As you might know, any RTOs delivering the TAE qualifications need to get their assessment system, tools, processes and outcomes validated independently from 1 January 2016. This means I have been busy, head down validating various RTOs assessments, assessment judgements, systems and processes.
The Standards for RTOs state:
Clause 1.25
From 1 January 2016, the deliver any AQF qualification or assessor skill set from the Training and Education Training Package (or its successor), the RTO must have undergone an independent validation of its assessment system, tools, processes and outcomes in accordance with the requirements contained in Schedule 2 (and the definitions of independent validation and validation).
The act of validating these tools etc is an interesting process as it really opens my eyes to what is happening in the foundations of our RTOs.
As the User guides states ”It is critical that training products from the Training and Education Training Package are delivered to the highest levels of quality, so that trainers and assessors hold all the skills and knowledge required.”
There is great concern in the VET sector that assessments within RTOs are not meeting the requirements to get passed audit. Following recent strategic audits undertaken by ASQA in the Early Childhood Education and Aged Care sectors it has been found that one of the main reasons for non-compliances within RTOs is poorly developed assessment tools, tools that did not meet the unit of competence. Therefore it has been deducted that the skills and knowledge of the trainers and assessors is not up to par. This then came down to the training package and whether it is asking for enough from the students working towards their TAE.
This is a huge conundrum.
I attended a couple of workshops the other week on strengthening assessment in the TAE Training Package. This was aligned to the training provided to the Trainers and Assessors, in developing assessment tools. The discussion was on whether or not the Skills Council should include additional assessment development units in the TAE. At this point nothing has been resolved.
I believe people who complete their TAE are at the beginning of their career into the world of training. The skills and knowledge they receive are foundational, of which they add to constantly to increase their own capability. I remember when I did my “Train the Trainer” course many years back, and I got my certificate. Yet I remember being terrified every time someone asked me to present, or prepare a course or undertake an assessment. It wasn’t until some years later, when I had many training and assessment sessions under my belt, and had been to a few extracurricular events to improve my skills that I felt I could say I was a trainer/assessor; and even years later I decided to start my consulting business. For me it is about learning and improving and I continue to look at different ways and ideas.
Developing assessment tools is even more so. Developing quality assessment tools comes from years of experience and my opinion is it is not something that a new trainer and assessor can do immediately following their training. Yes they can assist in the development, however I do believe it is time and experience that will allow them to provide the tools that the auditors are looking for.
So where are we at; students undertaking quality TAE training, the tools being validated – which I am always an advocate of, especially independently, and new units being added to the existing TAE Training package. We will see what happens to the TAE, and I will keep my head down doing the validations.
If you have any thoughts or comments you wish to share, then let me know.
