Vocational Pathways - Guidance for integrated learning programme development

NCEA Level 2 with a Vocational Pathways award in Primary Industries Working party – Primary ITO reps/ Secondary School Representatives/Vocational Pathways team

This initial programme example is a generic one based around the agriculture and horticulture industries.

It can be used by schools or tertiary providers working together with several of the primary industry sectors as listed in the graduate profile.

Primary Industries learning programme example
NCEA Level 2 with a Vocational Pathways Award
The following example provides a possible guidance framework for co-planning and co-delivery between secondary and tertiary providers, and with available industry partners to develop a learning programme. Partners will need to work together to make sure all the areas below are adequately covered.
Learning Programme Development: It is expected that a learning programme developed within the Primary Industries Pathway will offer a balance of skills and knowledge which will be related directly to the workplace through work experience or other relationships or partnerships that will assist the student to transition into a career in this pathway. Partners will need to work together to make sure all the areas below are adequately covered.
Assessment Approach: Programme designers should select the assessment standards that meet the requirements of whatever particular context has been chosen. A list of Preferred and Alternative standards is provided for the specific context based around agriculture and horticulture (see Column 5 below). This context is intended as just one example of a wider range of contexts that could be used as the basis for a programme within the Primary Industries Pathway.
Primary ITO is New Zealand’s primary industry training organisation. The sectors that Primary ITO cover include are Agriculture (apiculture, dairy farming, deer farming, pork farming, poultry farming, pest management, wool harvesting, rural servicing, sheep and beef farming); Horticulture (amenity horticulture; arboriculture, floriculture, fruit production, landscaping, nursery production, postharvest, sports turf, vegetable production, viticulture); Water (irrigation); Equine (equine breeding, harness racing, thoroughbred racing); and Food Processing (dairy processing, meat processing, seafood processing).
This programme focuses on learning in the agriculture (dairy farming, and sheep and beef farming) and horticulture (fruit production, nursery production) primary industries. Students may gain industry experience in the horticulture, red meat and wool, arable, dairy, forestry, sports turf, and other primary industries and support services providing them with valued transferrable skills and knowledge. Students who wish to study at Diploma or Degree level could also benefit from undertaking industry placement experience in these sectors.
Graduate Profile
A Level 2 graduate from a Vocational Pathways programme in the Primary Industries will have engaged in one or more of the following Primary Industries – horticulture, red meat and wool, arable, dairy, sports turf, and other primary industries and support services as they relate to the agricultural and horticultural sectors.
For information on entry and higher level roles in these sectors refer to the Youth Guarantee website and to Careers NZ, or contact the Primary ITO.
Graduates will demonstrate introductory knowledge, skills and capabilities to:
·  participate as an entry level employee in one of the Primary industries, with additional support; OR
·  progress to industry training and work at NZQF Levels 3 or 4 in Primary Industries; OR
·  progress to further study at NZQF Level 3 to access tertiary study at Level 4, 5 or above in Primary Industries; OR
·  access NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance and pre-requisites to access degree level study from Level 5 and 6 and above in Primary Industries sector.
Notes:
The main qualification outcome will be NCEA Level 2 which includes 60 Recommended Level 2 credits from the Primary Industries Pathway, of which at least 20 credits are from the Sector Related standards, then the student’s NCEA Level 2 will be endorsed with the Primary Vocational Pathway.
Note: To gain NCEA L2, L1 literacy and numeracy must be achieved.
Another qualification that may be achieved in this Programme is the New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industries Skills (Level 2), the content of which is foundational to many career roles in Primary Industries.
Broad learning outcomes
A Level 2 graduate from a Vocational Pathways programme in the Primary Industries will demonstrate ability to:
1.  Carry out practical tasks and activities within the workplace with close supervision; use safe work practices, follow instructions and use problem solving strategies to adapt to technological and cultural changes in the Primary Industries workplace or environment.
2.  Understand and use key concepts, knowledge and skills to develop foundation understanding of the Primary Industries sector – through features such as animal and/or plant production systems in the Primary Industries sector.
3.  Understand and use relevant maths & statistics, science and technology knowledge, skills and practices, and use these in practical delivery and business applications across the Primary Industries sector.
