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Development of Seed Production Qualifications and Units of Competency

Consultation

AgriFood Skills Australia has appointed Tony Dodson of AJ Dodson & Associates to undertake development of seed production Qualifications and Units of Competency in the AHC10 Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package.

This project commenced on Monday 18 July 2011 and is currently in the consultation stage. A Project Brief has been developed and is available here.  A Project Reference Group has been established to assist in the development and delivery of the project outcomes to ensure the needs of industry are met within the boundaries set by the national Training Package development policy. Details of the group membership are below.

• Seed Production and Seed Testing Initial Draft Materials
• Explanatory Notes

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Background

AgriFood Skills Australia is undertaking the development of new units of competency and qualifications in the AHC10 Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package for seed producers, seed agronomists, field inspectors and seed analysts.

 
The project has been commissioned following a request from the Australian Seeds Authority Ltd (ASA) for assistance from AgriFood to develop Training Package components for qualifications in commercial seed processing.

The ASA advised that seeds grown, processed and marketed in Australia are subject to certification by the ASA for genetic integrity and that they meet physical quality standards.

There are approximately 3,000 – 6,000 people employed across Australia in the areas of seed processing, seed storage (silo management) and seed merchandising. Much of this work is seasonal and it is difficult to retain people in the industry. The ASA considered that this could be addressed if the skills of workers in the seed industry could be recognised by providing nationally recognised qualifications and career paths.

A Seed Industry Training Advisory Group (SITAG) was established to oversee the development of an initial commercial seed processing qualification for inclusion in the revised AHC10 Training Package. The SITAG constituted representatives from the ASA, the Australian Seed Federation, the Grains Council of Australia Seeds Committee and seed industry enterprise representatives.

This project covers the development of further qualifications in seed production and seed testing, along with Skill Sets for seed agronomists and seed crop field inspectors.

Roles and responsibilities

The project consultant is Tony Dodson from AJ Dodson & Associates.

A Project Reference Group has been established to assist in the development and delivery of the project outcomes to ensure the needs of industry are met within the boundaries set by the national Training Package development policy. The Project Reference Group will provide governance and process advice and subject matter experts will be engaged by the project consultant as required to assist with recommendations.

Project Reference Group

Comments and queries regarding the project should be directed to the project consultant.