AHC40122 Certificate IV in Agriculture

In order to achieve this qualification, students must complete twelve (12) units made up of two (2) core units and ten (10) elective units.

The electives chosen must include:

• 4 units from group A.
• 4 units not already selected from groups A, B or C
• 2 units from the remaining units listed in groups A, B or C, or any currently endorsed Training Package or accredited course.
• Electives from group C can only be selected where required as a prerequisite.

You must complete 12 units of study to complete the course. Details of the AHC40122 Certificate IV in Agriculture course are provided in Course descriptions.

Please note: This year’s Cert IV, Fulltime students, are currently completing the AHC40116 Certificate IV in Agriculture. The program in 2025 will be very similar but with updated qualification and units of competency. For a description of how that program is delivered to 2024 students, please refer to the Student handbook.

Graduates often gain positions as senior farmhands and stationhands, or overseers, on properties around NSW and throughout Australia. Some are employed in agribusiness such as rural merchandise stores and stock and station agencies. Others may find work with Local Lands Services or consultancy firms or become self employed as contractors or service providers. Go to our page on careers or refer to the Tocal College Prospectus (PDF) for more career prospects available to students following graduation.

Completion of this course can also give you credit towards some university degrees, particularly if the AHC50122 Diploma in Agriculture is completed concurrently online.

Participants must:

• Hold an AHC30122 Certificate III in Agriculture (or equivalent qualification) OR demonstrate equivalent practical experience working in an agricultural or farming environment.
• Be comfortable taking on increased responsibility for planning, supervising, and coordinating day-to-day farm operations across livestock, cropping, and maintenance areas.
• Be physically capable of carrying out advanced outdoor farm tasks, including operating and maintaining heavy machinery, handling livestock (cattle and sheep), and managing paddock infrastructure across uneven terrain and varied weather conditions.
• Supply and wear mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE), including steel-capped work boots,  a hat and long-sleeved workwear

Language, Literacy, Numeracy, and Digital Capability Requirements

To complete this qualification successfully, participants will need:

• Reading: Interpreting soil analysis reports, livestock genetic profiles, feedlot ration specifications, pest/weed management strategies, machinery technical manuals, and WHS compliance frameworks.
• Writing: Drafting farm work plans, livestock health and breeding records, soil management strategies, machinery maintenance schedules, chemical logbooks, and supervisor reports.
• Numeracy: Calculating precise feedlot nutrition rations, feed conversion ratios, stocking rates, pasture allocation metrics, fertilizer application rates, and farm maintenance budgets.
• Oral Communication & Hearing: Supervising farm staff, conducting team briefings and WHS toolbox talks, coordinating with agronomists/veterinarians, and managing clear workplace communications during field operations.
• Digital Literacy: Intermediate computer skills to utilize digital farming technologies, precision agriculture software, online learning management platforms, and digital record-keeping tools.

One year, full-time.

Residential training concludes early October. Course then concludes with optional, month long off campus placement.

The course is delivered at Tocal College, which has up-to-date training facilities and equipment, as well as commercial and demonstration farm enterprises including beef, dairy, sheep, horses, poultry, bees and cropping.

These enterprises invest in the latest technologies such as individual cow activity and health monitors, irrigation scheduling, and soil moisture probes; GPS / autosteer tractors and variable application rate equipment and automatic livestock ID, recording and drafting.

As a NSW DPIRD Research Centre, the College has had recent upgrades to many of its livestock handling facilities.

Fees are charged for the course studied (including the Smart and Skilled Student Fee), as well as Board & Lodging (includes room, meals, laundry), and Student Association & Recreation, and Resource & Equipment Levies.

Fees are payable at the start of each term or by fortnightly instalments. Specific information on fees is available on the Course fees page, and in the Student Handbook.

There are a large number of scholarships available for students enrolled at Tocal. Information about these, and the relevant application forms, are available from our Financial Assistance page.

Many students also qualify for Youth Allowance or Abstudy which may allow concessions or exemptions from the NSW Smart and Skilled Student Fee, fortnightly support payments or coverage of other fees (contact Centrelink for more information).

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

Tocal youth education students have the opportunity to complete more than the minimum number of units required at no extra charge. These extra units provide students with a broader range of skills and experience and are based on feedback from industry and the employers of Tocal graduates. Completing these extra units increases a student’s employability skills and industry readiness, making them more desirable to potential employers.

Tocal also has articulation (credit for study at Tocal) arrangements in place with a number of Australian universities. For further information please contact us.

Support is available via email, phone, face to face on-campus, and through Cloud Assess (the online learner management system).