Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a formal yet flexible assessment process that can be used to determine an individual’s current level of industry knowledge, identify skills and relevant workforce experience. In order for Qualifications to be issued, the RPL Assessment verifies your competency against the established industry standards that have been detailed in the Training Packages.
RPL is used specifically to review the applicant’s learning and development, all the while taking into consideration any completed prior formal training and the considerable knowledge set associated with performing the daily work duties. Skills recognition also considers proficiency in performing tasks at the expected industry standards. RPL can be defined in simple terms as: formal recognition of an applicant’s knowlege, skills and experience that has been developed across the course of their life – both career and life based; process of evaluating & assessing competency; method to ensure competency is based on benchmark industry standards; system of standards established by Industry Skills Councils and other stakeholders in VET within Australia; and outline of standards to be achieved as defined in National Training Packages. Benefits of RPL RPL is an endorsed method to issue Qualifications within the VET sector in Australia. If Applicants have well developed industry experience, it provides an opportunity to “ fast track” education to achieve Qualifications more quickly than studying.
Benefits include: Skills, experience & knowledge developed throughout your life and career will be verified; * Nationally Recognised Qualifications can be issued to verify your experience; Saves considerable time in achieving Qualifications, as there is generally no requirement for study or additional training; Don’t repeat training for skills that you have already developed throughout your career; It identifies “ training gaps” that eed to be filled so you can achieve competency at the industry standards required; Assessment process is specific to job history & industry and relates to current or previous roles; and Career expertise can be clearly defined by “ mapping” and identifies knowledge in overlapping industry fields. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – The Process RPL Self Assessment Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), combined with Skills Recognition, is a formal assessment process, but it is very flexible and varied in the approach that can be taken to determine an Applicant’s level of knowledge and understanding.
Flexible assessment allows for any learning or development that has been undertaken by the Applicant in the work environment, without the need for completion of formal training. Nationally Recognised Qualifications are issued once it has been determined that competency has been acheived. RPL considers that a vast amount of your career knowledge is developed while performing daily work duties “ on the job” in your industry field of expertise. The self-assessment process is simply a matter of completing checklists to verify your experience, combined with evidence to support the application for RPL.
The RPL process has been streamlined to provide comprehensive, yet highly flexible methods to gather and submit evidence to support your RPL Application. Key Stages in RPL 1. Initial Review of Career Experience When you first contact Get Qualified you will be asked to discuss your career experience and skills with one of our Assessors. This will help us to make suggestions for the most suitable qualifications. You will then be asked to send a copy of your Resume / CV so that we can conduct a comprehensive review in line with the relevant Training Packages for the qualification you are seeking to obtain. 2. Self Assessment
Once the review has been conducted, you will be advised of suitable qualifications that match your career history and experience. If you decide to proceed with RPL, you will be required to complete Enrolment Declarations and complete a detailed self-assessment checklist that provide examples of your career experience and skills. This is mapped against the Units of Competency by our Assessors and combined with a review of evidence to support your RPL Application. Your Assessor will assist you to choose Elective Units (where applicable) that best relate to your career experience, skills, knowledge and understanding. 3. Application Assessment
Once you have sent in the required evidence and completed the self assessment, your Assessor will verify that the evidence provided is suitable and adequate for you to be deemed “ competent”. If any “ gaps” in your skills, knowledge or experience are identified, you may be required provide further evidence to support the application, or you may be required to participate in informal “ competency conversations” with the Assessor. Read more about evidence required for RPL This will assist your Assessor to verify specific knowledge and understanding that relates to the Elements contained within the Units of Competency for the qualification.
Where required, “ on the job assessment” will take place, where an assessor verifies your skills and knowledge in the work environment. Additional fees apply where this process is undertaken. Alternatively, you may be offered the opportunity to complete further “ Gap Training” using our e-Learning Portal. 4. Issue of Qualifications Once sufficient evidence has been compiled by your Assessor to support the RPL Application, it will be submitted to the RTO for final review so the Nationally Recognised Qualification can be issued.
