Your employees may already have skills or knowledge that will enable them to gain a qualification without taking part in a whole training program.The skills and knowledge may have been gained through study, self-tuition, work or life experience.
Skills recognition is the acknowledgment by a training provider that an employee has gained an appropriate level of skill and knowledge that would have otherwise been developed through undertaking a course.
Training providers generally apply skills recognition in two ways:
Recognition of prior learning
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is the acknowledgment of skills and knowledge obtained through:
-
formal training or study including courses at school, college, adult education and training programs at work
-
work experience including paid and volunteer work
-
life experience including skills attained through leisure pursuits such as musical, mechanical or linguistic abilities.
RPL recognises this prior knowledge and experience and measures it against the course in which students are enrolled. The student may not need to complete all of a training program if he or she already possesses some of the skills and/or knowledge taught in the program.
RPL has many benefits:
-
students can finish their courses earlier
-
study loads and costs are reduced
-
the student can take on additional study leading to a second qualification
-
by identifying an individual's current competencies, RPL can effectively target training requirements.
Students who want their knowledge and skills recognised under RPL need to provide the training provider with evidence of their prior learning. Training providers take previous experience and study into account whether it was achieved in Australia or overseas.
Credit transfer
Credit transfer allows students to count relevant, successfully completed study - through study at TAFE colleges, accredited private providers, professional organisations or enterprises and universities - towards their current course or qualifications.
It works in two ways:
-
Students receive credit for units or modules they have previously completed and are exempt from retaking them, therefore reducing the study load.
-
Students are exempt from certain introductory units but are still required to complete the total credit points or hours for the course.
Credit transfer is also known as 'advanced standing'.
Contact your preferred training provider for information about skills recognition and skills assessments in relation to the courses they deliver.
If your employee has trained overseas, the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition will provide advice and assessement for non-trade qualifications and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations provides trades assessment services.
