Qualification details Title New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture (Arable Production) (Level 3) Version 1 Qualification type Certificate Level 3 Credits 60 NZSCED 050106 Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies > Agriculture > Crop Production Qualification developer Primary ITO Next review December 2018 Approval date January 2015 Strategic purpose statement The purpose of this qualification is to provide the arable farming sector with individuals who have the skills and knowledge to assist with crop production in arable farming enterprises. Learners will benefit from having a qualification within a training pathway that recognises progression through the industry, as well as increased skills and knowledge acquisition to enable improved job performance. The arable farming sector will benefit from having staff who are able to operate safely and effectively in an arable farming workplace to contribute to increased productivity. This qualification is targeted at people with some experience in the farming industry, who want to specialise in the arable farming sector. Graduates will be capable of working under limited supervision. Graduate profile Graduates of this qualification will be able to: - Outcome Statement - Education pathway Qualification Reference 2624 © New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014 Operate, maintain and store vehicles and/or machinery and/or equipment for arable production Assist with soil preparation and the management of arable crops Assist with monitoring and managing arable crop pests, diseases, and disorders. This qualification may build on the New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Level 2) [Ref: 2218] or the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (Level 2) [Ref: 0973] with Vocational Pathways Primary Industries endorsement and may lead on to the New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture (Level 4) with strands in Arable Farming, Dairy Farming, and Livestock Farming [Ref: 2212]. Page 1 of 4 Employment pathway Graduates of this qualification are likely to be employed as farm assistants in the arable farming sector. 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 provider 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 provider. Arrangements for managing consistency All TEO’s 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. New requirements for assuring consistency of graduate outcomes are being developed. Please refer to the Guidelines for approval of New Zealand qualifications for listing on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework available at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providerspartners/consistency-of-graduate-outcomes/. The purpose of the managing consistency event is to: - review evidence associated with achievement of qualification outcomes at the level of the qualification - identify issues or opportunities associated with outcome achievement. The review process may include: - comparison of similar evidence across education organisations consultation with graduates and employers (including visits) consideration of internal quality assurance processes and external reviews. Further information can be found on the NZQA website. Credit transfer and recognition of prior learning arrangements Education providers 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 providers must clearly demonstrate the equivalency or comparability between each Qualification Reference 2624 © New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014 Page 2 of 4 of the outcomes in the graduate profile, and the assessment components of their 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. There are no grade endorsements for this qualification. 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 This qualification will typically be achieved in a workplace environment. Other conditions Compliance with workplace health and safety requirements and sustainable practices applies across all Outcomes. Specific conditions relating to the Graduate profile Qualification outcomes Conditions Mandatory or Optional 1 Programmes must include the following unit standards: Mandatory Operate, maintain and store vehicles and/or machinery and/or equipment for arable production Credits 15 - 19044 24552 Programmes should include the following: Qualification Reference 2624 © New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014 - Principles, routine maintenance and routine servicing of diesel and petrol engines - The function and operation of cultivation, planting and harvesting machinery and equipment - Day to day set up and operation of an irrigation system, including pumps - Set up, and safe operation of precision agriculture tools including GPS enabled automatic tractor guidance systems Page 3 of 4 2 Assist with soil preparation and the management of arable crops Credits 25 Programmes should include the following: - 3 Assist with monitoring and managing arable crop pests, diseases, and disorders Credits 20 Cultivation methods and techniques Crop species and attributes Crop growth including awareness of crop modelling Crop harvesting and storage Crop residues Soil properties, soil management and soil testing Irrigation systems and soil moisture Weather Plant nutrient requirements and fertilisers Programmes should include the following: - Mandatory Mandatory Crop health Pest, disease and disorder identification, prevention and control Integrated pest management (IPM) Safe handling and use of fertilisers and agrichemicals Agrichemical resistance Transition information Replacement information This qualification replaced the National Certificate in Arable Farming (Level 3) [Ref: 1439]. Trainees currently enrolled in programmes leading to the replaced qualification may either complete the requirements as specified below, or transfer their results to this replacement qualification. The last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualification is 31 December 2016. The last date for award of the replaced qualification is 31 December 2017 at which time 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. Version 1 of this qualification was republished in June 2015 to update the last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualifications from 31 December 2015 to 31 December 2016 and the last date for award of the replaced qualifications from 31 December 2016 to 31 December 2017. Qualification Reference 2624 © New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014 Page 4 of 4