Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Mining and Quarrying (First-line Supervision)
(Level 4) with strands in Surface and Underground
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
4
Credits
160 - 205
NZSCED
030303 Engineering and Related Technologies>Process and
Resources Engineering>Mining and Resources Engineering
Qualification developer
MITO New Zealand Incorporated
Next review
December 2020
Approval date
August 2015
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the mining and
quarrying industry with senior multi-skilled miners/processors
/tunnellers/operators with proven technical skills, and good
operational knowledge, who can undertake first-line supervision
responsibilities. The mining and quarrying industry includes
surface and underground sectors. The surface sector can include
mining, quarrying, and/or processing. The underground sector
can include mining or tunnelling.
This qualification is targeted at experienced workers from within
the industry, or people with related experience who are looking to
enter the mining and quarrying industry.
Learners will benefit by having a qualification which recognises
advanced technical skills and knowledge, as well as the
capability to work as a first-line supervisor.
The mining and quarrying industry will benefit by having skilled
first-line supervisors with the skills and knowledge to undertake
and implement short-term operational planning for their team.
Outcome
Statement
The strands recognise specialist skills and knowledge specific to
the surface and underground sectors within the mining and
quarrying industry. Graduates will be responsible for their own
performance and safety at a workplace within their specialist
strand, and have responsibility for the performance and safety of
their team. They will have responsibility for implementing work
and production schedules for a team, requiring short-term
planning and organising skills.
Graduate profile
Qualification Reference 2783
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
Graduates will be able to:

provide leadership and guidance when organising their own
and others’ activities at a mining and quarrying site

interpret and implement mining and quarrying operational
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plans in compliance with legislation and workplace policies
and procedures

co-ordinate and apply risk assessment procedures and
workplace health and safety and environmental procedures
at a mining and quarrying site

conduct workplace inspections and incident investigations to
maintain safety at a mining and quarrying site

communicate orally and in writing within the mining and
quarrying workplace, and complete record-keeping for the
mining and quarrying operation on a daily basis
Graduates of the Surface strand will also be able to:

apply broad operational and theoretical knowledge of surface
mining, quarrying and/or processing to ensure team
members can complete a wide range of tasks as required by
the operational plan at a surface mining, quarrying and/or
processing site
Graduates of the Underground strand will also be able to:

Education pathway
apply broad operational and theoretical knowledge of
underground mining or tunnelling to ensure team members
can complete a wide range of tasks as required by the
operational plan at an underground mining or tunnelling site
This qualification may follow on from the New Zealand Certificate
in Surface Mining and Quarrying (Level 3) [Ref: 2785] or the New
Zealand Certificate in Underground Mining (Level 3) [Ref: 2786].
It may lead to the:
Employment pathway

New Zealand Diploma in Mining and Quarrying (Supervision)
(Level 5) with strands in Surface and Underground
[Ref: 2787]

New Zealand Diploma in Mining and Quarrying Management
(Level 6) [Ref: 2788].
Graduates are able to work as first-line supervisors in the mining
and quarrying context that their programme of study or industry
training programme was completed.
Depending on the programme of study or training programme
undertaken towards this qualification, the graduate may have
completed the required unit standards to enable them to apply for
a Certificate of Competence relevant to their work role. However,
there are additional statutory requirements that must be met
before a Certificate of Competence can be awarded. Details of
Certificates of Competence are gazetted under the provisions of
the Health and Safety in Employment (Mining Operations and
Quarrying Operations) Regulations 2013.
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
Qualification Reference 2783
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
This qualification may be awarded by MITO New Zealand (Inc.)
as the qualification developer and the industry training
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organisation arranging training leading to the qualification under
section 5 of the Industry Training Act 1992.
This qualification may also be awarded by an education
organisation accredited under section 250 of the Education Act
1989 to deliver an approved programme leading to this
qualification.
The formal document certifying the award of this qualification will
display the NZQF logo and may also include the name and/or
logo of the awarding education organisation.
Evidence requirements for
assuring consistency
All Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) either arranging
training or delivering programmes that lead to the award of the
qualification are required to participate in a consistency process
scheduled by NZQA.
This will involve reviewing evidence associated with graduate’s
achievement of outcomes, and agreeing acceptable thresholds
for qualification outcome achievement, and areas for
improvement.
To demonstrate how graduates are achieving the qualification
graduate profile outcomes, TEOs are required to produce their
own evidence in a high level report.
Evidence will include the following:

Employer surveys to determine if graduates of the
qualification meet the graduate profile outcomes

A range of workplace evidence demonstrating that graduates
meet the graduate profile outcomes.
Evidence may include:

Any other relevant evidence as appropriate.
Further information on the consistency process can be found on
the NZQA website.
Minimum standard of
achievement and standards for
grade endorsements
The minimum standard of achievement required for award of the
qualification will be the achievement of all graduate outcomes in
the graduate profile through successful completion of an NZQA
approved programme.
Other requirements for the
qualification (including regulatory
body or legislative requirements)
General conditions for the programme leading to the qualification
General conditions for
programme
Applicants wishing to enter programmes leading to award of this
qualification with the Surface strand should have a minimum of
12 months relevant experience at a surface mining, quarrying
and/or processing operation.
Applicants wishing to enter programmes leading to award of this
Qualification Reference 2783
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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qualification with the Underground strand should have a
minimum of 12 months relevant experience at an underground
mining or tunnelling operation.
Learners who have achieved unit standard 7142 are exempt from
mandatory unit standard 28742 in qualification outcome 2.
Conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification outcomes
Conditions
1
Provide leadership and
guidance when organising
their own and others’ activities
at a mining and quarrying site.
Programmes must include:
Credits 20
Programmes may include:

