CIB - 743 Forest and Forest Products - apprenticeships and traineeships

Date of effect
14 June 2016

Updated
31 March 2023

Qualification

FWP31021 Certificate III in Saw Technology

Terms of apprenticeship

Full time:

• 48 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved

Probationary period

3 months

Date of effect
14 June 2016

Updated
31 March 2023

Qualification

FWP31121 Certificate III in Wood Machining

Terms of apprenticeship

Full time:

• 48 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved

Probationary period

3 months

Date of effect
14 June 2016

Updated
31 March 2023

Qualifications

FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations

FWP30122 Certificate III in Forest Operations

FWP40121 Certificate IV in Forest Operations

FWP50121 Diploma of Forest Operations

Terms of traineeships

Full time:

FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations

• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved.

FWP30122 Certificate III in Forest Operations

• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved
• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved where the trainee holds FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations, FWP20116 Certificate II in Forest Growing and Management or the FWP20216 Certificate II in Harvesting and Haulage.

FWP40121 Certificate IV in Forest Operations

• 36 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved
• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved where the trainee holds the FWP30122 Certificate III in Forest Operations, FWP30116 Certificate III in Forest Growing and Management or the FWP30216 Certificate III in Harvesting and Haulage.

FWP50121 Diploma of Forest Operations

• 36 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved.

Part-time:

See part-time apprenticeships and traineeships

School based

• FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest 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 on-the-job training.

Probationary periods

Where the nominal term is:

• Up to and including 24 months - 2 months
• Greater than 24 months - 3 months

Date of effect
31 March 2023

Qualifications

FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations (Forest Nursery Production)

FWP30122 Certificate III in Forest Operations (Forest Nursery Production)

Terms of traineeships

Full time:

FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations (Forest Nursery Production)

• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved.

FWP30122 Certificate III in Forest Operations (Forest Nursery Production)

• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved
• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved where the trainee holds FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations, FWP20116 Certificate II in Forest Growing and Management or FWP20216 Certificate II in Harvesting and Haulage.

Part-time:

See part-time apprenticeships and traineeships

School based

• FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations (Forest Nursery Production)

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 on-the-job training.

Probationary periods

• 2 months

Date of effect
31 March 2023

Qualifications

FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations (Silviculture)

FWP30122 Certificate III in Forest Operations (Silviculture)

Terms of traineeships

Full time:

FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations (Silviculture)

• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved.

FWP30122 Certificate III in Forest Operations (Silviculture)

• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved
• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved where the trainee holds FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations, FWP20116 Certificate II in Forest Growing and Management or FWP20216 Certificate II in Harvesting and Haulage.

Part-time:

See part-time apprenticeships and traineeships

School based

• FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations (Silviculture)

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 on-the-job training.

Probationary periods

• 2 months

Date of effect
31 March 2023

Qualifications

FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations (Timber Harvesting)

FWP30122 Certificate III in Forest Operations (Timber Harvesting)

Terms of traineeships

Full time:

FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations (Timber Harvesting)

• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved.

FWP30122 Certificate III in Forest Operations (Timber Harvesting)

• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved
• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved where the trainee holds FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations, FWP20116 Certificate II in Forest Growing and Management or FWP20216 Certificate II in Harvesting and Haulage.

Part-time:

See part-time apprenticeships and traineeships

School based

• FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations (Timber Harvesting)

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 on-the-job training.

Probationary periods

• 2 months

Date of effect
31 March 2023

Qualifications

FWP20322 Certificate II in Timber and Wood Products Operations

FWP30322 Certificate III in Timber and Wood Products Operations

FWP40222 Certificate IV in Timber and Wood Products Operations

Terms of traineeships

Full time:

FWP20322 Certificate II in Timber and Wood Products Operations

• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved

FWP30322 Certificate III in Timber and Wood Products Operations

• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved
• 12 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved where the trainee holds FWP20322 Certificate II in Timber and Wood Products, FWP20316 Certificate II in Sawmilling and Processing or FWP20516 Certificate II in Timber Manufactured Products

FWP40222 Certificate IV in Timber and Wood Products Operations

• 36 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved

Part-time:

See part-time apprenticeships and traineeships

School based

• FWP20322 Certificate II in Timber and Wood Products 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 on-the-job training.

