From the ground up: addressing core skills in entry level AgriFood qualifications

Research shows that more than seven million Australian adults (46 per cent) do not have the reading skills considered necessary for everyday life; and almost eight million (53 per cent) do not have the necessary numeracy skills. Across Australia a wide range of generic preparatory courses and general education programs have been designed to address core and employability skill development. However, many of these courses lack a context for learning as they do not have sufficient industry focus. Others lack the outcome of a nationally recognised qualification because they are not part of an industry training package. From the ground up demonstrates that the core skills of learning, reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy are crucial for successful engagement with learning and the ability to perform a range of workplace tasks - yet many entry level learners are not confident with these skills. To this end, the focus of the resource is on core skills development in an agrifood context. This resource includes advice and examples of integrated core skills development in a number of agrifood units of competency. Within the resource, specific units of competency are drawn upon as examples. These are - AGFPCI101A Adapt to work requirements in industry; AGFPCI102A Apply effective work practices; AFFPCI103A Demonstrate and apply safe work practices at work; and RUV1103A Support animal care cleaning activities. From the ground up is a guide for teachers, trainers and assessors who are interested in delivering entry level qualifications in the agrifood industry. It is based on Certificate I in Agrifood Pathways and Certificate I in Rural Operations qualifications and relates to project-based learning in either VET in Schools or community contexts. The information and techniques illustrated in the resource can be adapted and applied to any agrifood certificate, with particular relevance to Certificates I and II across industries and industry sectors.

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