VCE VET Plumbing

Industry Overview:

The plumbing industry in Australia is a highly regulated sector of the building and construction industry. It consists mainly of small business operators and contractors.

This qualification has a range of units that introduce the learner to basic plumbing skills and knowledge including:

· working safely as part of a team

· measuring and calculating

· using basic industry terminology to communicate effectively.

· reading plans and specifications

· selecting and using plumbing tools, equipment and materials

· producing simple technical drawings

· using basic welding equipment

· using plumbing pipes, fittings and fixtures to simulate plumbing installations.

Qualifications rules

Students must achieve nineteen units of competency to gain 22304VIC Certificate II in Plumbing (Pre-apprenticeship) or 22569VIC Certificate II in Plumbing (Pre-apprenticeship), including:

· nineteen core units of competency

All units are core to provide a consistent outcome for graduates with basic skills that allows for employment across all streams of plumbing.

Aims

The VCE VET Plumbing program aims to:

· provide participants with the knowledge, skills, and competency that will enhance their training and employment prospects in one of the various sectors of the plumbing industry.

· enable participants to gain a recognised credential and to make an informed choice of vocation or career path.

Program structure

The VCE VET Plumbing program comprises two certificates II with VCE VET credit at Units 1 to 4 level. Certificates II are typically completed over two years.

The identified units of competency in the VCE VET Plumbing program have been selected for recognition purposes and may vary from the qualification packaging rules.

VCE VET Credit

Students undertaking the VCE VET Plumbing program are eligible for up to five VCE VET units on their VCE or VCAL statement of results:

· three VCE VET Units at Units 1 and 2 level

· a VCE VET Units 3 and 4 sequence.

ATAR Contribution

· The VCE VET Plumbing program does not offer scored assessment. A student who achieves a Units 3 and 4 sequence may be eligible for an increment towards their ATAR.

Structured workplace learning

The VCAA has determined that Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) is an appropriate and valuable component of all VCE VET programs. SWL involves on-the-job training in which students are required to master a designated set of skills and competencies related to VCE VET programs.

SWL complements the training undertaken at the school/RTO. It provides the context for:

· enhancement of skills development

· practical application of industry knowledge

· assessment of units of competency, as determined by the RTO

· increased employment opportunities.

The VCAA strongly recommends that students undertake a minimum of 80 hours of SWL for the VCE VET Plumbing program. SWL should be spread across the duration of the training program

Pathways

The VCE VET Plumbing program opens up many different training and employment pathways. The VCAA recommends study at the lower levels to develop industry foundation skills before moving to higher level qualifications.