The Qualification will be sent to Get Qualified for checking to ensure all details are correct. Once this is verified, a scanned copy of the certificate will be emailed and the original document will be sent to you via Registered Post. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – Competency Competency The term “ Competency” is critical when discussing training and assessment in Australia. When defining competency in the Recognition of Prior Learning context, the following key points must be considered. It is critical that you: provide evidence that demonstrates you consistently and regularly apply your knowledge and skills on the job; consistently meet the standard of quality performance required in the workplace, based on industry standards; have the ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge across a range of job roles in your industry;* can easily and readily adapt to new and changing situations and work environments; and can apply skills and knowledge that is relevant to the occupation in which you are currently employed.
Demonstration of Competency This is the most critical aspect of any skills assessment process. You must be able to demonstrate competency before you will be issued with a Nationally Recognised Qualification. When preparing evidence for RPL, it is important to consider the following points.
You MUST be able to show that you have: Demonstrated the ability to apply specific industry related knowledge & skills throughout your career; Consistently applied your experience and understanding over an extended period of time; Worked within your specialist industry in positions with reputable businesses; * Worked in a sufficient range of work contexts / positions to demonstrate career progression; Ability to process simple information in the workplace (Cognitive processes) such as analyzing business information, developing ideas, decision making, problem solving and conflict resolution; Employability Skills that relate to those detailed in the relevant Training Packages; and * Well developed executive level skills for advanced / complex analysis and application of information, systems and processes if working as a Manager or Executive.
Competency verifies that an Applicant has developed an acceptable level of skills, knowledge and understanding in order to meet industry benchmark standards. This would mean that they are able to adequately and successfully erform daily duties and meet responsibilities of a specific role in their industry field of expertise. These benchmarks are defined in the Units of Competency within the Training Package for each Nationally Recognised Qualification. The Units of Competency for each qualification should be considered carefully during completion of the RPL process. To achieve competency in RPL, Applicants must have experience (past or present) in industry fields relating directly to Qualification. For instance, an Applicant seeking a Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery must have experience as a cook. An applicant seeking a Marketing Qualification must have experience working in a business and conducting marketing duties as part of their daily operations.
The competency standards that are applied to training and assessment in Australia are detailed in Training Packages that have been developed through consultation between Federal and State Government training bodies, Industry Skills Councils, Registered Training Organisations (RTO’s), business associations, corporate and industry stakeholders. This ensures an integrated national approach for any Training Package development and uniformity in Qualifications that are issued in every state and territory of Australia. Determinations of “ Not Yet Competent” Get Qualified Australia will assist you with professional support at every stage of the RPL process, ensuring you have the best opportunity to achieve the Qualifications you are seeking.
Assessors will ensure that the assessment process is reliable, fair, and flexible. So if you are able to supply suitable evidence that is valid, current and sufficient, then a professional decision on your competency will generally be a straight forward process. If Applicants are unable to provide sufficient evidence for an Assessor to determine competency, then the requirement for additional evidence may be fulfilled by completing various forms of “ Gap Training”. Additional fees apply when this is required. If you are unable to complete all Units of Competency successfully, you are still entitled to receive a “ Statement of Attainment” listing the Units that you have successfully completed and been deemed “ competent”.
This can be used for direct credit transfers for any further qualifications that you would like to complete in the future. If you have any concerns about the Assessment process, there are grounds for review and appeal via the Head Assessor and ASQA. Throughout the RPL process, our Assessors will regularly conduct honest discussions with you, eliminating any need for this to occur. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – Evidence Required Types of Evidence Checklist The types of evidence that can be submitted are extensive. Our Recognition of Prior Learning Self Assessment Kits contain an evidence checklist that you complete as part of the “ self-assessment” process.
