Case for change

Project Plan

If you have experience in reproduction of agricultural animals, you are invited to provide input on this project to review and update current livestock units relating to breeding. Qualifications and units relating to practices such as impregnation techniques, pregnancy testing and birthing, will be revised, so they include skills for current processes and technologies, supporting future learners in this area. As well as collecting input from industry experts, the Agricultural Workforce Digital Capability Framework will be considered to identify the digital skills requirements for job roles in this sector.

Project Scope

This project will review six qualifications relating to reproduction of agricultural animals, including the Certificate III in Agriculture (Dairy Production), Certificate III in Pork Production, Certificate III in Poultry Production, Certificate IV in Organic Farming, Diploma of Pork Production, and Diploma of Organic Farming. It also includes the review of 23 units of competency. There is scope to develop up to two units and up to four skill sets if needed.

Project Team

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 will occur when the draft materials are made available from December 2020 – February 2021, and again for validation of final drafts in April – May 2021. However, your feedback is welcomed at any time, and will help us in drafting the qualifications, skill sets and units. 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 help. Please feel free to register your interest for project updates and consultation opportunities by following the newsletter subscription link above. Alternatively, please feel free to contact the project manager, Rebecca Ford on 03 9321 3526 or [email protected].

Stakeholder Consultation Process

A list of key stakeholder organisations has been identified for this project. Skills Impact will ensure contact is made with each of these organisations during the development of this project to seek their involvement and their views on the draft qualifications, skill sets and units.

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.

Of course, all and any interested industry participants are encouraged to engage in the consultation of this project, when the draft qualifications, skill sets and units are available for feedback via this webpage and workshops that take place around Australia. Consultation is not limited to the organisations on this list. This list simply helps us to identify those organisations that, because of their industry role, size or specialty, are likely to have a key interest in the development and outcomes of this project.

Development

A workforce functional analysis process took place in October 2020 to identify job tasks and processes. Existing units of competency were then reviewed in consultation with subject matter experts, to identify the current job roles across the different industry sectors and livestock types. The units are being revised to reflect current technology, equipment and practices involved in animal reproduction for livestock, including beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, deer and alpaca.

Development outcomes and next steps

Broad stakeholder consultation is scheduled to commence in early December, when draft qualifications, a skill set, and 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.

Webinars

You have the option to register for one of four webinars. This is a chance to discuss the drafts qualifications, skill set and units, and the feedback process with the project team and other members of your industry. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

8 December, 10am-12pm AEDT – register here

8 December, 1-3pm AEDT – register here

9 December, 10am-12pm AEDT – register here

9 December, 1-3pm AEDT – register here

Drafts Available

Thank you to those who provided feedback on the draft qualifications, skill set and units of competency that were made available on this webpage from 2 December 2020 – 28 February 2021. You can still view the documents and any comments made below.

Feedback was sought on whether the draft qualifications, skill set and units reflect the current skills standards and practices of industry, and whether job functions are accurately described. Feedback was especially encouraged from those with specialist knowledge relating for the following units:

• Ultrasound techniques – advice on the skills and knowledge outlined in the draft unit titled AHCLSK4XX Pregnancy test animals.
• Electro-ejaculation technique – feedback on the knowledge evidence that is outlined in the draft unit titled AHCAIS301 Collect semen
• Dropped ovary technique procedures – advice on legislative requirements for skills and knowledge outlined in the unit titled AHCLSK335 Conduct dropped ovary technique procedures for spaying cattle
• Artificial insemination of poultry – advice is required regarding the definition of ‘poultry’ in the unit titled AHCPLY301 Artificially inseminate poultry, as well as the current use of artificial insemination across different poultry livestock, e.g. ducks, turkeys
• Reproduction of alpacas – advice on whether the skills and knowledge outlined in the unit for AHCLSK302 Mate and monitor reproduction of alpacas matches current job roles, as well as feedback on the use of ultrasound technology for pregnancy testing alpacas.

