Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Primary Products Food Processing (Level 3) with
strands in Laboratory Skills, Environmental Systems, and Product Quality
Implementation
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
3
Credits
40
NZSCED
030399
Engineering and Related Technologies > Process and
Resources Engineering > Process and Resources Engineering
not elsewhere classified
Qualification developer
Primary Industry Training Organisation
Next review
December 2020
Approval date
August 2015
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the primary
products food processing sectors with competent employees who
have the skills and knowledge to work in a laboratory, or an
environmental or product quality role, in a primary products food
processing operation.
The qualification will support career opportunities for those
individuals who are working in basic positions in either laboratory
operations, environmental systems, or product quality
implementation.
The qualification is stranded to recognise the specific skills and
knowledge required to work in either laboratory operations,
environmental systems, or product quality implementation.
The primary products food processing industries and the
community will benefit from the establishment of standards of
basic technical performance for specific primary products food
processing operations, which will provide domestic and
international markets with confidence in a quality range of
primary food products.
Graduates will be capable of working under limited supervision
with responsibility for work outcomes.
Outcome
Statement
Graduate profile
Qualification Reference 2917
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
Graduates of the qualification will be able to:

Apply knowledge of legislation to comply with workplace
safety, environmental and quality assurance requirements at
a primary products food processing operation.

Work in a team in a primary products food processing
operation.
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Graduates of the Laboratory Skills strand will also be able to:

Carry out basic laboratory operations in a primary products
food processing operation.
Graduates of the Environmental Systems strand will also be able
to:

Carry out basic environmental processing systems
operations in a primary products food processing operation.
Graduates of the Product Quality Implementation strand will also
be able to:

Carry out product quality implementation check operations in
a primary products food processing operation.
Education pathway
This is an entry-level qualification within the primary products
food processing industry and can lead on to the New Zealand
Certificate in Primary Products Food Processing (Level 4) with
strands in Laboratory Skills, Environmental Systems, and
Product Quality Auditing [Ref: 2918].
Employment pathway
This qualification may lead to employment as a laboratory
assistant, a junior environmental officer or a product quality
checker in a primary products food processing operation, such as
a meat processing, dairy processing, seafood processing, baking
yeasts manufacturing, or food and beverage manufacturing.
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by any organisation with
NZQA programme approval and accreditation, or an NZQAapproved industry training programme, with which a
candidate is enrolled.
The certificate will display the title of the qualification, the
logo of the NZQF, and the name and/or logo of the awarding
education organisation.
Evidence requirements for assuring
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:
Qualification Reference 2917
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015

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
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the qualification.

Internal quality assurance systems.

Portfolios of work and/or assessment samples
demonstrating the range of student performance within a
programme.
TEOs can also provide any other relevant evidence that
supports the consistency review.
Minimum standard of achievement
and standards for grade
endorsements
The minimum standard of achievement required for award of
the qualification is the achievement of all outcomes. There
are no grade endorsements for this qualification.
Other requirements for the
qualification (including regulatory
body or legislative requirements)
None.
General conditions for the programme leading to the qualification
General conditions for
programme
Candidates undertaking programmes leading to the award of this
qualification will be required to complete the generic graduate
outcomes and one of the strands.
TEOs arranging training or delivering programmes towards this
qualification must ensure that the training arranged and programmes
of learning are kept up-to-date with regard to amendments to, and
replacements of, Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMARs)
and General requirements for export (GREXs) outlined by the Ministry
for Primary Industries.
All tasks are to be carried out in accordance with the Health and
Safety in Employment (HSE) Act 1992, the Animal Products Act 1999,
and company quality, environmental and hygiene requirements.
Conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification outcomes
Conditions
1
N/A
Apply knowledge of legislation to comply
with workplace safety, environmental and
quality assurance requirements a primary
products food processing operation.
Credits 10
2
Work within a team environment in a
primary products food processing
operation
N/A
Credits 5
Qualification Reference 2917
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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3
Laboratory Skills Strand:
Programmes may include the following topics:
Carry out basic laboratory operations in a
primary products food processing
operation

Laboratory fundamentals

Microbiological fundamentals

Chemistry fundamentals
Credits 25
4
5
Environmental Systems Strand:
Programmes may include the following topics:
Carry out basic environmental processing
systems operations in a primary products
food processing operation

Basic environmental management

Documentation control

Hazard and chemical management
Credits 25

Basic plant maintenance

Basic food processing engineering and plant
automation
Product Quality Implementation Strand:
Programmes may include the following topics:
Carry out product quality implementation
check operations in a primary products
food processing operation

Data collection

Basics of quality management

Using quality management tools
Credits 25

Meat processing quality improvement

Seafood processing quality improvement

Dairy processing quality improvement
Transition information
Replacement information
This qualification, and the New Zealand Certificate in Primary Products
Food Processing (Level 4) with strands in Laboratory Skills, Environmental
Systems, and Product Quality Auditing [Ref: 2918], replaces the National
Certificate in Dairy Manufacturing (Environmental Systems) (Level 3)
[Ref:1062].
Candidates currently enrolled in programmes leading to the replaced qualification may either complete
the requirements as specified below, or transfer their results to one of the replacement qualifications.
The last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualification is 31 December 2016. The
last date for assessments to take place for the replaced qualification is 31 December 2018, when it will be
designated as discontinued.
It is the intention of Primary ITO that no existing trainee should be disadvantaged by these transition
arrangements. Any person who considers they have been disadvantaged may appeal to the Primary ITO.
PO Box 10383
The Terrace
Wellington 6143
Ph: (04)801 9616
Email: standards@primaryito.ac.nz
Qualification Reference 2917
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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