Plans, organises, controls, coordinates and operates apiaries to produce honey, queen bee pollen, beeswax and royal jelly, breed queen bees and pollinate crops.
Occupation description
Plans, organises, controls, coordinates and operates apiaries to produce honey, queen bee pollen, beeswax and royal jelly, breed queen bees and pollinate crops.
Occupations considered suitable under this ANZSCO code:
- Bee Farmer
- Honey Producer
Occupations not considered under this ANZSCO code:
- Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers
- Livestock Farm Workers
- Crop Farm Workers
Apiarist/Beekeeper is a VETASSESS Group B occupation
This occupation requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV or higher. Applicants can fulfil the assessment criteria for this occupation in one of four ways.
Description of Pathways
The information below describes the available pathways for a Skills Assessment under Group D. Please note that in order to achieve a successful Skills Assessment Outcome, a positive assessment for both qualifications and employment is required.
Pathway 1
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV or higher and in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation. Certificate IV or higher includes AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma, Master Degree or Doctoral Degree. In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level,
- undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Please note - the qualification level requirement AQF Certificate IV or higher can be satisfied by one qualification, while the requirement for a highly relevant major can be met by a separate qualification at a minimum of AQF Certificate III level.
Pathway 2
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) AQF IV or higher and in a field not highly relevant to the nominated occupation. Certificate IV or higher includes AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma, Master Degree or Doctoral Degree. In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least two years of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level,
- undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Please note- This pathway applies where a qualification is assessed at AQF Certificate IV level or higher and is not highly relevant to the nominated occupation, or where no other relevant qualification at AQF Certificate III level is available for consideration.
Pathway 3
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate III in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation. In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least two years of employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Pathway 4
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV or higher with or without a highly relevant major field of study to the nominated occupation. Certificate IV or higher includes AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma, Master Degree or Doctoral Degree. In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least four years of employment at an appropriate skill level that includes at least one year of highly relevant employment within the last five years before applying,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Qualification and Employment Criteria
Qualification
Highly relevant major fields of study include Beekeeping, Intensive Agriculture, Animal Science, Zoology and Entomology.
Employment
Highly relevant tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Breeding and raising bees for the production of honey, queen bee pollen, beeswax and royal jelly, breed queen bees and pollinate crops;
- Overseeing and undertaking breeding, feeding and nutrition programs;
- Organising the sale, purchase and transportation of bees and produce;
- Maintaining and evaluating records of farming activities, monitoring market activity and planning production accordingly;
- Managing business capital including budgeting, taxation, debt and loan management.
Additional tasks may include:
- May select, train and supervise staff and contractors;
- Overseeing data collection and analysis and farm technology systems;
- Monitoring and maintaining the health, welfare and condition of bees, including developing and overseeing strategies to manage biosecurity and other risks.
Employment information
Beekeepers, also known as Apiarists, are managers of beehives. They oversee the production of honey and related products (such as beeswax, pollen and royal jelly).
Beekeepers are usually individuals who enjoy physical work, being outdoors, as well as taking an interest in plants and insects. Being able to work independently and being willing to travel long distances (moving hives and transporting live bees) is an important part of the role. Most Beekeepers work in agriculture, forestry, manufacturing or commercial industries. Licensing and/or registration may be required in certain states or territories.
When applying for a Skills Assessment, please ensure you submit sufficient evidence supporting proof of identity, qualification and employment claims. A full list of the documents required can be found on the VETASSESS website under Eligibility Criteria. For this occupation, you must also submit a completed farm list or portfolio.
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