4.  Manage ongoing change in their working environment as required; adapting to different cultures and to rural patterns of social, living and working arrangements.
This initial programme example is a generic one that can be used by schools and tertiary providers in conjunction with any of the primary industries as listed in the graduate profile.
Links to sites and industry initiatives / Youth Guarantee
Profile Builder
Youth Guarantee Networks
Careers NZ
Primary ITO
Just the Job - Primary Industries / http://youthguarantee.net.nz/
http://youthguarantee.net.nz/vocational-pathways/profile-builder/
http://youthguarantee.net.nz/archived-pages/networks/
http://www.careers.govt.nz/
http://www.primaryito.ac.nz/
http://www.justthejob.co.nz/primary-industries/
Connecting broad learning outcomes with coherent contextualised content:
By engaging in a coherent learning programme, students demonstrate understanding of knowledge, skills and capabilities from sector knowledge domains and NZ Curriculum learning areas - embedded in relevant Primary Industries contexts:
To meet the broad learning outcomes above, students need to demonstrate knowledge, skills and capabilities from the following areas:
1:
Primary Industries sector content.
(Knowledge, skills and contexts) / 2:
New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) content.
(Knowledge, skills and contexts) / 3:
Embedded graduate capabilities focus
(These include key competencies, core capabilities, soft skills/employability skills) / 4:
Delivery arrangements / 5:
Summative Assessment
Assessment Standard key
Δ Recommended
● Sector related
NZ NZ Cert in Primary Industries L2
(Note: To deliver the NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Level 2) schools will need to develop a programme of study that relates particularly to that qualification – Refer NZQA website for Guidelines)
Broad learning outcomes introduction. / knowledge and skill contexts and content
Introduction to the Primary industries sector with a focus on one or several areas.
Decide which of these is to be the focus – It may be one or more of the following: horticulture, red meat and wool, arable, dairy, sports turf, and other primary industries and support services as they relate to other agricultural and horticultural sectors. / NZC learning area / subject contributions.
Think about appropriate knowledge, skills and capabilities that NZC and NZC subjects can contribute to learning in these Primary Industries contexts / Capabilities/ competencies focus
Embedded graduate capabilities reflect values and behaviours that are identified by the sector as being desirable. These underpin the learning outcomes of Recommended and Sector-Related standards in the Primary Industries Pathway.
Embedded graduate capabilities, which include the Key Competencies of the NZ Curriculum, reflect
the existing and future qualities demonstrated by the learner and provide the foundation for the various measures referred to as-
‘employability skills’
(personal behaviours);
‘work-ready skills’
(related to specific broad competencies);
‘Specialist skills’
(related to a specific sector or workplace). / Collaboration between tertiary and secondary educational providers, and with industry/ business
Decide on the most appropriate sites for learning
And, agree on learner centred arrangements between schools, tertiary providers and industry workplaces / Assessment standards – unit and achievement
Use achievement and unit standards from Recommended and Sector Related lists in Primary Industries Pathway
Preferred standards are those preferred by the industry to meet each learning outcome. (Suggested contexts for learning have been provided for preferred standards.)
Alternative standards have also been listed to provide teachers with some flexibility to tailor the programme to support individual learner’s direction and progression. (Some contexts for learning have been provided however not in all instances.)
Additional standards may also be substituted from the Primary Industries Sector Vocational Pathways providing they meet the requirements of the learning outcome.
(Note: It is assumed that Formative Assessment will take place on an on-going basis
1.
Carry out practical tasks and activities within the workplace with close supervision; use safe work practices, follow instructions and use problem solving strategies to adapt to technological and cultural changes in the Primary Industries workplace or environment. / Introduction to the Primary industries sector with a focus on one or several areas.
Decide which of these is to be the focus – It may be one or more of the following:
Horticulture, red meat and wool, arable, dairy, sports turf, and other primary industries and support services as they relate to other agricultural and horticultural sectors.
With a focus on building understanding while undertaking practical tasks:
·  Identify and organise likely industry placements and industry site visits to practice tasks.
