Maintaining vocational competency and currency as a VET practitioner

Stephanie Trestrail Training Accreditation Council

Secretariat

Standards for RTOs 2015

Vocational Competency and

Industry Currency

Stephanie Trestrail

Training Accreditation Council Secretariat

Overview of Session

• Overview of compliance requirements for

trainers and assessors

• Overview of compliance requirements for

industry engagement

• Focus on making the connections and

demonstrating compliance

Skilled Trainers and Assessors

Clauses 1.13-1.16

Clause 1.13 – Vocational competency and Industry Currency

Training and assessment is delivered only by persons who have:

a) vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered and

assessed;

(Industry qualifications or equivalent)

b) current industry skills directly relevant to the training and

assessment being provided; and

(Skills that reflect current industry practice)

c) current knowledge and skills in vocational training and learning

that informs their training and assessment.

(Staying up to date with VET theory and practice)

Industry experts may also be involved in the assessment judgement,

working alongside the trainer and/or assessor to conduct the assessment.

Webinar 5 May 2016

Skilled Trainers and Assessors

Clauses 1.13-1.16

Clause 1.14 – Training and assessment

qualifications

Training and assessment is delivered only by persons who

have:

b) from 1 January 2016, the TAE40110 Certificate IV in

Training and Assessment or a diploma or higher level

qualification in adult education.

Clause 1.15 – Conducting assessment only

As above, or the TAESS00001 Assessor Skill Set.

Webinar 5 May 2016

Skilled Trainers and Assessors

Clauses 1.13-1.16

Clause 1.16 – Professional development

Trainers and assessors undertake professional development in

the fields of the knowledge and practice of vocational

training, learning and assessment including competency

based training and assessment.

Professional development can be formal and informal activities:

• Courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, formal learning

• Mentoring, professional associations, other learning networks

• Individual research or reading

• Moderation or validation activities

• Industry release schemes

Webinar 5 May 2016

Providing Supervision

Clauses 1.17-1.20

Summary - Individuals working under supervision must

have:

• Vocational competencies at least to the level being

delivered

• Current industry skills directly relevant to the training and

assessment being provided

• One of these skill sets:

• TAESS00007 Enterprise Trainer – Presenting Skill Set

• TAESS00008 Enterprise Trainer – Mentoring Skill Set

• TAESS00003 Enterprise Trainer and Assessor Skill Set

• A suitable level of supervision, conditions and accountability

Webinar 5 May 2016

Vocational competency

• In some cases, trainers and assessors will not hold

the qualification or unit of competency to be delivered

(or will hold a ‘higher’ qualification).

• you will need to demonstrate equivalence.

Webinar 5 May 2016

Vocational competency

- demonstrating equivalence

Equivalence is most commonly demonstrated by

mapping past training, experience and ongoing PD

against the unit of competency.

Evidence to demonstrate equivalence of vocational

competence may include:

• Relevant past training (including superseded and

pre-existing industry qualifications)

• Experience

• Professional development

• Only to the level required! Webinar 5 May 2016

• Objective of mapping - A clear and verified

relationship between trainers’ and assessors’ formal

or informal training and experience and the

qualification or units/modules they deliver and

assess, that identifies and addresses any gaps.

• Relevancy is a common issue - you must clearly

establish the relationship between that person’s

training/experience and the unit or qualification.

• If you cannot establish this relationship, that staff

member may not have the required skills and

knowledge.

Vocational competency and currency

- mapping

Webinar 5 May 2016

Industry Currency

Industry currency - maintenance of a trainer’s

vocational technical skills and knowledge

• Keeping up to date with current industry knowledge,

skills and practice.

• Industry currency enables trainers to deliver and assess

vocational training relevant to industry and is central to

the concept of being a dual professional. Staff need to

be trainers and industry professionals.

Webinar 5 May 2016

Industry Engagement

1.5 The RTO’s training and assessment practices are

relevant to the needs of industry and informed by industry

engagement

1.6 The RTO implements a range of strategies for industry

engagement and systematically uses the outcome of that

industry engagement to ensure the industry relevance of:

a) Its training and assessment strategies, practices and

resources; and

b) The current industry skills of its trainers and assessors

Webinar 5 May 2016

Factors that influence industry currency

and industry relevance of training

• Technological innovation

• Changing legislation and regulatory requirements

• Changes to industry practice

• New and emerging skills and specialisations as work

practices change

• Technical skill degradation through periods of non-use.

Each RTO has to consider relevant factors, ideally in

consultation with industry, to determine appropriate

currency and industry relevance.

Webinar 5 May 2016

Maintaining Industry Currency

• No one currency period, specific activity or group

of activities represent the best way to maintain

industry currency.

• There are a range of activities that may work for

an individual trainer/assessor and RTO

• Within the context of the qualification being

provided.

• Negotiation up front is the key.

Webinar 5 May 2016

Industry currency

• Evidence of attendance at PD events is not sufficient to

demonstrate that you have the current skills and

competencies required under the Standards, or that

training delivery is industry-informed.

• It is critical to demonstrate clearly how you are using

and applying what you have done and learned at these

events, to ensure qualification/s are being delivered in

realistic, simulated work environments, covering content,

skills, learning and assessment opportunities that are

informed by industry and current with industry.

Webinar 5 May 2016

Good practice to undertake the following after a PD event:

1. Review the information presented and the activities

undertaken on the day

2. Review professional currency/competency register or

matrix – what is the direct relationship.

Webinar 5 May 2016

Industry informed VET

Review the learning and assessment strategies and tools

you are currently using and record the following:

• New information that you obtained and how you are

adapting your learning and assessment strategies,

delivery plans or similar to ensure your students are

learning, practicing and demonstrating competency in

the skills and practices industry currently uses and

requires

• New information that aligns with what you are already

doing, this helps to show that what you are doing is in

line with industry need/expectation.

Webinar 5 May 2016

Industry informed VET

• New information around workplace activities and environments and how you do, or will adapt your delivery and assessment activities to ensure the qualification is delivered in as realistic and authentic a manner as possible

Webinar 5 May 2016

What are auditors looking for?

Evidence of:

1. A process in place to establish equivalence

(if trainer/assessor does not hold a particular qualification);

2. A clear and verified relationship between trainers’ and

assessors’ formal or informal training and experience and the

qualification or units/modules they deliver and assess;

3. Current, relevant industry skills; and

4. Current VET knowledge and skills, and ongoing professional

development in VET, including competency-based training

and assessment practice (note: delivering training and

assessment does not constitute professional

development).

Webinar 5 May 2016

Competency and currency:

- some critical questions

• What does the qualification say? Take it back to

basics.

• How do you know that you can do the job?

• How do you know you are keeping up to date with

changes and recent developments in your industry?

• Are you doing what you say you will do? Don’t let

your own policies trip you up.

• Can you clearly show the relationship between what

you are delivering and what you have experience

in?

Webinar 5 May 2016

Visit the TAC website for access to

Fact Sheets, FAQs & Users’ Guide

www.tac.wa.gov.au

tac@des.wa.gov.au

9441 1910

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Szymenderski

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Velg Training

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(Cyril Jackson Senior Campus),

(Woodvale Secondary College)

(Ursula Frayne Catholic College)

Monday 30th 11:30am – 12:30pm