Diploma of Conservation and Land Management

The Education Program of the Invasive Animals CRC has developed and trialled a Diploma level (6 units at level V) training course in best practice pest management under the Australian Qualifications Framework.  The aim of the course is to increase the capacity of those involved in planning and implementing strategic and cooperative invasive animal management.  The course complements the pest animal training course being developed by NSW DPI for levels 1 – IV. It is consistent with and will help meet the adoption aims of VPC’s National Pest Animal Strategy.

The course is delivered by the Institute for Applied Ecology and the Invasive Animals CRC, through the University of Canberra College, a Registered Training Organisation. Upon full completion of the course students will be awarded 6 of the 10 units that form the Diploma of Conservation and Land Management, Specialising in Vertebrate Pest Management. The remaining 4 units can be obtained via Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) through TOCAL College (see below).

The following are some comments that the current cohort of course participants have said about the course:

 “My knowledge of many aspects of pest management has improved” – Pest Animal Project Officer.

“The course is really well structured and introduces the topics in a very logical order” – Senior Pest Coordinator.

“The content is informative, beneficial and the format works” – Govt Pest Officer. 

“It’s all content that we use and need in our everyday employment. It will enable us to do our jobs better” –  Senior pest Animal Ranger.

“Having such an expert yet approachable facilitator like Mike has been great” – Pest Animal Project Officer. 

The course fee for 2009 will be $7000 (plus travel and accommodation costs) and will include all text resources and reference materials. It runs for 2 semesters (15 weeks each) beginning around the last week of February and is delivered primarily online supported by 3 short compulsory residential components in Canberra (February, July, and November). Students are required to develop and present a practical pest management plan as part of the course assessment.

Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) 

It is recognised that many land management practitioners have extensive management in the field, but may not have undertaken any formal training course in the past.    Vocational training in Australia can now recognise 'prior learning' for accreditation towards achieving formal qualifications.  

Credits toward a Diploma of CLM can also be obtained by participating in a program run out of DPI’s Tocal College.   Participants can achieve nationally-recognised certification at Certificate III, IV and diploma levels depending on experience.  Each candidate is independently assessed against common national criteria, and their Certificate can be used for career progression.  Additional training needs and units for individual candidates can also be identified during their assessment.

To launch the project, the Invasive Animals CRC provided 8 scholarships to officers from Rural Lands Protection Boards, NSW Dept of Environment and Climate Change, ACT Environment and the Wild Dog Destruction Board. Additional candidates from Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Scotia Reserve joined the program.  All candidates were very impressive in their pest management roles and achieved competency in all units they undertook.

The first graduates were awarded their Certificates in March 2008.  Interest in the program is increasing and more candidates will be assessed on an ongoing basis.

Ken Ryall, Tony Cathcart and Peter Fleming.  Ken, Peter and Cathy Crawford are the RPL assessors from NSW DPI

Jim Balnaves (left) receives his Diploma from Tocal College graduation day guest speaker, Peter Coupland