Career and Learning Pathways
These pages provide an overview of considerations for a career or learning pathway within the Spatial Information Services (SIS) Sector, including:
Explaining the concept of ‘learning for life’.
Explaining assessment pathways and training options.
Links to key websites.
Career websites and links, and a listing of spatial information services occupations.
To illustrate how qualifications can be mapped and customised to meet to specific needs of a job.
Lifelong learning
A career is much larger than a job or an occupation. It is the variety of experiences of learning and work (both unpaid and paid) that a person undertakes throughout their lifetime. The key differences between a career, occupation and job are:
§ Career: is the sum total of paid and unpaid work, learning and life roles undertaken throughout a person’s life.
§ Occupation: is a group of similar jobs found in different industries or organisations.
§ Job: is a position in which a person performs tasks for payment .
Our careers are influenced by many things, such as our interests, our age, our education, our families and our cultural values, all of which change over time. Very few people these days have a job or an occupation for life. It is generally expected that people will make changes throughout their career, and participate in learning to keep pace with skills changes.
It is up to you to plan, build and manage your lifelong career journey, rather than just let it happen. You are best placed to make choices about your learning and career based on your own skills, knowledge, interests, personal circumstances and preferences. In planning a career, you need to consider many things including:
§ Skills - What can you do now? What skills do you enjoy using and what skills would you like to develop?
§ Knowledge - What do you know now? What would you like to learn about? What knowledge do you enjoy using?
§ Values - What is important to you? What is the reason you work? What motivates you to study and work? What do you want work to provide you with?
§ Work conditions - What are you doing now? What would you prefer to be doing? Where and when would you like to work?
§ Goals - What are your goals for the future? What do the goals tell you about your career direction and work roles that might suit you?
These and other issues will need to be taken account of when making decisions about your career and options for lifelong learning.
Learning pathways
In planning your lifelong learning journey, you will need to consider a learning pathway which meets your needs. A learning pathway is a way of moving around different education and training options. It may consist of an apprenticeship or traineeship, further study, job promotion or employment (or a combination of these). Click HERE to view a diagram showing the learning pathways available for the SIS Sector including qualifications, skill sets and their general AQF alignment, and entry points. These pathways are flexible and can be achieved using a combination of strategies, for example on-the-job learning, off-the-job learning, and recognition of prior learning (ie the skills, knowledge and experience you already have).
Assessment Pathways
Within the VET system, a common learning pathway is called an “assessment pathway”. There are a number of ways to achieve this as shown below.
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Assessment pathway |
How it is applied |
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Training and assessment pathway undertaken entirely |
Any off-the-job assessment must be undertaken using the methodology outlined in the evidence guide of each unit of competency. Assessment off-the-job will generally be through workplace or community-based simulation. |
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Training and assessment undertaken entirely on-the-job |
This pathway may be suited to Australian Apprenticeship participants, existing workers, and the many experienced or mature aged workers in the SIS sector who do not have formal qualifications. |
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Training and assessment which combines on and |
This pathway is particularly suited to Australian Apprenticeship participants, but may also be suitable for the many experienced workers in the SIS sector who may need some formal training to update their knowledge and skills. |
What types of training are available?
Competencies necessary for your work or career plans may be able to be developed through a range of training and development opportunities. Some examples of training or learning opportunities that can be used include:
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On-the-job training |
Classroom training |
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Job rotation |
Short courses (on or off-the-job) |
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TAFE and university courses |
Self-paced learning |
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Computer-based training |
Interactive multi-media |
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Open learning |
Workplace projects |
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Relief work opportunities |
Coaching/mentoring |
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Professional development |
Observation or demonstration |
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Access learning resources |
Performance feedback and review |
Australian Apprenticeships within the SIS Sector
Australian Apprenticeships encompass all apprenticeships and traineeships. They combine time at work with training and can be full-time, part-time or school-based. Many of the qualifications within the SIS Sector focus on use of Australian Apprenticeships as a means to combine training and employment to lead to a nationally recognised qualification and trade.
Australian Apprenticeships are available to anyone of working age and do not require any entry qualifications. They are also available in a variety of certificate levels in more than 500 occupations across
For more information about Australian Apprenticeships for occupations in the SIS Sector, visit the Australian Apprenticeships website at www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au or call 133873 for the referral telephone line. Also, the website www.aajobpathways.com.au includes useful information on job pathways involving traineeships within the sector.