Unit standard 21335

Unit standard 26855

2
Unit standard 27564
Interpret and implement mining
and quarrying operational
plans in compliance with
legislation and workplace
policies and procedures.
Programmes must include:
Credits 50
As relevant for the candidate’s workplace context, programmes
must include:

Unit standard 28742

Unit standard 16687

Unit standard 25880
Surface mining and quarrying:

Unit standard 8899

Unit standard 15190
As relevant for the candidate’s workplace context, programmes
may include an appropriate selection of standards such as:
3

Unit standard 17694

Unit standard 17695

Unit standard 17743

Unit standard 21152
Co-ordinate and apply risk
assessment procedures and
workplace health and safety
and environmental procedures
at a mining and quarrying site.
Programmes must include:
Credits 20
As relevant for the candidate’s workplace context, programmes
may include an appropriate selection from standards such as:
Qualification Reference 2783
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015

Unit standard 28792

Unit standard 24473

Unit standard 28983

Unit standard 3271

Unit standard 15672

Unit standard 17599

Unit standard 17600
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4
Conduct workplace inspections
and incident investigations to
maintain safety at a mining
and quarrying site.

Unit standard 17279

Unit standard 22445

Unit standard 23229
Programmes must include:

Unit standard 28793

Unit standard 16686
Credits 10
5
Communicate orally and in
writing within the mining and/or
quarrying workplace, and
complete record-keeping for
the mining and quarrying
operation on a daily basis.
As relevant for the candidate’s workplace context, programmes
may include an appropriate selection from standards from the
following domain:
Humanities > Communication Skills > Interpersonal
Communications
Credits 5
For the Surface strand
6
Apply broad operational and
theoretical knowledge of
surface mining, quarrying
and/or processing to ensure
team members can complete a
wide range of tasks as
required by the operational
plan at a surface mining,
quarrying and/or processing
site.
Programmes must include:
Credits 55

Unit standard 15658

Unit standard 15665

Unit standard 2401

Unit standard 8922

Unit standard 21155
As relevant for the candidate’s workplace context, programmes
must include:
Mining or quarrying:
 Unit standard 8905
Quarrying:

Unit standard 8904
Processing:

Unit standard 25878
As relevant for the candidate’s workplace context, programmes
may include an appropriate selection of standards from the
following domains:
Engineering and Technology > Metalliferous Mining >
Metalliferous Mining – Operations
Engineering and Technology > Metalliferous Mining >
Metalliferous Mining – Processing
Engineering and Technology > Extractive Industries > Surface
Extraction
Engineering and Technology > Metalliferous Mining > Surface
Qualification Reference 2783
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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Metalliferous Mining
Engineering and Technology > Extractive Industries > Extractives
Industries Management
For the Underground strand
7
Apply broad operational and
theoretical knowledge of
underground mining or
tunnelling to ensure team
members can complete a wide
range of tasks as required by
the operational plan at an
underground mining or
tunnelling site.
Programmes must include:
Credits 100

Unit standard 2401

Unit standard 8922

Unit standard 16697

Unit standard 17705

Unit standard 17744

Unit standard 21278

Unit standard 21281

Unit standard 21661

Unit standard 22057
As relevant for the candidate’s workplace context, programmes
must include:
Underground coal mining:

Unit standard 21662
As relevant for the candidate’s workplace context, programmes
may include an appropriate selection of standards from the
following domains:
Engineering and Technology > Metalliferous Mining >
Metalliferous Mining – Operations
Engineering and Technology > Metalliferous Mining >
Metalliferous Mining – Processing
Engineering and Technology > Extractive Industries >
Underground Extraction
Engineering and Technology > Metalliferous Mining >
Underground Metalliferous Mining
Engineering and Technology > Extractive Industries > Extractives
Industries Management
Engineering and Technology > Explosive Atmospheres >
Electrical Apparatus in Explosive Atmospheres - Operations
Transition information
Replacement information
Qualification Reference 2783
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
This qualification replaced the:

National Certificate in Extractive Industries (Supervision)
(Level 4) with strands in Surface Extraction, and
Underground Extraction [Ref: 0249]

National Certificate in Extractive Industries (Operations)
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(Level 4) with strands in Drilling Underground, Metalliferous
Processing, Processing Plant, Surface Extraction, and
Underground Extraction [Ref: 1522]

National Certificate in Extractive Industries (Sand) (Level 4)
[Ref: 1527]

National Certificate in Extractive Industries (Mining
Administration Surface Extraction B Grade) (Level 5)
[Ref: 1536]

National Certificate in Extractive Industries (Mining
Administration B Grade Tunnel Manager) (Level 5) with an
optional strand in Coal Mine Deputy [Ref: 1535].
The last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualifications is 31 December 2017.
The last date for completion of those qualifications is 31 December 2020, at which time they will be
designated as discontinued.
Candidates currently working towards any of the replaced qualifications must complete its requirements,
or transfer to a programme of study or training leading to this qualification, by 31 December 2020.
It is anticipated that no existing candidates will be disadvantaged by these transition arrangements.
However, anyone who feels that they have been disadvantaged may appeal to MITO at the address
below. Appeals will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
MITO New Zealand (Inc.)
PO Box 10803
Wellington, 6011
Telephone
Facsimile
Email
Website
0800 88 21 21
04 494 0006
info@mito.org.nz
www.mito.org.nz
Qualification Reference 2783
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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