Feedback on the drafts will inform further updates to qualifications, skill set and units, which are expected to available for industry validation in May 2021.

Thank you also to those who provided advice and feedback about qualification and units with low enrolments via the surveys made available from 15 March – 20 April 2021. More information about this process can be found below.

Qualifications & Skill Sets – revised

Units of Competency – revised

Qualification and Units with Low Enrolments

A priority for Skills Ministers in 2021 is to ensure employers’ and learners’ needs can be met through the VET system by reducing the complexity of the training system and improving accessibility of training. One of the key considerations is whether there is a need for formal training of skills through the VET system to achieve competency in the job role.

Enrolment numbers are a key piece of evidence to indicate the need for formal VET training. There may be a number of explanations for low enrolment numbers in a unit of competency or qualification, and the AISC are asking industry to confirm whether low enrolment numbers are an indication of lack of industry need, or whether there may be reasons for keeping the relevant skill in the formal training system in spite of low enrolment numbers.

Initially, a cut-off point for specific review of units has been set at fewer than 42 enrolments in each of the last three years.

Several of the units and one qualification being reviewed as part of this project have been identified as meeting this criteria between 2015 – 2019.

The AISC will consider industry viewpoints for maintaining these, backed up by evidence of future enrolments as reasons for them to be retained.

To help guide the AISC decision, the Industry Reference Committee needs to provide information around the following factors:

• Whether units proposed for retention are core to qualifications being retained?
• Are there linkages with industrial and legislative arrangements?
• Are enrolments expected to increase in the near future? And if so, why?
• Is there employment growth in the skills outlined in the unit/qualifications? And if so, why?
• Is there another specialist requirement to keep the unit/qualification?

Advice and feedback was invited on these questions from 15 March – 20 April 2021.

Thank you to those who responded. Your feedback will be considered by the Subject Matter Expert Working Group and the Industry Reference Committee and will assist these groups with the advice they provide to the AISC.

If these products are updated to a ‘deleted’ status, they will still be accessible on training.gov.au as a reference point for industry to use for non-enrolment purposes. However, registered training organisations will be unable to enrol students in deleted units or qualifications. They will no longer be considered part of the VET delivery system and will not be funded for delivery, whilst they are in “deleted” status.

Click on the accordions below to see the qualification and units that the AISC are considering for deletion and details of the past five years of enrolments for each.

Summary of consultation to date

A workforce functional analysis process took place in October 2020 to identify job tasks and processes. Existing units of competency were then reviewed in consultation with subject matter experts, to identify the current job roles across the different industry sectors and livestock types. People working directly in the agriculture industry provided information on the skills and knowledge required for job roles and tasks involved in beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry reproduction techniques and practices.

Thank you to those who provided feedback during these activities.

Validation

Summary of feedback and key changes

The following changes were made in response to stakeholder feedback that was received as part of the ‘Drafts Available’ stage from 2 December 2020 – 28 February 2021 and about low enrolments from 15 March – 20 April 2021.

The skills standardswere revised to clarify terminology used across the different industry sectors and livestock species, to accurately describe the job functions and the range of tasks that are required.

• The Diploma of Pork Production was proposed for deletion from the training system due to very low enrolments.
• The Pork Industry Stockperson Skill Set was updated to include a biosecurity unit of competency as requested by representatives of the pork production industry sector.
• The Poultry Industry Beak Tipping Skill Set was previously discussed during consultation feedback as having low enrolments. Feedback form the IRC was that the skill set may still be required and further investigation is necessary. This Skill Set will be considered in a future project.
• Of the 24 units of competency that have been revised, four were proposed for deletion due to low/no enrolments; 13 have had minor edits made to clarify terminology; and 7 have had more significant changes made to the performance criteria, performance evidence and assessment conditions.

A description of how all 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.

Qualifications & Skill Set

Units of Competency