Certificate III In Permaculture  Course Code 30868QLD

2012 Dates:  Feb13-Sept 27

 Certificate III is the Permaculture ‘Trade Certificate’

Training in skills for providing professional services to establish and install permaculture landscapes, urban and rural systems, for people developing their own property and those interested in gaining practical skills in:

• Organic food production •  Harvesting and processing
  Garden and orchard design • Companion planting
  Bamboo building & crafting • Natural building
  Alternative technology • Water systems & aquaculture
  Basic botany, plant identification • Herbs, spice & vegetable crops
  Bushfoods & Restoration Ecology • Fruit & Nut trees
  Integrated livestock • Research & communications

Course balances knowledge, skills, practical, & self-directed learning.
Non-competitive environment encourages cooperation & team work.

 Certificate III in Permaculture

Provides ‘trade’ equivalent skills training in permaculture where a person is able to operate in a skilled and independent manner and for those involved in advanced permaculture training. It is equivalent to a trade qualification found in other industries. Outcomes include further training options, traineeships and employment in permaculture, agriculture, horticulture or land management industries.

  Career Opportunities

This qualification provides training for landowners, skilled workers, team leaders, contractual workers and tradespersons engaged in ecological landscaping and gardening services, property establishment and maintenance, planning and implementation for sustainable land-use systems including organic farming, gardening and farm forestry, installing appropriate technologies including grey-water treatment systems and composting toilets, fencing, water system installation, bush regeneration and environmental land management.

 This training is also for people seeking employment and self-employment opportunities in any of the above industries and in eco-tourism, city farm and community garden projects, labour market programmes, landcare projects and range of community development work.

Articulation: up to 3 units of competency can come from other areas of the Rural Training Package from prior training including Horticulture, Agriculture, and Conservation and Land Management, provided the units relate to permaculture practices.

Duration:  1.5 Semesters (3 Terms): 18 hrs per week training, plus workplace experience

Units of Competency: 

APT training package underwent a 5 year review and reaccreditation in 2009. From 2010 courses with PCA will deliver the new units.

The Certificate III qualification requires completion of 15 units of competency; 6 core units plus 9 electives. Up to 3 units can come from Permaculture Cert II or Cert IV, or from other areas of the Rural Training Package (see Articulation above) 

Certificate III Course Program with PCA.

SEMESTER 1:  Knowledge and Skills training 3 days per week - includes PDC & completes Cert III Core units plus 3 elective units Semester 1 foundation program includes the following modules & subjects:

• PDC: 72 hr Permaculture Design Course PLUS
• Communications and Information Technology
• Basic surveying, reading maps & plans 
• Site Assessment, Soil & Water Testing
• Soil, compost and compost teas
• Calculating materials and costs, Bills of Quantity
• Implementation Planning and Coordination
• Community Program coordination
• Integrated Animal Systems
• Basic Botany & Plant Identification
• Food Forests & Orchards, Tree care
• Small Crops Production: vegetables & herbs
• Post Harvest Storage Systems
• Appropriate Technology and Natural Building

SEMESTER 2:  Action-based learning, project implementation and group project work 1 day per week  plus short modules for Seed saving, working with cultural diversity elective units, workshops, tutorials and self-directed and mentored project, research and documentation to complete unit requirements for end of course assessment

 See Program Overview for further details