NZQF NQ Ref
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National Certificate in Snowsport with strands in Snowgrooming, and
Snowmaking
Level
3
Credits
42-45
Purpose
This qualification is for people who have the skills and knowledge required by personnel
who work as a Snowgroomer Driver or Snowmaker at a snowsport area or in a mountain
environment. The Core Compulsory allows for recognition of essential health and safety,
communication, avalanche awareness and teamwork skills during day and night
operations.
People awarded the qualification with the Snowgrooming Strand have demonstrated the
safe operation of a snowgroomer to groom snow in a range of snow and weather
conditions. They have also demonstrated competence in conducting a periodic
maintenance check on a snow groomer, and hold a T driving licence endorsement.
People awarded the qualification with the Snowmaking Strand have demonstrated
knowledge of weather information for snowmaking and can operate snowmaking
equipment to make and optimise snow production.
The Core Elective allows for recognition of the ability to ski or snowboard at a beginner
level, to ensure that people awarded this qualification have knowledge of the slopes and
the product they help to create and maintain. The Strand Elective sections allow for the
further development of skills in snowsport area operations, assessment of learning, skiing
or snowboarding, health and safety, maintenance or avalanche rescue techniques.
For people who wish to continue working and training in the snowsport industry, this
qualification with either strand leads on to the National Certificate in Snowsport
(Supervision) with strands in Lift Operation, Patrol Leader, Snowsport Equipment,
Snowgrooming, Snowmaking, Snowschool, and Ticketing and Guest Services [Ref: 1219].
Special Notes
It is a legal requirement of the Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999 to hold a Class
2 Driver Licence with a T endorsement when driving a snowgroomer on a snowsport area.
Credit Range
Level 2 credits
Level 3 or above credits
Minimum totals
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
Core Compulsory
1
8
9
Core Elective
0-4
0-4
4
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NZQF NQ Ref
Version
0848
Level 2 credits
Level 3 or above credits
Minimum totals
Qualification Totals
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Snowgrooming Strand
Compulsory Elective
23
9
23
9
45
Snowmaking Strand
Compulsory Elective
2
20
7
22
7
42
Requirements for Award of Qualification
Award of NZQF National Qualifications
Credit gained for a standard may be used only once to meet the requirements of this qualification.
Unit standards and achievement standards that are equivalent in outcome are mutually exclusive for the
purpose of award. The table of mutually exclusive standards is provided on the New Zealand Qualifications
Authority (NZQA) website: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/standards/standards-exclusionlist/.
Reviewed standards that continue to recognise the same overall outcome are registered as new versions
and retain their identification number (ID). Any version of a standard with the same ID may be used to meet
qualification requirements that list the ID and/or that specify the past or current classification of the standard.
Summary of Requirements
 Core Compulsory standards
 Core Elective – A minimum of 4 credits as specified
One of the following strands is required
 Snowgrooming Strand
 Snowmaking Strand
Detailed Requirements
Core Compulsory
The following standards are required
Community and Social Services > Outdoor Recreation > Outdoor Equipment
ID
Title
Level
4573
Communicate in the outdoors using two-way radio
Community and Social Services > Snowsport > Avalanche
ID
Title
18134
Demonstrate knowledge of avalanche phenomena
2
1
Level
Credit
3
2
Community and Social Services > Snowsport > Snowsport Area Operations
ID
Title
Level
18100
Demonstrate knowledge of safety, accident and
emergency procedures for a snowsport area
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
Credit
3
Credit
3
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Humanities > Communication Skills > Interpersonal Communications
ID
Title
Level
9681
Contribute within a group/team which has an
objective(s)
3
Credit
3
Core Elective
A minimum of 4 credits
Field
Subfield
Domain
Community and Social
Services
Snowsport
Skiing and Snowboarding
Snowgrooming Strand
Meet the requirements of all of the following sets
 Snowgrooming Strand Compulsory
 Snowgrooming Strand Elective
Snowgrooming Strand Compulsory
The following standards are required
Community and Social Services > Snowsport > Snowsport Area Operations
ID
Title
Level
5624
Groom snow at a mountain area with a snowgroomer
Service Sector > Driving > Driver Licence Endorsements
ID
Title
16703
Demonstrate knowledge and skills for driving on a road
for endorsement T (tracks)
Credit
3
20
Level
Credit
3
3
Snowgrooming Strand Elective
A minimum of 9 credits at Level 3 or above
Community and Social Services > Outdoor Recreation > Outdoor First Aid
ID
Title
Level
424
Assess and manage an emergency care situation
during an outdoor recreation activity
3
Credit
5
Community and Social Services > Outdoor Recreation > Weather Interpretation in the
Outdoors
ID
Title
Level
Credit
20160
20161
Demonstrate knowledge of weather processes and their 3
effects in New Zealand
Apply knowledge of weather to analyse and forecast
4
conditions for an outdoor recreation activity
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
2
3
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Community and Social Services > Snowsport > Avalanche
ID
Title
18129
18136
Demonstrate knowledge of snow formation, snowpack
structure and snow metamorphism
Demonstrate own party avalanche rescue
Level
Credit
3
3
3
2
Community and Social Services > Snowsport > Snowsport Area Operations
ID
Title
Level
Credit
4586
Operate a snowmobile
3
3
18101
Groom snow for an event
4
15
21750
Perform advanced grooming at a snowsport area
4
12
Education > Generic Education and Training > Assessment of Learning
ID
Title
Level
4098
Use standards to assess candidate performance
Service Sector > Driving > Specialist Driving Knowledge and Skills
ID
