The Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) recently approved an important update to the Training and Education (TAE) Training Package. This may have impact upon your qualification depending on what units you already hold.
As a part of this update, the AISC has agreed to the inclusion of two new core units for the Certificate IV qualification. The inclusion of an additional unit in addressing adult language, literacy and numeracy skills will ensure that VET practitioners will have a greater understanding of the foundation skills required in their industry sectors.
The addition of a core unit on the development of effective assessment tools (Design and develop assessment tools) will help to assure employers that students graduating from VET courses will be more effectively assessed as having the necessary skills and knowledge to do the job. I know there was so much comment made about this unit, and whether it is believed it really will help RTOs. I personally attended a couple of face-to-face workshops and voiced my opinion, as well as submitting information. Has it been heard? Probably not, as the results remain the same.
From a point of view from a consultant, and working with so many people who allegedly have their TAE and are setting up an RTO, I know there is a great need to provide students with a good understanding of assessments and how to develop them. So often RTOs fall down in the assessment area. This does include validation of the assessments.
However I can see issues for students who are assessing as part of a greater organisation, and where assessment tools are already provided for them. Time will tell on the impact the new qualification brings to peoples knowledge and skills and how they apply them to their RTO.
Students undertaking the Certificate IV qualification in future will need to meet the new requirement.
Read the AISC communique.