
FBPGRA3X10 Monitor scratch and sizing	View final draft unit
FBPGRA3X11 Monitor a break roll	View final draft unit
FBPGRA3XX2 Operate and monitor grain conditioning	View final draft unit
FBPGRA3XX3 Operate and monitor grain cleaning	View final draft unit
FBPGRA3XX4 Receive and handle grain in a storage area	View final draft unit
FBPGRA3XX6 Operate and monitor sifting and grading	View final draft unit
FBPGRA4XX1 Lead flour milling shift operations	View final draft unit
FBPGRA4XX2 Control mill processes and performance	View final draft unit

Units - proposed for removal

Unit code and name	Rationale	Link
FBPGRA2002 Recognise mill operations and technologies	This unit is not required by industry as it describes skills for recognising parts of the milling environment that are embedded across other units.	View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA4001 Control power and automation for milling processes	These units describe skills at a management or supervisor level, which are being met by alternative industry-supported training options.	View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA4002 Supervise testing procedures for wheat and flour		View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA4003 Manage mill logistics and support services		View unit on training.gov.au
FBPGRA4004 Establish and supervise dust control procedures in a grain processing enterprise		View unit on training.gov.au

New Unit for Feedback

Unit - new

Feedback on this new unit was collected via the feedback hub, as it had not yet undergone broader public consultation.

Unit code and name	Proposed changes or rationale	Link
FBPGRA3X12 Monitor a reduction system	Newly created unit to capture this essential skill required in flour milling, which is not covered by any current unit.	View draft unit and provide feedback

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Finalisation

Continued demand for flour, oats, maize and other milled products has inspired the flour milling industry to adopt increasingly sophisticated automated systems and processes. With these developments, the workforce has become more concentrated and milling operatives have had to adapt their highly technical skills to be familiar with a larger part of the process. More kinds of flour and grains are also in demand and there is an increased focus on traceability to keep up with shifting consumer tastes and concerns.

As part of this project the skills standards for flour milling were reviewed and updated to reflect the technical expertise required of this work, and to support flexible career pathways. Industry experts indicated early in the project that there were industry-supported options available outside of the VET system that appropriately met upskilling requirements. These options are at the same level as the Certificate IV in Flour Milling, which had not been updated in some time. However, a skills gap was identified at the Certificate III level, for a mill operative or miller’s assistant role, which shares many foundation skills used across the food and beverage processing industry at that level. As a result, a specialisation in the Certificate III in Food Processing has been developed and was published on the national training register (training.gov.au) on 9 September 2021. The Certificate IV in Flour Milling has been deleted.

The updated Certificate III in Food Processing, which was reviewed as part of the Food and Beverage Processing Project, includes pathway skills and knowledge around working in food and feed processing. This will allow learners the opportunity to build general skills and knowledge around work health and safety, food safety, communication skills, digital skills, traceability, and general operator milling skills. The proposed new milling specialisation includes core units that cover food safety and quality, traceability, good manufacturing practice (GMP), work health and safety, and process operator skills and knowledge. It includes eight units, of which five must be successfully completed to be awarded the specialist qualification.

For me it is difficult to imagine a day where I do not eat a flour-based product. From bread to meat pies, crackers to cakes, biscuits to pasta, donuts to gyoza, noodles to pancakes, pizzas to beer battered chips and everything in between. Having skilled milling operatives and assistants is now more important than ever.

– James Bunn, National Head Miller at Allied Pinnacle Pty Ltd

Key Outcomes

Milling specialisation developed within the Certificate III in Food Processing
Two skill sets developed to cover skills for food processing operators, including mill operatives and millers assistants
Current units updated so they match the work currently carried out in grain processing, including:
- Inclusion of current technical terms
- Clarification of unit Applications
- Elements and Performance Criteria refined to suit current work
- Foundation Skills clarified and refined to ensure their relevance to the job task
- Performance Evidence refined to be clear and succinct, and meet the requirements of current work
- Knowledge Evidence refined to ensure it is clear and relevant to current work
- Assessment Conditions refined to specify clear conditions that must be in place for assessment to proceed
- Application statements in units at an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level 3 revised to include that work is carried out under the direction the miller or head miller, to remove any need to state this repetitively through the Performance Criteria
Unit FBPGRA3030 Operate and monitor a reduction system developed
Certificate IV in Flour Milling deleted
Five units removed as they either describe skills required at a management or supervisor level, which are being met by alternative industry-supported training options, or describe skills that have been embedded across other units

Summary of Consultation to Date

The qualification, skill sets and units were drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). A full day online workshop was held in early September 2020, and several follow up emails and phone calls have been made for clarification. A Workforce Functional Analysis was carried out during this initial SME workshop and provided the direction for these draft documents. The SME Working Group was comprised of representatives from the Australian Technical Millers Association, the Stock Feed Manufacturers’ Council of Australia, and industry employers and members of the IRC.

The draft documents were made available for feedback on this website from 2 October – 4 November 2020. Feedback was collected via webinars, phone and email.

During the validation phase of this project from 12 November – 4 December 2020 stakeholders were invited to complete an online survey to show their support for each of the training components. For those who preferred, there was also an option to communicate concerns and validation via email or telephone. A final SME Working Group online validation workshop was held to discuss and finalise queries received during the validation period.

A summary of the feedback received during the ‘Drafts Available’ stage and the ‘Validation’ stage is available below.

Drafts Available Summary 1

Validation Summary 2

The final draft units of competency and qualification were approved for endorsement by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) (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 qualifications and units, including a rationale of why these changes are needed and evidence of industry support.

Please find below links to the final documents that are published on the national training register.

Case for Endorsement

The Case for Endorsement also includes units, skill sets and qualifications that have been developed as part of the Food & Beverage Processing Project and High Volume Production Baking Project.

Click here to download Part 1 of the Case for Endorsement for Food Processing

Click here to download Part 2 of the Case for Endorsement for Flour Milling

Click here to download Part 3 of the Case for Endorsement for High Volume Production Baking

Companion Volume Implementation Guide

A Companion Volume Implementation Guide (CVIG) has also being produced to assist industry and registered training providers (RTOs) deliver the units and qualifications. This CVIG is in two parts. 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.

Download Part 1: Overview and Implementation

Download Part 2: Component Details