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Water Industry Operations

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Stage 6 Board Endorsed VET Course Description
Endorsed by BOSTES for cohort commencing 2017 (October 2016)

AQF VET qualification: NWP20115 Certificate II in Water Industry Operations

Training Package: NWP National Water (version 1)

BOSTES course name

Pattern of study

BOSTES course number

Schools Online (Administration) entry advice

Water Industry Operations
(240 hours)

2 units x 2 years

59682

Enter this course number for both Preliminary (Year 11) and HSC (Year 12)

Eligibility: This course is only available for students undertaking a school-based traineeship.

Exclusions: Nil

HSC course requirements

Water Industry Operations (240 indicative hours)

  • the possible qualification outcome is NWP20115 Certificate II in Water Industry Operations
  • accredited for a total of 4 units at the Preliminary and/or HSC level
  • attempt all core units of competency (totalling 35 HSC indicative hours) and elective units of competency to a minimum of 205 HSC indicative hours and to meet qualification packaging rules
  • mandatory work placement requirements are met through the on-the-job training component of the school-based traineeship.

The requirements for the completion of an HSC VET course are different to the requirements for AQF VET qualification completion. Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) need to ensure that delivery of courses meets HSC course requirements and complies with Training Package rules.

For a course to count towards the HSC program of study, students must satisfy the course completion criteria as required by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (BOSTES). (Refer to the Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) website.) There must be sufficient evidence that the student has:

  • followed the course developed or endorsed by BOSTES
  • applied themselves with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the course
  • achieved some or all of the course outcomes
  • (where applicable) undertaken the mandatory work placement.

Unit credit for the Higher School Certificate

Water Industry Operations HSC VET courses count as Board Endorsed unit credit for the HSC but do not contribute towards an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

To facilitate flexibility of VET in the HSC, courses may be delivered as Preliminary, as HSC or as a combination of Preliminary and HSC units.

The HSC credit units will be allocated to students’ Preliminary and/or HSC patterns of study as required.

The pattern of study (BOSTES course number) entered on Schools Online (Administration) should reflect the delivery of the HSC VET course over successive years. For example, delivery of a 240 HSC indicative hour course over two years should be entered as
2 units x 2 years. Students will be credentialled for the HSC credit units entered each calendar year, provided they have satisfactorily completed the course requirements for that calendar year as determined by the school, college or RTO.

Course content

CORE

Unit code and title

Status for
AQF VET qualification

HSC indicative hours of credit

NWPGEN001
Apply the risk management principles of the water industry standards, guidelines and legislation

core

15

NWPGEN003
Apply environmental and licensing procedures of the water industry

core

20

Total HSC indicative hours for core units of competency: 35

ELECTIVE

Unit code and title

Status for
AQF VET qualification

HSC indicative hours of credit

BSBWHS201
Contribute to health and safety of self and others

elective – Group A

15

NWPGEN007
Sample and test drinking water

elective – Group B

20

NWPGEN008
Sample and test wastewater

elective – Group B

20

NWPNET004
Monitor and operate network systems

elective – Group C
or Group E

25

NWPNET022
Maintain and repair network assets for drinking water

elective – Group C, Group D
or Group E

30

NWPNET023
Maintain and repair network assets for wastewater

elective – Group C, Group
D or Group E

30

NWPSOU054
Monitor and operate pump stations

elective – Group D
or Group F

20

NWPIRR013
Construct and install irrigation delivery and stormwater drainage assets

elective – Group C
or Group E

20

NWPGEN012
Support the role and functions of the water industry

elective – Group F or
Group G

15

NWPTRT001
Operate and control water treatment processes

elective – Group F

30

BSBCMM201
Communicate in the workplace

elective – Group G

15

BSBWOR202
Organise and complete daily work activities

elective – Group G

15

AQF VET qualification

Qualification packaging rules are contained in the NWP National Water Training Package at http://training.gov.au.

In summary, to attain NWP20115 Certificate II in Water Industry Operations students must achieve 11 units of competency including:

a) 2 core units of competency

b) 9 elective units of competency:

  • 1 Group A unit
  • at least 5 units from Groups B, C, D, E and/or F, with no more than 2 units from any one group
  • no more than 2 units from Group G
  • remaining units may be selected elsewhere in the NWP Training Package, with up to 2 units selected from another endorsed Training Package or from an accredited course.

