Certificate of Qualification
A graduate of the Dairy Production Technician program who has completed all requirements will receive a Certificate of Qualification.
Equivalency
Equivalancy status authorizes a farm supervisor to sign off on hours worked by an apprentice without having his or her Certificate of Qualification.
Dairy Employer / Sponsor
A certified tradesperson or equivalent, who provides the apprentices with the opportunity to learn on the job. The sponsor, along with the apprentice, reports progress towards program requirements.
Challenge Exam Explanation
Any person can write a challenge examination to receive their “Certificate of Qualification”, as long as they meet requirements set by the industry and the Industry Training Association. A minimum of 1500 proven work based hours is a requirement.
Individuals are allowed to challenge the exam under special circumstances. Someone who has been in the industry for a long time and who may have some education but no formal qualification can now gain recognition.
They must have a passing grade of 70% or higher upon completion of the exam.
Once they receive their Trade Papers, they would then be recognized within the industry and within British Columbia, which allows for a higher rate of pay and qualifications to bid on a number of industry jobs.
Equivalent Status
Equivalent Status gives you the authorization to sign off on Dairy Production Technician apprentices. However, it does not give you Trade qualifications.
To apply for equivalent status you must complete 1500 work based hours and cover at least 70% of the work based competencies outlined in the Equivalent Status Package.
Why apply for Equivalent Status?
A person applying for Equivalent status is often someone who has been in the industry for several years and may have a great deal of post secondary education but do not have their Trade Papers.
They wish to mentor new apprentices but do not want to write the Challenge exam at the present time.
Once the applicant has received their equivalent number they can challenge the exam at anytime.
Sponsors now need an Equivalent Status or Trade Papers to accept or decline an apprentices “Recommendation for Certification”. The certificate number of the journeyperson or equivalent status number is required at that time. We as HortEducationBC (Industry representation) and ITA (Provincial government) want to ensure that qualified industry individuals are mentoring and assessing an apprentice’s work properly.