SIS Sector career pathways
There are several career pathways available to people entering, or already working in, the SIS Sector of the property services industry. Each pathway requires specialist training and qualifications which are also linked to licensing requirements.
There are many career options within the SIS Sector - from determining property boundaries to designing maps, to collating and managing spatial information in a Geopgraphic Information System (GIS), to town planning or undertaking geology work to find and develop mineral and fuel resources.
Useful career websites and links
Information on career pathways and national qualifications for the sector is available through many existing websites and links. Three useful sites are listed below.
Construct My Career: www.constructmycareer.com.au |
Developed by CPSISC to provide information, links and resources for the following: § An overview of the Construction and Property Services Industries and the jobs which are available § Tools to assist in planning a career pathway. Section includes links to occupations and example success stories § Career Information with links to several careers and industry-specific websites § An overview and links to group training and Group Training Companies § Information for Regional Industry Careers Advisors including fact sheets, resources and links § Frequently Asked Questions and answers § Feedback link § Links to job search websites § Glossary of common terms |
Job Guide: www.jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au/ |
Developed by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to provide information, links and resources. The Job Guide provides a comprehensive look at a range of occupations, and their education and training pathways. It also gives useful information about how to work out what occupations might best suit a person, based on their interests and abilities. A search facility allows a listing of approximately 1,500 occupations, specialisations and alternative job names to be narrowed down. The Job Guide also provides a number of useful tools and resources, for example a web-based résumé builder. |
Australian Apprenticeships Training Information Service: www.natinfo.com.au |
An Australian Government initiative, this useful website is an 'industry site' providing resources for Australian Apprenticeship Centres, RTOs, Group Training Companies (GTCs) and other organisations marketing and implementing Australian Apprenticeships. It is a major resource for students, job seekers, parents and careers advisors providing information on Sample Training Programs using endorsed qualifications, Training Package pathway charts, current Government initiatives and industry Information, and sections on ‘What's New’ and frequently asked questions and answers. Contact details and links to Australian Apprenticeship Centres are also included. Links are also provided for students, careers advisers, job candidates, parents and employers to the Job Pathways website (www.aajobpathways.com.au/) to help them to find easy to access Australian Apprenticeships information. Links to the Skills and Training Information website (www.skillsandtraininginfo.com.au/) aim to provide employers, employees, job seekers and their support organisations with skills and training information and contacts. The site allows visitors to search for examples of occupations and qualifications that may be used under initiatives such as Australian Apprenticeships and the Productivity Places Program. It also provides links to organisations that provide practical assistance. |
Mapping of SIS Sector qualifications to occupations
Much work has been done in recent years by experienced people in the industry to develop qualifications and skill sets which are meaningful to SIS Sector jobs. Qualifications provide an opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge required to perform the key functions required by a job. Skill sets provide an opportunity to gain a set of key skills (or a cluster of units of competency) which are relevant to your work where a full qualification is not suitable or does not meet your needs.
The first step in your skills development is to match an appropriate qualification, or grouping of units of competency, to your skills needs. The spatial information services qualifications within CPP07 are designed to prepare people for real jobs in the SIS Sector.
Qualifications are flexible. This means the packaging rules allow for some choice in the selection of units of competency. A recognition process is also available, and units can be customised to meet the specific needs of you and your workplace, or licensing requirements if needed. To illustrate the flexibility within the packaging rules for qualifications, different specialisations for the occupation of 'GIS assistant' are shown below with elective selections adjusted to met the specific needs of each.
§ Example 1 - GIS Assistant with focus on mining related activities
§ Example 2 - GIS Assistant with focus on regional planning
Below is an index of some key occupation titles for the SIS Sector. A brief description of each occupation is also shown, as well as the qualifications which would be relevant to each. Remember, these are examples only and are not mandatory. Qualifications should be tailored to meet specific individual and enterprise needs.
Key: Spatial Information Services Qualifications Pathways
Surveying Qualifications Pathways
AQF level | Occupation titles & descriptions | Example Qualifications/skill sets |
Advanced Diploma | Manager or Supervisor in: § Remote sensing § Surveying § Cartography § Town planning/mapping § Geographic Information services (GIS) | |
Diploma | Surveying Technician | |
Town Planning Officer | ||
Certificate IV | Survey Assistant | |
Geographic Information Services (GIS) Assistant | ||
Certificate III | Data Collection Officer | |
Certificate II | Field Hand |
