Commissioner's Information Bulletin 641
Water Industry - Traineeship
Utilities and Electrotechnology
Date of effect: 14 December 2015
Bulletin Information
In this Commissioner's Information Bulletin (CIB) the following Vocations and relevant traineeship pathways have been added. At the same time remaining Vocational Training Orders have been varied and national qualification codes and names have been updated to align with NWPv1.0 National Water Training Package.
- Water Industry - Irrigation
- Water Industry - Treatment
Superseded Bulletin
This Commissioner's Information Bulletin supersedes Bulletin 522.
On this page:
Vocational Training Orders (VTOs)
Qualifications, structure and packaging
NWPV1.0 National Water Training Package includes seven qualifications ranging from Certificate II to Diploma, of these six qualifications support traineeship pathways. Their details are below:
- NWP20115 Certificate II in Water Industry Operations
- NWP30215 Certificate III in Water Industry Operations
- NWP30315 Certificate III in Water Industry Treatment
- NWP30415 Certificate III in Water Industry Irrigation
- NWP40515 Certificate IV in Water Industry Operations
- NWP40615 Certificate IV in Water Industry Treatment
Transition arrangements
Training Services NSW and Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) transition arrangements are aligned and applied retrospectively from 1 September 2015.
Registered training organisations (RTOs) may commence training in either the new or superseded qualification but must meet the requirements of ASQA. For more information refer to ASQA's General Direction - Learner Transition.
Competency based completion
On successful completion of the relevant qualification:
- parties may apply to the Commissioner for Vocational Training for completion of the apprenticeship or traineeship prior to the nominal completion date of the training contract or;
- Training Services NSW may issue letters from the Commissioner to both parties inviting them to consider competency based completion if it has received advice from the training organisation that the apprentice or trainee is eligible to receive their qualification.
For more information and an application form, click here.
Industrial arrangements
Applications under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001 to establish a traineeship, whether full-time, part-time or school based will not be approved unless the Commissioner for Vocational Training is satisfied that appropriate industrial arrangements are in place.
Trainees may be employed under the following awards:
- Local Government (State) Award 2010
- Hunter Water Corporation (Employee) Enterprise Agreement 2009
- Sydney Catchment Authority Consolidated Award 2011-2012
- Sydney Water Enterprise Agreement 2009
- Water Industry Award 2010
All private sector employers and employees in New South Wales are covered by the national industrial relations system administered by the Fair Work Commission (the Commission). The industrial instrument that applies is a national (modern) award or a current enterprise agreement registered with the Commission. Further information is available from the Fair Work Ombudsman by telephoning 13 13 94 or via their website.
School based traineeships
This qualification is suitable for delivery in schools, subject to the following elective units not being delivered to school based trainees:
- NWP20115 Certificate II in Water Operations
-
RIIWHS202D Enter and work in confined spaces
-
NWPTRT052 Operate and control hypochlorite disinfection processes
-
NWPTRT055 Operate chlorine dioxide processes
-
NWPTR012 Operate and control fluoride addition process
-
NWPTRT013 Operate and control liquefied chlorine gas disinfection processes
-
For qualifications available for delivery in schools, click here.
General
For information about the delivery of training for school based traineeships, refer to Training Arrangements.
Career pathways
The school based traineeship will introduce young people to a career in the water industry. The industry is facing a shortage of skilled labour as its workforce ages and employers want the opportunity to recruit and train young people from within their local area and to provide them with an entry level career pathway into the water industry. Higher level training and traineeships are available post-school.
Registered training organisations
For registered training providers which can deliver the apprenticeship qualifications go to training.gov.au.
A list of training organisations which are in contract with the NSW Department of Industry to be paid for the delivery of the training is here.
When developing Training Plans, registered training providers should ensure that the training program satisfies the qualification packaging requirements and at the same time, reflects the nature of the business. Training Plans should be customised so that workplace activities support and align with the qualification units of competency.
Funding arrangements
From 1 January 2015 the NSW Government introduced new fee arrangements for government subsidised vocational education and training (VET). Under Smart and Skilled, all apprenticeship and most traineeship qualifications are subsidised. For a full list of all the qualifications refer to the current NSW Skills List. Information on the types and levels of subsidies can be found in the "Smart and Skilled Fee Administration Policy". Training for existing-worker trainees is not subsidised.
