Qualification details
New Zealand Certificate in Dairy Processing (Level 4) with strands in Cheese
Making, Cream Products, Milk Powder, Milk Protein, Milk Treatment, and Milk
Collection, and with an optional strand in Automated Cleaning and Heat
Treatment Operation
Title
Version
2
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
4
Credits
60-70 (80-90 with an optional strand)
NZSCED
030307 Engineering and Related Technologies > Process and
Resources Engineering > Food (excluding Seafood) Processing
Technology
Qualification developer
Primary Industry Training Organisation (Primary ITO)
Next review
December 2019
Approval date
March 2015
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the dairy
processing sector with competent employees who have the skills
and knowledge to work as operators in a cheese making, cream
products, milk powder, milk protein or milk treatment department,
or as milk tanker operators.
Learners will benefit by having a qualification within a training
pathway that recognises progression through the dairy
processing industry, as well as increased skills and knowledge
acquisition to enable improved job performance and support
career opportunities.
The dairy processing industry will benefit by having establish
standards of competent performance for dairy processing
operations that can provide domestic and international markets
with confidence in quality dairy products.
This qualification is targeted at personnel with some experience
in the dairy processing industry, who want to further develop their
skills, knowledge, and have career progression opportunities.
Graduates will be able to be employed and work as competent
operators, under limited supervision in dairy processing
operations.
Outcome
Statement
The optional strand in this qualification recognises the skills and
knowledge required to be able to operate the automated clean in
place system and heat treatment process in a dairy products
processing plant.
Graduate profile
Qualification Reference 2563
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
Graduates of the qualification will be able to:

plan and manage work priorities in a dairy processing
operation
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
analyse and convey workplace information in a dairy
processing operation

monitor the implementation of health and safety, quality and
environmental practices in a dairy processing operation

implement food safety requirements in a dairy processing
operation.
Graduates of the strand in Cheese Making will also be able to:

Carry out cheese making processes.
Graduates of the strand in Cream Products will also be able to:

Carry out cream products processing operations.
Graduates of the strand in Milk Powder will also be able to:

Carry out milk powder processing operations.
Graduates of the strand in Milk Protein will also be able to:

Carry out milk protein processing operations.
Graduates of the strand in Milk Treatment will also be able to:

Carry out milk treatment processing operations.
Graduates of the strand in Milk Collection will also be able to:

Collect and deliver milk, applying hygiene requirements.
Graduates of the automated cleaning and heat treatment optional
strand will also be able to:

Carry out automated clean in place and heat treatment
processing operations.
Education pathway
This qualification may build on New Zealand Certificate in Dairy
Processing (Level 3) with an optional strand in Automated
Cleaning and Heat Treatment [Ref: 2562] and on to the New
Zealand Certificate in Dairy Processing (Level 5) [Ref: 2564].
Employment pathway
Graduates of this qualification are likely to be employed as
experienced operators in a cheese making, cream products, milk
powder, milk protein or milk treatment department, or a milk
tanker operator, in a dairy processing operation.
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by the 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
Qualification Reference 2563
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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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:
 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 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 will be the achievement of all graduate outcomes in
the graduate profile and one outcome of the appropriate strand,
through successful completion of an NZQA approved
programme.
Other requirements for the
qualification (including regulatory
body or legislative requirements)
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.
General conditions for the programme leading to the qualification
General conditions for
programme
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
Qualification Reference 2563
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
Conditions
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1
Plan and manage work
priorities in a dairy processing
operation
Credits 10
2
3
Analyse and convey workplace
information in a dairy
processing operation.
Credits 5
Monitor the implementation of
health and safety, quality and
environmental practices in a
dairy processing operation.
Credits 10
4
Implement food safety
requirements in a dairy
processing operation.
Credits 5
Cheese Making strand
5
Carry out cheese making
processes.
Credits 40
Programmes may include the following:

quality system

processing equipment

processing processes

cheese making equipment

bulk and specialty cheeses.
Cream Products strand
6
Carry out cream products
processing operations.
Credits 40
Programmes may include the following:

quality system

processing equipment

processing processes

specialty equipment for making cream products

cream products.
Milk Powder strand
7
Carry out milk powder
processing operations.
Credits 40
Qualification Reference 2563
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
Programmes may include the following:

quality system

processing equipment

processing processes

specialty equipment for making milk powder
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
milk powder

casein products.
Milk Protein strand
8
Carry out milk protein
processing operations.
Programmes may include the following:
Credits 40

quality system

processing equipment

processing processes

specialty equipment for making milk protein

milk protein

whey

lactose

ethanol.
Milk Treatment strand
9
Carry out milk treatment
processing operations.
Programmes may include the following:
Credits 40

quality system

processing equipment

processing processes

specialty equipment for treating milk

milk treatment.
Milk Collection strand
10
Collect and deliver milk,
applying hygiene
requirements.
Programmes may include the following:
Credits 30

quality system

milk tanker loading and unloading

hygiene requirements

milk collection.
Automated Cleaning and Heat Treatment Operation optional strand
11
Carry out automated clean in
place and heat treatment
processing operations.
Programmes may include the following:
Credits 20

automated plant cleaning systems

heat Treatment
Transition information
Replacement information
This qualification replaced the following National Certificates:

Qualification Reference 2563
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
National Certificate in Dairy Manufacturing (Milk Collection)
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[Ref: 1651]

National Certificate in Dairy Manufacturing (Process Skills)
(Level 4) with optional strands in Product Safety, and People
Skills [Ref: 1044]

National Certificate in Dairy Manufacturing (Technical and
Specialised Operations) with an optional strand in Advanced
Product Safety [Ref: 1517].
Trainees currently enrolled in programmes leading to the replaced qualifications may either complete the
requirements as specified below, or transfer their results to this replacement qualification.
The last date for entry into the National Certificate in Dairy Manufacturing (Technical and Specialised
Operations) with an optional strand in Advanced Product Safety [Ref: 1517] is 31 December 2017. The
last date for award of the replaced qualification is 31 December 2019 at which time it will be designated
as discontinued.
The last date for entry into programmes leading to all other replaced qualifications is 31 December 2015.
The last date for award of the replaced qualification is 31 December 2017 at which time it will be
designated as discontinued.
It is recommended that candidates currently enrolled in the replaced National Certificates who will be
unable to complete the qualifications by the last assessment dates transfer to the New Zealand
Certificate listed above.
It is the intention of the 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. Email standards@primaryito.ac.nz.
Republication information
Version 2 of this qualification was published in March 2015 to include an optional strand:
Changes were made to:
Qualification title to include the optional strand
Strategic purpose statement information was provided for the optional strand
Educational pathway amended to reflect optional strand
Version 2 of this qualification was republished in December 2015 to extend the last date of enrolment into
programmes leading to the replaced National Certificate in Dairy Manufacturing (Technical and
Specialised Operations) with an optional strand in Advanced Product Safety [Ref: 1517] from 31
December 2015 to 31 December 2017 the last date of assessment from 31 December 2017 to 31
December 2019.
Qualification Reference 2563
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
version 2
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