·  Identify and organise practical task training scenarios and simulations
·  Use industry training visual media
·  Identify, explain and use health and safety working practices to use in simulated and real environments
To build understanding of adaptation to different living and working arrangements, and to technological and cultural changes:
·  Discuss a range of industry case studies,
·  interview a range of Primary Industries personnel in the field/ managers/ others
·  Watch Primary Industries training visual media
·  Analyse movies with cultural and technological adaptation themes
·  Explore Primary Industries business models
·  Act out Primary Industries cultural scenarios, role playing with feedback
Health and Safety
·  Hazards
·  Personal Management
·  Minimise, Isolate, Eliminate
·  First Aid
Learn how to drive an ATV vehicle or ride a Motor Bike safely in the workplace. Things to consider include cornering techniques, riding a quad bike on hills, carrying or towing a load, riding with a trialed implement, strategies for emergencies, abandoning procedures, servicing and maintenance, and safety checks.
Examples of contexts include, but are not limited to:
Horticulture, red meat and wool, arable, dairy, sports turf, and other primary industries and support services as they relate to other agricultural and horticultural sectors.
Tasks may include generic activities common to the primary sector, including but not limited to: pest and weed control, spraying, mowing, harvesting, pruning and training, mulching, fencing, weather monitoring, feeding out, moving stock, grading, plant propagation, animal handling, and growing and maintaining plant. / Introduction to the Primary industries sector with contributions from NZC learning areas/ subjects
Think about appropriate knowledge, skills and capabilities that NZC and NZC subjects can contribute to learning in these Primary Industries contexts
Note: Health related outcomes from the NZ Curriculum which will support the learning in Broad Learning Outcome 1, can be found in Broad Learning Outcome 4.
Contexts for Health could include:
Drug and alcohol use in the workplace
Gender in the workplace
Homosexuality in the workplace
Isolation/transition from school to work
(Health ) / Embedded graduate capabilities focus
(These include key competencies, core capabilities, soft skills/employability skills)
Eg.
Thinking
·  Make sense of information, experiences & ideas
·  Develop knowledge
·  Show initiative
·  Deal with challenges
·  Reflect on learning
Students could apply this by:
·  Adapting to workplace, learn health & safety, respect protocols, recognise hazards (signage etc), manage risks, respect confidentiality (IP, client information etc)
·  Show intellectual curiosity, absorb knowledge and skills, be proactive, recognise & help solve problems
Use language, symbols and text
·  Be able to interpret information & instructions
·  Keep notes
·  Write reports
Students could apply this by:
·  Learn workplace terms/jargon/acronyms
·  Read instructions & signs
·  Being able to interpret information and instructions
·  Asking clarifying question
Managing self
·  Be reliable & dependable
·  Strong work ethic
·  Grow communication skills
·  Plan ahead
·  Set high standards
·  Positive attitude
Students could apply this by:
·  Keep a work diary or reflective journal
·  Ask for and take advice
·  Taking initiative
·  Interpersonal skills – do not criticize - offer solutions to problems
·  Carry through with commitments
·  Smile; be appreciative of the opportunities being provided.
·  Keep healthy and well rested
·  Be courteous and humble
Relating to Others
· Respect management and colleagues
· Work as part of a team
· Active listener
· Be positive and proactive
· Contribute ideas
Students could apply this by:
· Find and utilise a workplace mentor /buddy
· Seek guidance and feedback
· Stand tall when someone is talking to them
· Eye contact when culturally appropriate
Participating & Contributing
· Respect the team
· Respect the contributions of others
· Be positive and proactive
· Contribute ideas
Students could apply this by:
· Learn about and be sensitive to the team
· Know when to contribute
· Know when to listen
· Know when to seek advice / Delivery arrangements
Delivery of this learning outcome will be in the workplace. It is envisaged that this learning can be integrated with broad learning outcome 2, 3, and 4.
Negotiate flexible delivery for students in 1-2 day per week industry placements in available local Primary Industries workplaces, and / or 1-2 week industry placements during school time or school breaks.
Develop shared delivery arrangements 3 + 2 days or 4 + 1 days per week between schools and tertiary providers.
For those schools with access to farms or horticultural facilities, delivery of this learning outcome could form part of the school timetable.
Identify learner interests and arrange work placement opportunities for learners to manage change and adaptation.
Schools must ensure that all Health and Safety requirements, including First Aid, are delivered prior to learners undertaking industry placement.