NARA Good Practice Workshops

Skills Recognition Good Practice Workshops

Between November 2007 and June 2008, NARA Auditor and NARA-endorsed Quality Consultant Wendy Perry delivered a number of workshops throughout Australia on RPL as a Strategic Opportunity. Wendy’s presentation and copies of her handouts are also available for downloading below:

Wendy's Presentation [powerpoint 278kb]
RPL ‘Fishbone’ diagram [powerpoint 51kb]
RPL ‘Building Blocks’ diagram [powerpoint 48kb]
Skills Recognition Good Practice Model [powerpoint 37kb]

Find out more information on RPL, including the resources and networks mentioned by Wendy in her presentation, on NARA’s Recognition of Prior Learning.

Workshop Content

The workshop covered the following areas:

definition of RPL;
RPL and the AQTF 2007;
Skills Recognition as a capability measurement using units of competency as building blocks;
customising an RTOs approach for different clients;
using Skills Recognition to underpin VET workforce development; and
examples of skills recognition good practice.

Definitions - the importance of defining RPL

Early in the presentation, Wendy stressed the importance of having an accurate definition of RPL as a starting point for any discussion. She referred to the definition in the AQTF 2007:

“RPL is an assessment process that assesses an individual’s non-formal and informal learning to determine the extent to which an individual has achieved the required learning outcomes, competency outcomes, or standards for entry to, and/or partial or total completion of, a qualification.” (AQTF07)

The same definition is used in the National Principles and Operational Guidelines for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), published by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Council Secretariat. The guideline also contains seventeen principles relating to RPL and is an extremely useful resource.

Copies can be requested by emailing: aqfc@saugov.sa.gov.au

RPL and the AQTF 2007

Wendy stated the importance of meeting the requirements of the AQTF 2007 Essential Standards by approaching RPL as a form of assessment, rather than seeing the process as being more difficult than other forms of assessments as is sometimes the case. She encouraged RTOs to focus on what is working well for them in RPL, to have a positive outlook and to look for opportunities for continuous improvement. Her view was that this approach can increase an RTO’s sense of competence with RPL and inspire further thought, action and results.

Skills Recognition as a capability measurement using units of competency as building blocks

Wendy discussed Skills Recognition as a developmental process and introduced her Skills Recognition Continuum as one way of looking for new business and organisational opportunities.

Wendy also introduced participants to a number of Commonwealth, State and Territory RPL initiatives including ‘Skills Stores’ and RPL networks. Refer to this list of links.

Customising an RTO’s approach for different clients

Wendy asked participants to consider the following questions.

Who are your Skills Recognition clients now?
What target markets do those clients represent and what are their expectations and motivations?
What information do you provide for the target markets and in what formats?

In responding to these questions Wendy asked participants to consider how customising their approaches could create new business opportunities for RTOs.

Using Skills Recognition to underpin VET workforce development

Wendy asked RTOs to practice Skills Recognition in their own organisations and to consider using units of competence to underpin:

job profiling;
training needs analysis;
professional development and performance management;
leadership development; and
strategic human resource management.

Wendy emphasised that Skills Recognition creates an opportunity for RTOs to practice what they deliver and that Skills Recognition underpins workforce development.

What is good practice?

Wendy offered the following examples of skills recognition good practice:

having policies and procedures but not a one size fits all approach;
having a facilitative, developmental approach;
ensuring you have the right skills for Skills Recognition;
ensuring that the enrolment process includes a skills profile first, with units of competence as the currency;
developing dynamic training plans;
ensuring that marketing fits the audience being marketed to;
including Skills Recognition in the suite of RTO products and services;

Issues for RTOs

During the workshop activity sessions, RTOs nominated the following as some of their key issues of concern when working with RPL:

the certification of overseas qualifications;
the costs associated with RPL , the resource implications and fee schedules;
the currency of the competencies being assessed for RPL;
the sufficiency of evidence required; and
subjectivity in decision making process.

General discussion took place regarding these issues and it was acknowledged they were critical areas of concern for RTOs. The workshop did not allow time to provide specific feedback, but was nominated as a further NARA workshop topic.

Feedback from Participants

NARA is keen to ensure the workshops it runs are relevant and useful for participants. Feedback from all workshops has been very positive, with participants consistently rating the workshops between 4.3 – 4.6 on a five point scale. At our most recent workshop in Brisbane 98% of participants described the session as either excellent or above average.

Specific comments from participants at the workshops have included the following:

“Well done everyone, professionally prepared & presented”

“A refreshing, non-atomistic, realistic approach being advocated by a registering body”

“Congratulations, very interesting”

“Eye opening, points out new potential”

“Gave me quite a few ideas to think about & a new perspective on the benefits of skills recognition as a workplace development tool”

Print this page | last updated: 14 Jul 2008 4:45pm