AHC31818 Certificate III in Beekeeping

The qualification includes a blend of face-to-face, online modules and workplace assessment, including practical components with hands-on exercises involving bee hives and various beekeeping equipment. The applicant must successfully complete thirteen (13) core units and five (5) elective units.

Core units

• AHCBEK203 - Open and reassemble a beehive
• AHCBEK205 - Prepare and use a bee smoker
• AHCBEK206 - Assemble and maintain beekeeping components
• AHCBEK301 - Manage honey bee swarms
• AHCBEK302 - Manipulate honey bee brood
• AHCBEK303 - Re-queen a honey bee colony
• AHCBEK304 - Remove a honey crop from a hive
• AHCBEK311 - Transport bee hives by road to new apiary site
• AHCBEK312 - Extract honey
• AHCBEK313 - Manage pests and disease within a honey bee colony
• AHCBEK405 - Select and establish an apiary site
• AHCWHS301 - Contribute to work health and safety processes
• AHCWRK306 - Comply with industry quality assurance requirements

Elective units

More information on these units of study can be found on the training.gov.au website.

Possible job roles for this qualification include:

• Beekeeping
• Honey Processing
• Wax processing
• Hive building
• Queen bee breeding
• Bee sales
• Pollination services.

Due to the demand for this qualification, Tocal College has a staged application and selection process. This is a trade level qualification, and priority will be given to beekeepers currently working in the bee industry, new full-time trainees of commercial beekeepers, and beekeepers seeking to diversify and/or scale up their beekeeping business operations.

For beekeepers not requiring the full qualification but wanting to increase their skills, Tocal College offers accredited industry short course training in bees.

Up to two (2) years.

Assessment methods may include:

• written reports
• case studies and scenarios
• oral presentations
• quizzes
• observations
• interviews.

The principles of assessment will be followed and all assessments will be valid, reliable, flexible and fair and carried out by qualified assessors. Students will be advised of the assessment requirements prior to the assessment taking place.

Support is available via:

• email and phone – refer to the contact details listed within your course
• face-to-face mentoring sessions on-campus – you can book an appointment with your trainer
• Canvas (the online learner management system).

The Smart & Skilled course fee is considered a student contribution to the full cost of training, the difference being subsidised by the State Government. The fee payable depends upon eligibility and access to concessions or exemptions. Currently, students can expect to pay:

• $1,400 for NSW Smart and Skilled supported first qualification (non-traineeship)
• $1,690 for NSW Smart and Skilled supported second or further qualification
• $5,910 full commercial fee for all students not eligible for NSW Smart and Skilled support (more information is available on the Smart & Skilled website).

For information on students rights and responsibilities, and the Tocal College Code of Practice, see Industry qualification student policies.

Student may decide to progress to further study within the College. Tocal also has articulation (credit for study at Tocal) arrangements in place with a number of Australian universities.