This checklist allows you to list evidence of your skills, knowledge and expertise that is relevant to the Units you are completing. The main form of evidence submitted for RPL is generally work based documentation. However, allowing for flexibility and individuality of each Applicant means the types of evidence that can be submitted is extensive and varied. The main forms of evidence that can be submitted include: Career History Documents that verify your current and previous industry experience including Resume / CV, Contracts of Employment and Job Descriptions that detail your duties and responsibilities in the positions you have worked. Training and Career Development
Copies of Qualifications with Academic Transcripts or Statements of Attainment for training that has been completed previously can be used to obtain “ credit transfers” for your Application. Provide details of training courses, inductions & orientations, seminars, workshops, industry committee or association memberships, fellowships and scholarships or industry awards or recognition that you have received. References, Testimonials and Reviews These will be used as a cross reference for evidence of your career history that is provided in your Resume / CV. Any colleagues that will provide a referral or testimonials for your current or most recent industry work MUST have valid contact details so that they can be contacted to confirm your experience if required. Workbased Documentation
These documents are essential forms of evidence that MUST be submitted as part of the Application as they provide clear evidence of the systems & procedures you use or have developed in the workplace. These are directly referenced against Units of Competency. GQ Australia clearly understands the issues in regard to privacy, confidentiality and intellectual property rights relating to any work based documentation that Applicants submit. We always consider the professional integrity of such information and have operational systems in place to ensure that any such information is only used for the process of RPL Applications and Assessment. This is also a primary consideration of RTO’s with which GQ Australia has Partnership Agreements.
According to requirements for Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations 2012 (issued according to requirements of National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011) evidence and assessment tools used to issue Nationally Recognised Qualifications need to be stored for a minimum of 30 years for referencing if required. The only third party that will have direct access to this information is the Federal Government body responsible for administering RTO’s – Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). Files are only accessed for conducting checks to ensure conformance with AQF requirements in conducting VET assessments to issue Qualification Certificates. Workbased Performance These forms of evidence will show you actually achieving outcomes in the work environment.
This is often difficult to document, but evidence can still be provided to support your Application in the form of photos, videos, voice recordings, etc. This evidence could show you completing tasks or creating products, or even show finished products or samples you have prepared in the workplace. Flexibility in the assessment process allows for this type of evidence to be considered valid. If you have prepared an e-Portfolio this is also acceptable, but it MUST be accessible by the RPL Assessor for review as required, without any access or password restrictions. Competency Conversations Competency conversations are conducted throughout the RPL process. In fact, any discussions you have with an Assessor are noted and are submitted as evidence to support the Application.
If after the review of your submitted evidence the Assessor still needs clarification, or is unclear of your competency for a particular Unit, they may ask you to undertake an informal Competency Conversation. This will be a process of the Assessor asking questions that are specific to the Training Package for the Qualification. In particular, the questions will be based on your understanding of the Unit of Competency, Elements and Performance Criteria and how the Employability Skills relate to your career experience in the jobs you have performed. Your responses will be noted down to verify your level of understanding and to determine if you are competent. Direct Demonstration
This is observation of your performance in the workplace, but this is rarely used due to limitations with time and access considerations. It is time consuming, requires extensive planning and is generally only used for Group Assessment. Additional fees apply. Volunteering, Community Groups, Internships or Unpaid Work Experience You can provide evidence to support your application if any of these forms of work have been completed, but they MUST relate to the Qualification that you are being assessed in. Additional Evidence This is any other form of evidence that you consider is relevant to verify your competency. Be sure to check with your RPL Assessor before submitting to ensure that it has relevance to your Application. Workplace Assessment
For some Nationally Recognised Qualifications there is a necessity for detailed workplace skills recognition review and assessment to be completed by RPL applicants. In particular, this relates to RPL for Trade Qualifications. A Skills Assessor from the RTO issuing the Qualification can visit your workplace to view your daily work duties and activities to perform and verify your skills and knowledge “ on the job”. Addtitional charges apply when a work based assessment skills recognition assessment is required. Our Head Assessor will advise you if this is required and additional costs apply. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – Gap Training Gap Training
When Applicants are unable to provide enough supporting evidence to verify competency in all Units contained within the Nationally Recognised Qualification, they may need to complete some form of Gap Training. This is usually conducted by completing reports, assignments or question & answer assessments. These will be provided by the Assessor and can be completed “ on the job” or in your own time as a self-paced process. The tools and resources for Gap Training will relate directly to the Units of Competency to be achieved, so there is no confusion. Once Gap Training has been completed, the Assessments are reviewed by the Assessor before further “ competency conversations” are undertaken to fully verify competency of the Applicant.
