Certificate II level qualifications can provide an important pathway into work for many learners, equipping them with the skills to enter the workforce or higher-level qualifications.
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The Certificate II in Rural Operations is a qualification used to provide learners with the foundational skills required for roles in rural and regional industries. It has had an average of 2500 enrolments a year between 2018 and 2022, and is particularly used in northern regions of Australia.
During a project in 2022, issues were raised about the Certificate II in Rural Operations that required further investigation to resolve. The qualification is due for a review to see if it accurately reflects the evolving skills needs of industry and learners.
It is important that all qualifications have distinct outcomes so that learners and employers can have confidence and clarity in what skills are being attained through training. It is equally important that learners in rural, regional and remote areas have access to training that can equip them with skills required to enter the workforce.
This project will undertake research and in-depth analysis of the Certificate II in Rural Operations to better understand how the qualification is used (particularly in the northern region of Australia), and to clearly identify the intended job roles attainable upon completion of the qualification. These findings will be used to assess how the unique needs of the learners and workplaces that require these skills can be better met in future, while meeting the current requirements of policies that apply to Training Package products.
Issues raised with Certificate II in Rural Operations
According to the qualification description, the Certificate II in Rural Operations ‘provides an occupational outcome for industries and agencies in rural and regional Australia’, and ‘Depending on the units selected individuals can be employed not only in rural industries but also other rural and regional sectors, such as local government, tourism, hospitality, transport, construction, community services, information technology and metals’. Consultation is required to identify how the qualification is being used to prepare workers for various industries and whether the necessary skills for each are reflected.
The qualification also also contains similar content to the Certificate II in Agriculture, with all of the core units of the Rural Operations qualification appearing in the core of the Certificate II in Agriculture. A review of the electives within the Certificate II in Rural Operations could help determine if the qualification provides enough standalone value as part of the training solution for industry or whether it could be enhanced to better support skills not captured in the Certificate II in Agriculture.
Timeline
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Next steps
A technical committee is being assembled to guide the project. A Consultation Strategy and Technical Committee (TC) Terms of Reference are in development and will be made available once the TC has signed off on these documents.
RTO Questionnaire
During March, all RTOs that have the qualification on their scope of registration will be asked to complete a short questionnaire designed to collect information on how they use the qualification. Skills Insight is keen to work with RTOs to develop a deeper understanding on learner cohorts, why these learners undertake the qualification, the elective units being delivered and the context of delivery.
Industry Consultation Workshops
Face to face and online consultation workshops are planned during April. Key stakeholders from sectors including livestock production, broadacre cropping and land management will be invited to participate. Workshops will include workforce functional analysis to identify and/or confirm entry level job roles and job tasks in these sectors, and other workforce outcomes/pathways these employers consider relevant to the qualification. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Tom Vassallo [email protected] by 31 March 2024.
Project Scope
The initial stages of this project will focus on research into how the Certificate II in Rural Operations is being used, which will determine the direction of the rest of the project.
Thorough consultation with relevant stakeholders will determine whether:
Project Team
Tom Vassallo
Project Manager, Skills Insight
[email protected]
Andrew Horgan
Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Skills Insight
[email protected]
The solution may combine several of these options. In the evaluation of the options, it is important to gain broad consensus and support from the key project stakeholders, including:
Further consultation will take place as necessary to guide the development or revision of any training products as needed. Any work undertaken will also adhere to the Training Package Products Development and Endorsement Process Policy (TPPDEPP) so that the training products are high quality and consistent. The aim is to better meet the unique needs of workplaces and learners in rural and remote areas
As AHC21216 Certificate II in Rural Operations is on the National Training Register (NTR), the options that apply to the potential outcomes of this project are also governed by the frameworks and terminology used by the NTR. For example:
Opportunities for stakeholder input
Stakeholder input is appreciated throughout the duration of this project. A list of key stakeholder organisations has been identified and Skills Insight ensure contact is made with each of these organisations during the development of the project. Consultation is not limited to the organisations on this list. The list simply helps us to identify those organisations that, because of their industry role, size or specialty, are likely to have a key interest in the development and outcomes of this project. If you are aware of an organisation that you think should be involved, please contact the project team.
For updates and consultation opportunities, please follow the newsletter subscription link above. Alternatively, please feel free to contact the project manager, Tom Vassallo on 03 9321 3526 or [email protected]
Research was undertaken as part of this project to understand how the AHC21216 Certificate II in Rural Operations is used to prepare workers for various industries and whether it reflects the necessary skills.
Thank you to everyone who participated in consultation and research activities, including an RTO questionnaire, face-to-face and online workshops, a site visit, online meetings, emails and phone calls.