Other information

Criteria for the endorsement of Board Endorsed VET courses (VET BECs)

The criteria for endorsement of VET BECs are outlined in the Guidelines for Stages 5 and 6 Board Endorsed VET Courses available on the BOSTES website at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/voc_ed/board-endorsed-courses.html.

HSC VET course delivery

HSC VET courses can only be delivered by an RTO with the relevant qualification and units of competency on their scope of registration. Scope of registration can be checked at http://training.gov.au.

RTOs offering training programs for the delivery and assessment of Water Industry Operations HSC VET courses must meet the requirements of the VET Quality Framework, the NWP National Water Training Package and the HSC course.

Information about the delivery of HSC VET courses by RTOs other than school system RTOs or TAFE NSW institutes is contained on the BOSTES Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) website.

Non-government schools outsourcing delivery of HSC VET courses to external providers also need to refer to the Registered and Accredited Individual Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual or Registration Systems and Member Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual which are available on the BOSTES website at http://rego.bostes.nsw.edu.au.

HSC work placement requirements

Work placement is a mandatory HSC requirement for this Water Industry Operations VET course.

Students undertaking HSC VET courses as part of a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship will meet mandatory work placement hour requirements through the on-the-job training component of the school-based apprenticeship or traineeship.

Students’ outside employment (ie not under the auspices of the school) may be recognised towards the requirement for work placement in a VET course (ACE 8051 – Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) website).

Non-completion of work placement is grounds for withholding the HSC course. Schools and colleges are advised to follow the procedure for issuing ‘N’ determinations as outlined on the BOSTES Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) website.

Allocation of HSC indicative hours of credit

Units of competency drawn from Training Packages are not defined in terms of duration. The amount of time required by individual students to achieve competency will vary according to their aptitude and experience. Where a training program is designed for delivery by an RTO, the RTO will specify the length of the training program according to the delivery strategies and/or curriculum resources chosen.

However, for the purposes of the HSC, VET courses must be described in terms of their indicative hours. For this reason, indicative hours for unit credit towards the HSC have been assigned to each unit of competency. It is emphasised that the assignment of indicative hours does not imply that all students will fulfil all requirements of a unit of competency within these hours. RTOs may determine that additional or fewer hours are required for the achievement of particular competencies. However, this does not alter the HSC indicative hours allocated, only the delivery hours.

Students may need to spend additional time practising skills in a work environment and completing projects and assignments, in order to fulfil Training Package assessment requirements.

Exclusions

Where there is significant overlap between an HSC VET course and other HSC VET or general education courses, the BOSTES has an exclusion between the courses. Exclusions are generally applied at a course level rather than at the unit of competency level.

Schools should check all course exclusions when determining an appropriate pattern of study for their students.

Course exclusions for Water Industry Operations are detailed on the first page of this course description.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and credit transfer within VET courses

Students who have current knowledge, skills or experience relevant to a VET course may be granted credit towards the course requirements.

Arrangements for RPL and credit transfer within VET courses, including processes, application form and examples of possible scenarios, are detailed on the BOSTES website at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/voc_ed/rpl.html.

School-based apprentices and trainees

Information regarding provision for school-based apprentices and trainees within the HSC is available on the BOSTES website at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/voc_ed/apprenticeships-traineeships.html.

Information on requirements and arrangements for NSW school-based apprenticeships and traineeships is available at www.training.nsw.gov.au/individuals/apprenticeships_traineeships/school_based/index.html.

Students with special education needs

Students with special education needs may access a VET course in one of two ways:

  • by undertaking the course under regular course arrangements, or
  • by undertaking selected units of competency within the course that have been identified through the collaborative curriculum planning process.

For more information, see the VET Courses and Students with Special Education Needs fact sheet, as well as Collaborative Curriculum Planning advice, on the BOSTES website.

Students in Years 9 and 10 (Stage 5)

In certain circumstances students in Years 9 and 10 (Stage 5) may access Stage 6 VET courses. Further information is available on the BOSTES website at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/voc_ed/stage-5.html.

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