Review of the Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03)

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Review Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03) Phase 1 Scoping Report

Download this report here (pdf)

Review Amenity Horticulture Training Package Industry Consultation Feedback

The following information has been extracted from the Industry Surveys A and B. Your consideration and further comments and feedback are sought. Please enter changes in the Industry Consultation Feedback document and email your copy to:

Don Jones by COB 22 August, 2006

1. by electronic lodgement: djones1@bigpond.net.au
2. by fax: 02 6163 7299
3. by Mail: Amenity Horticulture Training Package Review
   PO Box 5450, Kingston, ACT 2604

Project Overview

The board of the Agri-Food Industry Skills Council has directed the council to conduct an analysis of the amenity horticulture sector to determine its future skills development needs and integrate them into the Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03). In addition, recent changes to Australian Government policy and procedures in the vocational education and training (VET) sector requires the identification and removal of unnecessary duplication within and across all training packages and the incorporation of employability skills into units of competency.

The Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03) is the national benchmark for skills development in the industry and comprises the nationally-endorsed qualifications for the amenity horticulture sectors. The Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03) has been in operation since September 2003. Currently, the Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RFT03) delivers 34 qualifications at Certificate II to IV, diploma and advanced diploma levels covering:

• Arboriculture
• Floriculture
• Landscape
• Parks and gardens
• Wholesale and retail nursery
• Turf

In keeping with its role in managing continuous improvement of training packages, the council is now undertaking a review of the Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03) to determine the accuracy and effectiveness of the package and its qualifications. In this phase of the review an environment scan will be conducted to capture the experiences and views of users, and to record specific feedback related to up-take, barriers and constraints related to implementation, future skills needs and possible gaps in qualifications and units of competency.

The board has approved the appointment of Don Jones of eCognito Consulting to undertake this process. During this phase of the review the consultant will:

• Consult key stakeholders
• Determine any barriers or constraints related to implementation
• Examine possible future skills needs
• Identify any gaps in qualifications
• Examine ways to improve competencies, and
• Examine ways to rationalise and reconfigure qualifications and competencies where appropriate

Stakeholder survey

A discussion paper and survey questionnaires are now available for you to provide comments and feedback. Two surveys questionnaires have been developed:

• Survey Questionnaire A for RTOs
• Survey Questionnaire B for Employers and people working in the industry

The purpose of the discussion paper is to provide a discussion starter to the first phase of the review of the Amenity Horticulture Training Package RTF03.

The discussion paper is accompanied by a survey questionnaire, which is designed to capture the experiences and views of users and to record specific feedback related to up-take, barriers and constraints related to implementation, future skills needs and possible gaps in qualifications and units of competency.

The audience for this document is wide and varied and includes (but is certainly not limited to):

• Current employers of the industry
• Small, medium and large businesses - both for profit and not-for-profit
• Employer and employee representative bodies
• Industry advisory bodies Government departments - at a local, state and federal level
• Training providers - public and private

It is anticipated that this document will generate a range of discussion. The outputs of this discussion will be used by the review's project team and national industry steering committee to improve the Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03), its up-take and usability by industry. The questionnaire covers the following issues;

Issues for comment

1. Accuracy of unit content - please be specific about any unit(s) that you feel are inadequate, why they are inadequate and what needs to be done to improve it/them.
2. Missing units - each unit relates to a specific work function. Are there any work functions that you believe are missing from the current structure (gaps in the qualifications)? - these may include new work practices, technology or products - please advise what these may be.
3. Accuracy of the qualifications - each qualification should relate to a job role/occupation - do the qualifications appropriately represent current job roles or are they too narrow, too broad or omit specific skills required by the industry of today?
4. Flexibility of qualification structuring rules - qualifications should enable individuals to access skills relevant to the workplace by selecting units appropriate to their job role, please comment on any issues or improvements for this process.
5. Barriers and constraints to using the Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03) - please comment on training or industry issues which restrict or prevent use of the Training Package and its qualifications.
6. Other - please provide any other comments that you feel may aid the redevelopment of this training package.

Steering Committee

The Board has appointed an Amenity Horticulture Training Package Review Steering Committee to oversee and manage the review process. The membership of the steering committee comprises:

Timelines and methodology

Timelines

• Project approved by board of the Agri-Food Industry Skills Council (2005)
• Project planning and preparation: January/February 2006
• Initial steering committee meeting: March 2006
• Commencement of environmental scan activities: March/April 2006
• Desktop analysis: March/April 2006
• Presentation of interim report to steering committee: May 2006
• Development of scoping report: through May/June 2006
• Final presentation scoping report and recommendations: June 2006

Methodology

The methodology for this project will follow key principles of research and include:

• Consultation with industry stakeholders to gauge the current industry environment pertaining to skills development and capacity of the training package, its content and effectiveness to respond to this environment.
• Preparation and use of discussion paper and survey questionnaire to compile feedback and research.
• Analysis of take up within and across the qualifications based on AVETMISS or NCVER data for publicly-funded enrolments.
• Identify possible impediments to the take up of training through consultation and research.
• Research the methods/styles used to develop the training package qualifications and competencies
• Evaluation of the packaging rules used to form the requirements for use of the training package to consider improvement strategies.
• Review coverage of the package and areas of commonality or duplication.
• Define the amenity horticulture industry profile to assist in the confirmation of qualifications and competencies.
• Development of draft recommendations and findings from the consultation and research.
• Finalisation of scoping report, identifying key areas of change necessary for its further progress.

Environmental scan

The first phase of the Review of the Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03), the Environment Scan, has commenced.

Queries

Should you wish to discuss the Amenity Horticulture Training Package (RTF03) Review or survey questionnaires with us, please contact the consultant - Don Jones on 0410 220 969 or email at djones1@bigpond.net.au or Project Manager, Jenny Wardrop on 02 6163 7230 or by email at jenny.wardrop@agrifoodskills.net.au.