A Research Summary and Product Development Proposal outlining findings to date and recommendations for next steps has been put together for consideration by the project Technical Committee when the project recommences. The project is currently paused while the Department of Employment and Workforce Relations (DEWR) explores approaches to Qualification Reform with support from Jobs and Skills Councils.
Subscribe for updates
If you would like to receive updates about this project, please subscribe to our newsletter and select ‘agriculture, horticulture, conservation and land management’ as one of your industries of interest.
Provide feedback on Research Summary and Product Development Proposal
You are invited to provide feedback on the Research Summary and Product Development Proposal and its contents. It proposes that the Certificate II in Rural Operations is retained and redesigned. This includes a recommendation to explore options to support delivery in rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including the development of two or more new units if required. The report also proposes the creation of a User Guide to contain sample training plans and advice for uptake of foundation and employability skills units as well as units from outside the AHC Training Package. We especially encourage your feedback on the product proposals described on pages 24 to 27.
While the report provides recommendations for of the potential update of the Certificate II in Rural Operations, the future of the project will also be influenced by the outcomes of the Qualification Reform Design Group’s work.
How to provide feedback
You can submit your feedback online using our Feedback Hub, where you can post comments directly on the draft document as well as view any comments from others. Your comments will remain anonymous. Only Skills Insight internal staff and contractors working directly on the project can identify users. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. The feedback hub is also moderated to avoid misuse.
- Select the document.
- You will be asked to register or login (for a free account). Follow the prompts.
- Once logged in, you will be able to post feedback directly on the document.
Project Paused for Qualification Reform Work
The Qualification Reform Design Group has supported Skills Insight’s proposal to undertake an action learning demonstration project as part of the current program of Qualification Reform.
The first stage of this work is to develop a qualification concept using the proposed purpose-led approach outlined in the Qualification Reform Design Group Advice to Skills Ministers. This will then be tested by converting the existing Certificate II in Rural Operations into a purpose 3 qualification using the draft concept.
Work to develop the purpose-led qualification concept is already underway and looks to produce a qualification that could better support the broad range of skills and knowledge for learners in rural and remote areas. However, this early work also indicated that a qualification developed using the proposed concept would not meet current training package policy requirements and would be unlikely to be endorsed through the standard approval process.
Therefore, the current Rural Operations Project will need to be paused while qualification reform work is underway, with the intent to redevelop the Certificate II in Rural Operations when the new qualification framework is released. This will reduce disruptions and make sure that stakeholder time and energy is used most efficiently. Skills Insight will work with the Department of Employment and Workforce Relations (DEWR) to advise when this project can resume.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Rural Operations Project to date. Your input is appreciated and will be used to inform the demonstration project work. A Steering Committee will be established to contribute to the demonstration project, with all current Rural Operations Project Technical Committee members invited to participate.
Read more about Skills Insight’s contributions to Qualification Reform.
Consultation to Date
A technical committee was assembled to guide the project. A Consultation Strategy and Technical Committee (TC) Terms of Reference were developed.
During March, all RTOs that have the Certificate II in Rural Operations on their scope of registration were asked to complete a short questionnaire designed to collect information on how they use the qualification, why learners undertake it, the elective units being delivered and the context of delivery.
Consultation Workshops
Online consultation workshops took place to discuss the Certificate II in Rural Operations with industry, trainers and others interested in the qualification.
Industry consultation workshop
Tue 23 April, 10 am – 1 pm (AEST)
One online workshop was held to seek industry and other stakeholder views on the workforce outcomes and learner pathways relevant to the Certificate II in Rural Operations. Workforce Functional Analysis was undertaken to identify/confirm the entry level job roles and job tasks required in sectors stakeholders consider relevant to rural operations.
Training providers consultation workshop
Wed 24 April, 10 am – 1 pm (AEST)
Another online workshop was held to seek views on how the Certificate II in Rural Operations is being used and delivered. During this workshop we gathered information on the learners undertaking the qualification, and suggestions on how it can be improved.
Face-to-face workshops
Key stakeholders were invited to face-to-face consultation workshops during April. Workshops included workforce function analysis to identify and/or confirm entry level job roles and job tasks, and other workforce outcomes/pathways relevant to the qualification.
This stage has not yet commenced.
At the broad consultation stage, we present and discuss potential solutions, collecting feedback from a wide range of stakeholder across the country. It follows consultation with various stakeholders that has already taken place throughout the project.
This stage has not yet commenced.
As part of consensus gathering, we check our work with stakeholders to confirm that solutions are in line with expectations.
This stage has not yet commenced.
At the finalisation stage, final checks are conducted and the outcomes of the project are submitted to the Department for consideration. Following this, outcomes are published or enacted.
This project is part of the Annual Training Product Development Plan.
It is being undertaken at the same time as two other project in the agriculture, horticulture, conservation and land management space. You are welcome to provide feedback on as many of these projects as you wish: