The Extractive Industries Training Package MNQ03 has been developed as a result of extensive industry consultation and validation. This Training Package has been revised to address the needs of all aspects of quarries and other extractive industries. The industry has embraced the principles of determining endorsed components of Training Packages and Support Resources and recognises the benefit Training Package implementation has in meeting regulatory requirements.
The Industry
Quarries provide earth materials such as sand, gravel, crushed rock and clay that are processed into raw material inputs for buildings and construction, agriculture and industrial processes. Approximately 90% of the output from quarries in Australia is used in the building and construction industries.
The majority of the approximate 2,600 quarries in Australia are located within 100 km of main cities and town centres which assists in minimising the cost of buildings and infrastructure development. In the year 2000 alone, quarries produced over 130 million tonnes of aggregates for building and construction purposes with an estimated ex-quarry value of $1.3 billion.
The industry comprises of quarry operators and equipment and service providers. Quarry operators range from large multi-national companies operating throughout Australia's metropolitan and provincial centres to small family owned quarries and municipal quarries serving provincial and rural markets. Over 7,000 personnel are employed within the industry.
Quarrying is a natural resource industry, conducted not in isolation but as part of a chain of inter-connected activities. These extend from the finding and securing of earth resources, to processing and the manufacture and transportation of simple as well as sophisticated construction and building materials, to the interactions and impacts on surrounding communities and ultimately to recycling and post extractive end-uses where old quarries are put to new uses.
Australian companies were amongst the first in the world to identify the inherent value of the integration of quarrying with downstream construction material manufacturing such as pre-mixed concrete and to develop and globally apply business models that could harness such value adding. In the space of several decades Australian quarrying and construction materials companies have forged an international presence and identity to become pre-eminent amongst the world's integrated construction
materials companies.
This continual development and export of technical expertise acquired through generations of innovation, hard work and with major contributions from migrants to Australia, is a realisation of the clever country vision. This legacy continues. With origins that pre-date the arrival of Europeans by thousands of years, the Australian quarrying industry continues to create rock products that enhance the quality of life for our communities.
Training Package Development Process
Wide industry consultation in Stage 1 Review of the Extractive Industries Training Package MNQ98 recommended continuous improvement of the Extractive Industries Training Package to include:
- the review and subsequent redevelopment of existing competency standards
- replacing existing units of competency where appropriate with other industry or cross industry standards
- development of additional standards or amendment of existing standards to incorporate skill and sectorial gaps within the Training Package
- the revision and modification of existing qualification structures to better meet industry requirements
- the revision of the Assessment Guidelines.
The extensive industry consultation in Phase II Review of the Extractive Industries Training Package MNQ98 provided a detailed review of all units of competency. These consultations provided input from over 200 industry representatives. The variety of consultative processes used included:
- direct participation by stakeholders in workshops and focus groups held in Queensland , New South Wales , Victoria , South Australia , Western Australia , Tasmania and Northern Territory
- face to face interviews with stakeholders in quarries
- site visits to mines in Queensland , New South Wales and Victoria
- formal written submission from stakeholders at quarries and regulatory authorities
- telephone and email discussions with stakeholders in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory.
There has been direct industry participation in the development of new competency standards, the packaging of units of competency into qualifications, and the revision of the Assessment Guidelines and the validation of revised and new units of competency.
State involvement has been generated through the State Mining ITAB network and industry associations. Regulatory requirements vary from State to State and these were addressed through consultation with State Regulatory Authorities and industry representatives.
An Extractive Industries Steering Committee was appointed to oversee the development process and involved.
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Name
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Organisation
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Sam Grima - Chairman
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Extractive Industries
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John Mitas
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Department of Resources and Environment Victoria
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Ron Kerr
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CMPA
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Darrel Adam
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The Institute of Quarrying Australia
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John Scott
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State Training Authority of Victoria
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Sam McCurdy
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State Training Authority of Victoria
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Peter Canavan
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ESTB VIC
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Paul Kennett
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ESTB of Victoria
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Chris Faulkner
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QMITAB
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Barry Luttrell
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Boral Australian Construction Materials
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Mathew Hoare
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Hoare Brothers
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Rohan Cox
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Rocla
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Peter Barro
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Barro Group Pty Ltd
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Ashley Cox
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AWU
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Jim Turner
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Ashley Institute
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Bob Bell
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Illawarra Institute of TAFE
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David Gaulke
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Box Hill Institute
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Jo Behlau
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ANTA
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Major Changes to the Training Package
Units of Competency
All extractive industries units of competency have been revised and developed in the required ANTA template for units of competency. Although there has been adjustments to all units of competency the intent of the original units has not changed. Appendix 3 outlines the changes that have been made to all units and where new units of competency have been developed or existing units adjusted. The amendments to existing units and the development of new units has been undertaken to meet
identified skill and sectoral gaps within the Training Package. These include:
- separate operator and management units for risk, occupational health, safety and environment
- separate units for the maintenance of a range of items of plant, equipment and machinery
- separate units for face and sales loader and haul truck and water truck
- new units for the management of various aspects of extractive operations such as dredging, mobile plant, processing and maintenance.
Business Services Training Package (BSB02) units of competency have been imported into the Extractive Industries Training Package to replace existing generic management units which were based on the Frontline Management units. Operational maintenance units have been imported from the Coal Training Package (MNC03) and the Automotive Training Package (AUR99), Basic First Aid has been imported from the Health Industry Training Package (HLT02) and gathering and recording data and laboratory
supervision for the Laboratory Operations Training Package (PML99).
The industry recommendations which have been incorporated in all units of competency include:
- using plain English
- writing the Performance Criteria in active voice
- highlighting the linkages between the Range of Variables and the Performance Criteria to more accurately reflect the contexts in which the unit of competency can be achieved
- ensuring linkages between the Critical Aspects of Evidence, Required Knowledge, Required Skills and the Performance Criteria
- ensuring there is integration of the Key Competencies in the Performance Criteria
- ensuring the requirements for literacy and numeracy are explicit in the units of competency.
Qualifications
The rules for packaging of units of competency to achieve qualifications have changed to better reflect the industry needs. The qualifications:
- allow for greater flexibility in the choice of electives in all qualifications
- allow for greater choice of elective units, relevant to the job function, from other endorsed Training Packages
- provide the inclusion of Business Services Training Package units of competency as electives at Certificate II, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma.
Transition Arrangements
Transition arrangements apply where existing extractive industries qualifications are replaced by qualifications in the Extractive Industries Training Package MNQ03.
Where possible currently enrolled students should be given the opportunity to transfer to the most recent qualification. When making a decision to transfer to a new qualification, consider such issues as the proportion of the qualification that has been completed by the learner, the degree of alignment with the new qualification and any potential advantage or disadvantage to learners.
RTOs should consult with their State or territory Training Authority on whether their scope accommodates the qualifications in the Extractive Industries Training Package MNQ03.