Title
8638
Drive on snow and/or ice
Credit
4
6
Level
Credit
3
3
Field
Subfield
Domain
Community and Social
Services
Snowsport
Skiing and Snowboarding
Snowmaking Strand
Meet the requirements of all of the following sets
 Snowmaking Strand Compulsory
 Snowmaking Strand Elective
Snowmaking Strand Compulsory
The following standards are required
Community and Social Services > Outdoor Recreation > Weather Interpretation in the
Outdoors
ID
Title
Level
Credit
20159
Gather and apply weather information to an outdoor
recreation activity
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
2
2
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Community and Social Services > Snowsport > Snowsport Area Operations
ID
Title
Level
5622
Make snow for a snowsport area
3
Credit
20
Snowmaking Strand Elective
A minimum of 7 credits at Level 3 or above
Community and Social Services > Outdoor Recreation > Outdoor First Aid
ID
Title
Level
424
Assess and manage an emergency care situation
during an outdoor recreation activity
Community and Social Services > Snowsport > Avalanche
ID
Title
18129
18136
Demonstrate knowledge of snow formation, snowpack
structure and snow metamorphism
Demonstrate own party avalanche rescue
Credit
3
5
Level
Credit
3
3
3
2
Community and Social Services > Snowsport > Snowsport Area Operations
ID
Title
Level
Credit
4586
Operate a snowmobile
3
3
21749
Perform advanced snowmaking at a snowsport area
4
12
Education > Generic Education and Training > Assessment of Learning
ID
Title
Level
4098
Use standards to assess candidate performance
4
Engineering and Technology > Electrical Engineering > Core Electrical
ID
Title
Level
1174
Disconnect and reconnect fixed wired electrical
appliances or equipment
Service Sector > Driving > Specialist Driving Knowledge and Skills
ID
Title
8638
Drive on snow and/or ice
Credit
6
Credit
3
4
Level
Credit
3
3
Field
Subfield
Domain
Community and Social
Services
Snowsport
Skiing and Snowboarding
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQF NQ Ref
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Transition Arrangements
Version 3
Version 3 was issued to update the qualification content and structure to facilitate
completion.
Changes to structure and content
 Credit total decreased from 47 to 42-45 credits.
 The minimum elective requirements for Snowgrooming Strand elective increased from 8
to 9 credits.
 The minimum elective requirements for Snowmaking Strand elective increased from 5
to 7 credits.
 Titles and levels have been updated.
 Expiring standards 6400, 6401, and 6402 were removed from Core Compulsory.
 Standard 16703 moved from the Snowgrooming Strand Elective to the Snowgrooming
Strand Compulsory.
 Standards 20160 and 20161 in the Snowmaking Strand Compulsory were replaced with
standard 20159.
 Standard 2322 was removed from the Snowgrooming Strand Compulsory.
For detailed information see Review Summaries on the NZQA website.
This qualification contains standards that replace earlier standards. For the purposes of
this qualification, people who have gained credit for the expiring standards are exempt
from the requirement to gain credit for the replacement standards – see table below.
Credit for
Exempt from
435
20159, 20160
436
20161
4614
18134
People currently working towards version 2 of this qualification may either complete the
requirements for that version or transfer their results to this version of the qualification.
It is not intended that anyone is disadvantaged by this revision. However, anyone who
feels they have been disadvantaged should contact Skills Active Aotearoa Limited.
Previous versions of the qualification
Version 2 was issued following the review of Snowsport standards. The qualification credit
total decreased from 50 to 47 credits. Level of qualification increased from 2 to 3, and
level has been removed from the title. Content changes made to compulsory and strand
elements of the qualification to ensure the qualification is up to date, relevant, and
achievable.
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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NZQF National Qualification Registration Information
Process
Registration
Review
Revision
Version
1
2
3
Date
May 2001
December 2005
June 2011
Last Date for Assessment
December 2008
December 2012
N/A
Standard Setting Body
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
PO Box 2183
Wellington 6140
Telephone
Email
Website
04 385 9047
info@skillsactive.org.nz
www.skillsactive.org.nz
Planned Review
Any person or organisation may contribute to the review of this qualification by sending
feedback to the standard setting body at the above address.
Next Review
2012
Other standard setting bodies whose standards are included in the
qualification
ElectroTechnology Industry Training Organisation
InfraTrain New Zealand
NZQA
Certification
This certificate will display the logos of NZQA, Skills Active Aotearoa Limited and the
organisation that has been granted consent to assess against standards that meet the
requirements of the qualification (accredited).
Classification
This qualification is classified according to the classification system listed on the Directory
of Assessment Standards (DAS) and the New Zealand Standard Classification of
Education (NZSCED) system as specified below.
DAS Classification
NZSCED
Code
Code
Description
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
Description
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DAS Classification
NZSCED
Code
Description
Code
Description
403
Community and Social Services
> Snowsport
092199
Society and Culture > Sport and
Recreation > Sport and
Recreation not elsewhere
classified
Quality Management Systems
Providers and Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess by a recognised Quality
Assurance Body before they can register credits from assessment against standards. Organisation with
consent to assess and Industry Training Organisations assessing against standards must engage with the
moderation system that applies to those standards. Consent to assess requirements and the moderation
system are outlined in the associated Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) for each standard.
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016