The Certificates of Competence are practical and relevant qualifications, covering stockmanship, welfare, pig husbandry skills and pig unit supervision.

Candidates are assessed on farm and the assessment criteria are based on the demonstration of knowledge and practical skills.

Key revisions include:

• Mandatory units on pig stockmanship and welfare and the safe use of veterinary medicines have been included in the pig husbandry skills learning manual folder (they were in separate folders before)
  
  
• The online written test has been removed to ensure the assessment and qualifications are practical throughout.

If producers still have copies of the original 2006 learner manuals, these can still be used.

The updated editions share the same content, with some additions to cover a wider range of topics, for example, new material for outdoor production systems has been added