C

This project will review relevant Veterinary Nursing skills standards and qualifications within the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package to ensure they reflect the current skill needs of industry.Training Package Projects are established only when a Case For Change has been approved by the Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC), in line with the National Schedule. Following this approval, Skills Impact and the IRC take the Training Package Project through a process that adheres to the 2012 Standards for Training Package Development. Download the case for change

P

Project Scope

Meetings with VNCA, NIAG and AVA identified changes to Veterinary Nursing qualifications is required and should incorporate a functional analysis of the industry and possible structural changes to the qualifications as follows:

• Identify areas in the assessment requirements that are vague and do not meet the specific needs identified by the VNCA, NIAG, AVA.
• Ensure that educationally sound assessment requirements are put into place so as to identify evidence of required skills.
• Explore prerequisite requirements, such as Certificate II in Animal Studies or equivalent to become a prerequisite for Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.
• Review the duplication of units of competency in Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing that are already in the Certificate II of Animal Studies.
• Develop new units that addresses animal anatomy and physiology that will be included as a core unit in the Certificate IV of Veterinary Nursing.

The proposed components that require review to ensure the training package can be used to benchmark participant occupational performance comprise of the following:

• 6 qualifications
• 52 units of competency
• 1 - 12 new units of competency

Timeline

Methodology

1. Expertise input and consultation
2. Training Package component drafting
3. Industry validation
4. Independent quality assurance and access and equity review
5. Industry Reference Committee (IRC) Sign-off
6. Submission for endorsement to the AISC

Project Team

Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Membership

D

Thank you to those who provided feedback on the draft units of competency, qualifications and skill sets.The feedback will inform the work on the final draft of units and qualifications which will be available for industry validation early June.The draft units and qualifications that are under review are listed below.

V

Thank you to those who participated in the validation process for the final draft units of competency and qualifications. The consultation period for this Validation stage of the project is now closed.The final drafts have been forwarded to the relevant Industry Reference Committees (IRCs) for sign off. After final quality assurance of the drafts, they will be submitted to the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) to consider and approve for publication on training.gov.au.Validation means checking or proving that something is logically and factually accurate. Industry views were sought on whether the final draft documents accurately reflected the current occupational skill standards and needs of industry. The final draft units and qualifications that were available for industry validation are listed below. 

Qualifications

Units of Competency

F

The final draft units of competency and qualifications along with two Companion Volumes, which include the ACM Implementation Guide and a Veterinary Nursing User Guide, have been submitted to the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) as part of a Case for Endorsement.The Animal Care and Management IRC members considered the wording around the entry requirements for Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing and Diploma of Veterinary Nursing during the early part of September 2018 to ensure that they correctly articulate what is deemed as “demonstrated experience”, as an entry requirement into these qualifications. This information has been defined within the Companion Volume. As part of this work, the proposed wording of the Diploma of Veterinary Nursing entry requirement has been updated to ensure it is inclusive of all veterinary nursing qualifications, robust as a pathway and learners have sufficient knowledge and skills for successful completion of the Diploma. The AISC will consider the Case for Endorsement at their meeting on 9 October 2018.The Case for Endorsement provides the AISC with a case for approving the final draft units, and qualifications. It provides information about what changes have been made to the training package including, where relevant, information on new or updated units, skill sets and qualifications. It also outlines who has been consulted and provided feedback throughout the project, why the changes were made, and what the implications of the changes are. Once endorsed, the units and qualifications will be published on training.gov.au and available for use by registered training organisations (RTOs).

• The companion volume ACM Implementation Guide contains key information to help registered training organisations (RTOs) implement the units and qualifications including the key work and training requirements in the industry; regulation and licensing implications for implementation; pathways advice; industry sectors and occupational outcomes of qualification; and advice on workplace health and safety implications.
• The companion volume User Guide: Veterinary Nursing provides detailed information on assessment of veterinary nursing units; resources and equipment required for assessment of the Certificate IV and Diploma of Veterinary Nursing; unit descriptors; work placement and work placement details in assessment requirements; opportunities and challenges for RTOs, students and employers; organising work placements; insurance and responsibilities and assessments in the workplace.

Qualifications

Units of Competency

Case for Endorsement

Companion Volumes

Remaining Units, Skills Sets and Qualifications in ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package

• Units of competency: foundation skills mapping has been completed and performance evidence, knowledge evidence and assessment conditions have been reviewed.
• Qualifications: all units of competency, including imported units, have been checked and elective banks have been updated where required.
• A check of the Certificate IV in Animal Control and Regulation identified that an imported core unit of competency, PSPREG404C Investigate non-compliance, had been deleted from the Public Services Training Package. The deleted unit has been replaced under the guidance of industry experts by three units of competency (PSPINV001 Plan and initiate an investigation, PSPINV002 Conduct an investigation and PSPINV003 Finalise an investigation)
• Industry experts reviewed ACMACR405A Euthanase sick, injured or unwanted pound animals and the updated content and amended the title to ACMACR405 Assist with the euthanasia of sick, injured or unwanted pound animals to reflect the work of an individual who can assist with euthanasia of an animal under the direct supervision of a qualified veterinarian.

Qualifications

Skill Sets

Units of Competency

Case for Endorsement