VET News – 15th April 2016

Hi there,

Welcome to this April edition of VET News. The big news in this addition (in my view) is the release of the new TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (Click Here). It is a very different qualification to its predecessor. It is not equivalent to begin with so that means that the 716 RTOs with TAE40110 on their scope will loose it in 12 months and will need to apply to have the new qualification added to scope. ASQA has established the most rigorous requirements for an RTO to add a new qualification to scope that I have ever seen. You can check this out here (Click Here). So, it will be quite difficult and expensive to add this new qualification to scope which will serve to clean out the number of providers. There is already lots of discussion on Linked-in about this with many saying that they will not bother to add the new qualification to their scope. It will be interesting to look back in 12 months from now to see how many RTO’s have added it to scope. I think we could see the current 716 reduced to below 150.

The big differences is the return of the unit TAEASS502 Design and develop assessment tools as a core unit which I think is great. It was a huge mistake when this unit was removed and this will help to return one of the foundation skills we need in our sector. The unit TAELLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills has also been included as a core unit which has been long expected. The qualification still only requires 10 units but now has 9 core and 1 elective as opposed to the previous 3 electives. The devil however is definitely in the detail. All of the units have now been re-published into the new format which means we have very specific performance and knowledge evidence requirements with specified frequency requirements. I always considered that the previous units were very clear anyway with specific requirements in the critical aspects, however they are now written even more clearly and impose some stronger requirements for the new units to be assessed. An interesting addition in the assessment conditions in most units is the requirement for the assessor to hold the TAE50116 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training or the TAE50111 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training or be able to demonstrate equivalence of competencies. This contradicts the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 which from 1st Jan 2016 does not allow for demonstrated equivalent competence and only requires assessors to hold the competence at least to the level being assessed. Even from the 1st Jan 2017 in the standards it specifies the higher qualifications required to deliver TAE training products, but it also does not allow for equivalence and has a broader list of qualifications at Item 5 of Schedule 1 (Click Here). So, that is a bit strange. Why would they publish something in a new training product that directly contradicts a statutory requirement within a legislative instrument (the standards)?

But,, overall, I am not winging. I am very happy with this new qualification. I think it is great that it is not equivalent as we need to clean out all of the RTOs that are currently delivering TAE40110 so poorly. It provides strengthened requirements to deliver and assess the people entering our sector as trainer/assessors and re-introduces assessment design as a core skill. Fantastic!!

Now, the big question that many will be asking is, Do I need to go and upgrade my TAE40110 to TAE40116 if I work as a trainer/assessor? In my view the answer is no, you do not. The standards say that an RTO’s training and assessment is delivered by persons who have the training and assessment qualifications specified in Item 1 or 2 of Schedule 1 which specifies the TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or its successor or a diploma or higher level qualification in adult education. So you do not need to upgrade to this qualification. You simply need to maintain your skills and knowledge in training and assessment.

Now, I know this has been a long one, but before I go I just want to raise a concern I have about the upcoming May federal budget. There has been a bit of language coming from the media sparked by comments made by Senator Simon Birmingham about pending changes to the Vocational Training Market access to FEE-HELP scheme. Some commentators from the ABC have suggested this could mean the removal of the scheme from being available for the funding of VET qualifications. This worries me, as I think it would be huge mistake to exclude the higher VET qualifications from this scheme therefore excluding students who are choosing a vocational pathway for their career or who were not able to gain access to their desired higher ed course and are looking to a VET qualification as a bridge to achieving their career goals. I have been a very vocal critic of the mongrel’s who have so fraudulently and deceitfully profited from exploiting students and I think ASQA and the government is now doing a great job at cleaning this sector up and limiting the entry on new providers. But these are the bad eggs and we cannot forget that there are RTOs out there who are delivering amazing high quality training to their students. These RTOs are really making a difference in the lives of their students and to remove this capability from the VET sector and our economy would be a big mistake and an inequality. We must target and shut down those who have exploited students and we must support the good RTOs that are doing it right. Lets hope that common sense and good policy prevail.

Good training,