Inspecting Vocational Training Orders
A copy of the Vocational Training Order is available for inspection on this internet site below or at any Training Services NSW Regional Office of the NSW Department of Industry.
Enquiries
For any enquiries regarding this Commissioners Information Bulletin, please contact the Apprenticeships and Traineeships on telephone (02) (02) 8267 7704.
Approved by Emil Tabone
for Commissioner for Vocational Training
Job descriptions
NWP20115 Certificate II Water Industry Opertaions - Generalist/Treatment/ Networks/Source/Irrigation) - trainees will attain general competencies or skills required to assist in a broad range of water industry operations or specialisation in networks, source, irrigation or treatment.
NWP30215 Certificate III Water Industry Operations - (Generalist/Hydrography/ Networks/Source) - trainees will attain general competencies and skills required to operate, monitor and maintain water industry operations or specialisation in networks, source, irrigation or treatment.
NWP30415 Certificate III Water Industry Irrigation - trainees will attain general competencies in irrigation within the water industry operations. Trainees will be skilled to measure, regulate, plan and deliver water from channels, pipelines or streams for irrigation and/or stock and domestic purposes.
NWP30315 Certificate III Water Industry Treatment - (Generalist/Drinking water/ Wastewater) - trainees will attain general competencies in water industry treatment or specialisation in drinking water or wastewater.
- general - trainees will obtain skills to conduct treatment for drinking water, wastewater and recycled water.
- drinking water - trainees will obtain skills to monitor, operate and control treatment processes within a drinking water plant.
- wastewater - trainees will obtain skills to monitor, operate and control treatment processes within a wastewater treatment plant.
NWP40515 Certificate IV in Water Industry Operations - (Generalist/Hydrography/ Networks/Source/Trade Waste/Irrigation)- trainees will attain general competencies in water industry operations or specialisation in networks, source, hydrography, irrigation or trade waste.
- general qualification - trainees will attain a broad range of responsibilities and supervisory skills.
- networks specialisation - trainees will attain skills required to operate, construct, and maintain water and wastewater networks
- source specialisation - trainees will attain skills required to monitor and operate catchment, weirs, locks, dams, rivers, reservoirs, bulk water and groundwater management and implement operational and safety plans.
- hydrography specialisation - trainees will attain skills required to measure, collect and analyse hydrometric information and review the accumulated data to develop water management plans for inland water systems including rivers, lakes, stormwater and sewage.
- irrigation specialisation - trainees will attain skills required to coordinate and monitor the operation of irrigation systems.
- trade waste specialisation - trainees will attain competencies in compliance, licencing and regulations of trade waste management.
NWP40615 Certificate IV in Water Industry Treatment - (Generalist/Drinking water/ Wastewater) - trainees will attain general competencies in water industry treatment or specialisation in drinking water or wastewater.
- general qualification - trainees will attain skills for supervisory responsibility and require a broad range of skills within treatment operations.
- drinking water and wastewater specialisation - trainees will attain skills required to assess and improve the processes within a drinking water treatment plant.
NOTE: No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to any of the above qualification at the time of publication of the NWPv1 National Water Training Package.
Water Industry - Traineeship
Vocational Training Order
Date of effect |
9 December 2011 |
Updated |
14 December 2015 |
Qualifications |
|
Terms of Traineeships |
Full time:
Part-time: |
School based |
NWP20115 Certificate II in Water Operations The term for a school based traineeship will be calculated in months from the date of commencement to 31 December of the HSC year. During this period the school-based trainee must undertake a minimum of 100 days of on-the-job training. See school based traineeships for elective units not to be undertaken by school based trainees. |
Probationary period |
2 months |
Water Industry - Irrigation
Vocational Training Order
Date of effect |
14 December 2015 |
Qualifications |
|
Terms of traineeship |
Full time:
Part-time: |
Probationary period |
2 months |
Water Industry - Treatment
Vocational Training Order
Date of effect |
14 December 2015 |
Qualifications |
|
Terms of traineeships |
Full time:
Part-time: |
Probationary period |
2 months |