Probationary periods

Where the nominal term is:

• Up to and including 24 months - 2 months
• Greater than 24 months - 3 months

Date of effect
14 June 2016

Updated
31 March 2023

Qualification

FWP30622 Certificate III in Timber Building Products Supply

Terms of traineeship

Full time:

FWP30622 Certificate III in Timber Building Products Supply

• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved

Part-time:

See part-time apprenticeships and traineeships

Probationary period

• 2 months

Date of effect
4 June 2021

Qualification

FWP30920 Certificate III in Timber Frame or Truss Manufacture

Terms of traineeship

Full time:

FWP30920 Certificate III in Timber Frame or Truss Manufacture

• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved

Part-time:

See part-time apprenticeships and traineeships

Probationary period

• 2 months

Date of effect
4 June 2021

Qualifications

FWP31220 Certificate III in Timber Systems Design

FWP40420 Certificate IV in Timber Systems Design

Terms of traineeships

Full time:

FWP31220 Certificate III in Timber Systems Design

• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved

FWP40420 Certificate IV in Timber Systems Design

• 36 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved

• 24 months or until the relevant competencies are achieved where the trainee holds the FWP31220 Certificate III in Timber Systems Design

Part-time:

See part-time apprenticeships and traineeships

Probationary periods

Where the nominal term is:

• Up to and including 24 months - 2 months
• Greater than 24 months - 3 months

The Certificate III in Saw Technology provides specialist coverage of Saw Technology competencies, for example hand sharpening knives and blades, welding, aligning sawing production systems and assessing and maintaining saw and cutter performance.

The Certificate III in Wood Machining provides some specialist coverage of saw doctoring competencies, but has a focus on an in-depth knowledge of timber technology.

Progression from the trades would naturally be to Certificate IV in Timber Processing.

At the Certificate II and III levels, jobs cover a range of activities from planting, weeding, pruning and pest management, to falling trees, fire management and construction and maintenance of roads.

This sector also requires higher level technical skills in forest management, with a natural progression to Certificate IV in Forest Operations. At the Certificate IV level there is a balance of supervisory functions together with technical skills in areas such as fire control, breeding and propagation, site establishment and maintenance, tree growing and maintenance.

At the Diploma level, job emphasis is on management in areas such as planning and managing inventory programs, genetic resources, propagation programs, native forest regeneration, product design and panel production.

At the Certificate II and III levels, jobs cover a range of activities from propagation and cultivation of trees in a plant or forestry nursery. Tasks Include:

preparing potting media and containers before planting; selecting seeds and cuttings, and planting them in beds, and containers; watering plants manually and controlling automatic watering operations; applying pesticides to control pests, diseases, weeds, and nutritional and environmental plant disorders; keeping records of soil mixtures, plantings, treatments, losses and yields.

At the Certificate II and III levels, jobs cover a range of activities from planting and propagating trees, seeds, and seedlings, pruning and thinning trees, cultivating and maintaining natural and plantation forests and felling trees, managing and controlling pests and weeds species by applying chemicals.

At the Certificate II and III levels, jobs cover a range of activities from construction of roads and log-landings, plant and equipment operation and harvesting trees to stump removal and segregating or sorting logs.

At the Certificate II and III levels, jobs cover a range of activities from sawing logs, dressing boards and timber, producing hardwood or softwood chips, kiln drying, cutting material using computer programmed machinery, conducting end matching and finger jointing operations to weighing loads.

This sector also requires skills at Certificate IV in Timber and Wood Products which provides a balance of supervisory responsibilities together with technical skills in areas such as grading and testing, timber treatment and drying, sawing operations and competitive manufacturing.

At the Certificate III level, jobs focus on activities from stock control, estimating and costing jobs, cutting and machining material and grading products to sales and customer service.

At the Certificate III level the role of Fabricators in timber wall frames and roof and floor trusses is to use metal reinforcements over connections of timber to build wall trusses. Tasks may include timber picking, cutting, assembling timber in a jog, pressing nail plates into time, and bundling, loading and dispatching orders.

