Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 4)
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
4
Credits
60
NZSCED
050104
Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies > Agriculture >
Beekeeping
Qualification developer
Primary ITO
Next review
January 2018
Approval date
21 November 2013
Strategic purpose
statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the apiculture industry with
individuals who have the knowledge and skills to manage a viable apiculture
business.
This qualification is for people who are single source, comb, or medical grade
manuka honey producers; pollination service providers; or self-marketing
producers.
Learners will benefit by having a range of skills and knowledge to operate
independently as beekeepers and enable improved job performance.
The industry will benefit by having independent qualified operators who are
able to produce a range of quality products, and services.
The community and New Zealand as a whole will benefit by having safe bee
products which are unique to New Zealand and sought after in both local and
international markets, as well as a long term sustainable bee population
which ensures the on-going benefit to food production via pollination.
Graduates will work independently and could supervise others.
Outcome Statement
Graduate
profile
Education
pathway
Graduates of the qualification will be able to:

develop, implement and monitor annual and seasonal hive management
plans

develop, implement, and monitor a plan for the management of exotic
and endemic pests and diseases in the hive

implement and monitor a Risk Management Programme for safe hive
products

analyse and formally recommend a business strategy to respond to client
and/or market requirements for a new or existing bee product or service.
This qualification can build on the New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture
(Level 3) [Ref: 2223] and may lead onto the New Zealand Certificate in
Apiculture (Level 4) (Queen Bee Rearing) [Ref: 2225] or other qualifications in
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small business management.
Employment
pathway
Graduates of this certificate can work as an independent beekeeper in a small
scale commercial operation or as a supervisor or leading hand in a larger
commercial operation.
Small scale commercial operation refers to 50 to 500 hives.
Larger commercial operation refers to 500 to 10 000 hives.
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by the Primary Industry Training
Organisation (Primary ITO) as the qualification developer and the industry
training 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 managing
consistency
All education organisations offering programmes leading to the qualification
must engage with arrangements for managing consistency, including
covering actual and reasonable related costs.
Each education organisation is responsible for deciding what specific
evidence it will provide to demonstrate how well its graduates meet the
graduate profile outcomes of the qualification.
Evidence of the following must be provided:
• Student feedback on course delivery and qualification achievement, their
perception of the value of the training, and suggestions for improvements
• Feedback from employers on the level of skills, knowledge and behaviour
demonstrated by graduates of the qualification
• Evidence of effective internal quality assurance systems
• Portfolios of work and/or assessment samplesdemonstrating the range of
student performance within a programme
TEOs can also provide any other relevant evidence that supports the
consistency review.
Credit transfer and
recognition of prior
learning arrangements
Education organisations must have policies and procedures in place for
managing credit transfer, and assessing recognition of prior learning and
recognition of current competency. These policies and procedures, and
information about associated fees, must be available to the candidate prior
to enrolment.
To facilitate credit transfer, education organisations must clearly
demonstrate the equivalency or comparability between each of the
outcomes in the graduate profile, and the assessment components of their
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programmes.
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.
Entry requirements
(including prerequisites
to meet regulatory
body or legislative
requirements)
There are no mandatory prerequisites to meet regulatory body, or legislative
requirements for this qualification.
Qualification conditions
Overarching conditions relating to the qualification
Conditions for programme
structure
None.
Conditions for programme
context
It is expected that learners will work in a practical beekeeping
operation and be assessed throughout a beekeeping season to
achieve this qualification.
Other conditions
Graduates are expected to have completed an industry approved
American Foulbrood recognition and destruction course.
All programmes must be consistent with relevant compliance
requirements:

local body by-laws – for example: distance to dwelling; density of
hives

food safety legislation – for example: honey extractions; keeping
food free of contaminants

declarations – for example: harvesting details; registered
beekeeper sign off

operation records – for example: hive locations

Biosecurity National American Foulbrood Pest Management Plan
Order 1998.
Specific conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification outcomes
Conditions
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Mandatory or
Optional
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1
Develop, implement and
monitor annual and
seasonal hive
management plans
Level
Develop, implement,
and monitor a plan for
the management of
exotic and endemic
pests and diseases in
the hive
Level

feeding and nutritional requirements

swarm control

hive management, and movement to produce
types of honey products

bee morphology

effects of the external environment on
behaviour.
4
Credits 25
2
Programmes may include the following topics:
Programmes may include the following topics:

responses for a full range of exotic and
endemic pests and diseases including
appropriate control methods

managing the use of pest and disease
treatments.
4
Credits 15
3
Implement, and monitor
a Risk Management
Programme for safe hive
products
Level
4
Programmes may include the following topics:

food safety practices when handling or storing
honey

maximum residue limits for products.
Credits 10
4
Analyse and formally
recommend a business
strategy to respond to
client and/or market
requirements for a new
or existing bee product
or service.
Level
Programmes may include any aspect of the
production, services, processing and marketing in
the apiculture industry.
4
Credits 10
Transition information
Replacement information
This qualification replaced the National Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3)
[Ref: 1069].
Trainees currently enrolled in programmes leading to the replaced qualification must complete the
requirements by 31 December 2018.
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The last date for award of the replaced qualification is 31 December 2018 at which time it will be
designated as discontinued.
All new candidates will be enrolled in the new qualification.
It is the intention of the Primary ITO that no existing trainee should be disadvantaged by these transition
arrangements.
Republication information
Version 1 of this qualification was republished In January 2015 to update the Evidence requirements for
managing consistency
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