If Applicants are unable to successfully complete Gap Training to support all Units of Competency, then a Statement of Attainment is issued listing the completed Units. Additional charges apply for Gap Training and further information is available by talking with our Head Assessor. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – Eligibility Recognition of Prior Learning is a process of conducting a review of career experience so that Nationally Recognised Qualifications can be issued, without undertaking any further formal training.
It is essential that the skills, experience and knowledge you have developed working “ on the job” throughout your career are matched against an appropriate level of Qualification in a relevant industry in which you have experience. Before ommencing the RPL Assessment process, it is important to talk with one of our Industry Skills Assessors so that theRPL process can be explained in detail and your industry knowledge can be verified. The key steps that will be taken for you to commence RPL are: 1. Send your current Resume / CV to Get Qualified Australia so your career skills, knowledge and experience can be verified by an Assessor to review. The experience that you have listed will be matched against the Nationally Recognised Qualification that you are seeking to check if you meet the specified competency requirements. You will then be provided information explaining how to complete the RPL process. 2.
Once your Resume / CV has been reviewed and your level of industry expertise has been established, you will be advised which Qualifications you can complete using RPL and skills recognition. Detailed information on the Qualification and Units of Competency will be sent so that your can check the competency requirements. 3. If you decide to proceed with RPL, you will be issued with an invoice that can be paid electronically. 4. Once confirmation of payment is received, you will be sent an RPL Self Assessment Kit for completion and an Assessor will be assigned to assist you with completing the RPL Application and assessment process. You can also check the “ Key Stages in the RPL Process”.
If you would like to have one of our Industry Skills Assessors conduct a free review of your career experience, please complete our Free Skills Review Form. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – Flexibility Flexibility in RPL Assessment Recognition of Prior Learning and skills recognition offers flexibility in the methods of assessment and types of evidence that can be submitted to verify and achieve competency. Rather than conducting a formal assessment, such as exams or assignments for completing a training course, RPL allows for submission of various forms of evidence to support the application to acheive a Nationally Recognised Qualification.
It is critical that evidence submitted relates to the Units of Competency for the Qualification. Always refer to the Elements and Performance Criteria contained within each Unit of Competency in the Training Package. Check out one of our tutorials on how to search for Training Package Information. Evidence can be work based documentation that the Applicant has prepared or uses in the workplace, completed examples of their work, recorded evidence such as photos, video or audio, or even online e-portfolios. There is no restriction on types of evidence, but is must be valid, accurate, current and sufficient to establish your competency. Applicant Commitments to Work and Business
Get Qualified Australia understands that Applicants have commitments to work and business and this will always be considered as the first priority while you are undertaking the Assessment process. We know that you have commitments to work based deadlines and that you may have considerable workplace pressures and responsibilities. For this reason, the RPL Assessment process has a three (3) month timeframe for completion and additional extensions are available upon written application to the Head Assessor who will make a determination if this is fair. If additional extensions are required after this initial extension period, this may incur an additional service fee. Each Application is Unique
It is important to ensure that the RPL Assessment process has a focus on flexibility and adapting each assessment to the specific circumstances of each individual Applicant. Our Assessors deal with each application on an individual basis and consideration is given to your particular career history and the workplaces you have been employed, rather than relying on a “ one-method-fits” all approach. Get Qualifed Assessors are flexible in their approach and adapt to the changing circumstances in your work and personal life. If you have any issues that may affect your RPL Application, our Assessors will be sure to make plans to allow for any changes or delays in conducting Assessments.