At the CertificateIII level there are specialised job roles in either Design or Manufacture. Common to both roles, trainees will learn:

• Working effectively in the forest and forest products industry
• Communicating and interacting effectively in the workplace
• Implementing safety, health and environment policies and procedures
• Conducting quality and product care procedures
• Contributing to team effectiveness

Trainees will then undertake a qualification to meet the different job roles of Designer or Manufacture, as described in Certificate III in Timber Frame or Truss Manufacture or Certificate III in Timber Systems Design. The specialist competencies may include:

• interpreting designs to prepare timber floor system
• preparing drawings and documents using computers
• creating drawings using computer aided design systems
• designing timber structures
• assembling timber wall frames
• planning and coordinating product assembly
• organising despatch operations

Certificate IV in Timber Systems Design jobs are to analyse and evaluate information from a variety of sources and to provide leadership and guidance to others. Tasks may include:

• researching and applying techniques for application to spatial design strategy
• designing timber structures
• planning and coordinating product assembly
• diagnosing and calculating production costs
• installing and commissioning cnc software
• identifying and producing estimated costs for building and construction projects
• managing projects
• managing installation and commissioning of equipment
• organising enterprise maintenance programs
• managing product design
• managing information management systems
• managing operational plans

FWPr8.1 Forest and Wood Products Training Package includes the following  qualifications that support apprenticeship and traineeship pathways

Apprenticeships

• FWP31021 Certificate III in Saw Technology
• FWP31121 Certificate III in Wood Machining

Traineeships

• FWP20121 Certificate II in Forest Operations
• FWP20322 Certificate II in Timber and Wood Products Operations
• FWP30121 Certificate III in Forest Operations
• FWP30322 Certificate III in Timber and Wood Products Operations
• FWP30620 Certificate III in Timber Building Products Supply
• FWP30920 Certificate III in Timber Frame or Truss Manufacture
• FWP31220 Certificate III in Timber Systems Design
• FWP40121 Certificate IV in Forest Operations
• FWP40222 Certificate IV in Timber and Wood Products Operations
• FWP40420 Certificate IV in Timber Systems Design
• FWP50121 Diploma of Forest Operations

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.

Download a Request for Competency Based Completion form.

Competency based completion provisions for apprentices

The ‘Timber Industry Award 2010 Section 12.7(c)’ states that the term of apprenticeship is determined by the rate by which an apprentice gains the required competence and the starting level of competence of the apprentice. Four years is a general guide but an apprenticeship will end once an apprentice displays the competency required by the apprenticeship indentures or the appropriate State apprenticeship authority or commission.

Applications under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001 to establish an apprenticeship or 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.

Apprentices and trainees may be employed under the following award:

• Timber Industry Award 2020

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.

Forest and Forest Products

The following qualifications are available as school based traineeships:

• FWP20122 Certificate II in Forest Operations
• FWP20322 Certificate II in Timber and Wood Products Operations

Working in parts of the forest and forest products industry will often involve exposure to heavy equipment, high speed machinery and production facilities and the movement of heavy loads. Careful and close supervision of trainees and new entrants to the industry, especially those who are not familiar to this environment, is essential and particularly vital to school based traineeship arrangements. Trainees should not be left unsupervised in the parts of the industry that operate in this environment.

For traineeship qualifications available for delivery in schools, click here.

For further information on the delivery of training for school based part-time traineeships, refer to Training Arrangements.

Anyone working in or supervising timber harvesting and haulage operations in NSW must hold forest operator competency requirements as specified by their forest manager. Workers are encouraged to consult with the forest manager to ensure that they are aware of the current and specific requirements.

In New South Wales there are licensing requirements for the use of industrial equipment in forest and forest products industry work. High-risk operator’s licenses are required for the operation of:

• Forklift Truck
• Order Picking Forklift Truck
• Basic Boiler Operation
• Intermediate Boiler Operation
• Advanced Boiler Operation
• Bridge and Gantry Cranes
• Vehicle Loading Cranes
• Non-Slewing Mobile Cranes (>3 tonne capacity)
• Slewing Mobile Cranes
• Boom Type Elevating Work Platforms (>11m boom length)

For the operation of the following industrial equipment a license is not required, but operators need to show evidence of competency under expected work conditions and complexity (eg. attained appropriate unit of competency, completed training at an industry training school, hold old workcover card, letter from previous employer attesting to level of competency).

• Front End Loader
• Front-End Loader/Backhoe
• Front-End Loader/Skid Steer
• Excavator

To check licensing requirements contact Workcover NSW or telephone 13 10 50.

For registered training providers that can deliver the qualifications go to training.gov.au.
A list of training organisations that are in contract with the NSW Department of Education 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 qualifications units of competency.

On 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.

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 in either the new or superseded qualification but must meet the requirements of ASQA. For more information refer to ASAQ's General Direction - Learner Transition.

A copy of the Vocational Training Order is available for inspection below or at any Training Services NSW regional offices of the NSW Department of Education.