What are Qualifications and Skill Sets?

 

This section provides an introduction to qualifications and skill sets.

 

Qualifications

 

Qualifications are groups of units of competency which are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework from Certificate I through to Vocational Graduate Diploma.  A qualification is a formal certification, issued by a relevant approved body, which recognises that a person has achieved learning outcomes relevant to identified individual, professional, industry or community needs.

Each Training Package provides details of those units of competency that must be achieved to award AQF qualifications.  Learners who complete some, but not all, units of competency from a qualification are awarded a ‘Statement of Attainment’.  When the remaining units of competency are completed, a qualification certificate is issued.

The rules around which units of competency can be combined to make up a valid AQF qualification in the Training Package are referred to as the 'packaging rules'.  The packaging rules must be followed to ensure the integrity of nationally recognised qualifications which are issued.

Packaging means selecting units of competency within the rules to suit the specific needs and conditions of the learner and/or enterprise.  Most qualifications have a compulsory set of units of competency (often referred to as ‘core’). They also allow a choice of 'electives' or optional units.  The choice of electives will enable an RTO to select units that are particularly relevant to the learner and the outcomes required by their job.  The qualification rules are an endorsed part of the Training Package and cannot be altered by the RTO.  Source: Adapted from Training Packages @ Work, Back2Basics, Edition 4.

Details of individual qualifications for CPC08 and CPP07 Training Packages can be accessed via the TGA website at www.training.gov.au

For general guidance on qualifications packaging, visit the Training Packages @ Work website for delivery assistance in "Back2Basics".

 

Skills sets

 

Skill sets are not qualifications. They are groupings of units of competency which are combined to provide a clearly defined statement of the skills and knowledge required by an individual to meet industry needs or a licensing or regulatory requirement. 

Skills sets are not a new qualification within the National Training Framework. Instead, they are a way of publicly identifying on a Statement of Attainment, logical groupings of units of competency which meet an identified need or industry outcome, eg for specialist skills or licensing requirements.

For details of CPP07 and CPC08 skill sets and their intended audience,  the TGA website at www.training.gov.au