What is Skills Recognition?

An employee may already have skills or knowledge that will enable them to gain a qualification, skill set or units of competency without taking part in a whole training program. The skills and knowledge may have been gained through study, work or life experience. Skills recognition is the acknowledgment by an RTO (or other training provider) that a person has gained an appropriate level of skill and knowledge that would have otherwise been developed by undertaking a course or formal training program.

Skills recognition is usually applied either by credit transfer, or by Recognition of Prior Learning (or RPL).  Recognition of Prior Learning involves assessment of previously unrecognised skills and knowledge, and work or life experience, that a person has acquired outside the formal education and training system. It is the formal acknowledgement of a person’s competencies, regardless of how, when or where the learning occurred. 

Undertaking a recognition process is the first step in planning a competency-based learning program to help an employee to achieve their career goals in the Property Services and Construction industries. It should be conducted before developing a training plan. This is because it is important to first determine the units of competency for which the employee may already be deemed competent. 

It is the job of the RTO to help the employee (or learner) to complete a recognition process if the learner feels that they are already competent in one or more relevant units of competency. The RTO can assist the learner to assemble evidence of competence against the unit(s), for example certificates, training programs, referee reports etc, and to submit a portfolio for assessment. 

Recognition is an integral component of the VET system and as such, is detailed within the standards for RTOs as part of the AQTF 2010. Under the AQTF, skills which could be considered for recognition may have been gained through any combination of the following:

• formal (or informal) training and education (eg, completion of in-house training programs, a trade apprenticeship, an accredited course, etc)
• work experience (jobs and experience within industry)
• general life experience.

The evidence of competence is still assessed in relation to the units of competency, but can be done in a number of ways including:

• practical demonstrations (eg reading and interpreting work instructions, property documentation, construction tenders and contracts etc)
• references from, or interviews with work supervisors
• certificates or documentation (eg, from performance reviews, previous training etc)
• documented evidence (such as certificates of competency or attainment, testimonials, copies of reports written by the learner etc).

Recognition is particularly important for mature age workers (ie people aged 45 years and over) who will no doubt have a wealth of industry and life knowledge, skills and experience which could provide them with credit towards units of competency or a full qualification. This means the learner will save time, finish their qualification sooner, and not duplicate their efforts. The process should be as simple as possible and make participation in a training program more efficient and attractive to learners and their employers - not create more work!

For more information about skills recognition and recognition processes, visit the Training Packages @ Work website to view 'Delivery Basics' within Back2Basics