Would you like Would you like recognition with recognition with that?that?

The SI Recognition ProjectThe SI Recognition Project

Project PurposeProject Purpose

The project commenced in mid May The project commenced in mid May with the goal of undertaking with the goal of undertaking investigation into approaches, investigation into approaches, practices and tools used to practices and tools used to recognise prior learning within the recognise prior learning within the Sydney Institute and make Sydney Institute and make recommendations where applicable recommendations where applicable on how to enhance the recognition on how to enhance the recognition performance of the institute performance of the institute

Project Question- How Project Question- How might recognition might recognition performance in SI be performance in SI be enhanced?enhanced? Determination of processes which will see Determination of processes which will see

the active marketing and offering of the active marketing and offering of recognition as a key service of the instituterecognition as a key service of the institute

Identification of processes and practices that Identification of processes and practices that may lead to enhanced requests/demand for may lead to enhanced requests/demand for recognition by studentsrecognition by students

Management of issues relevant to COAG Management of issues relevant to COAG compliancecompliance

Strategies to ensure that recognition ASH Strategies to ensure that recognition ASH increases as a percentage of total ASH increases as a percentage of total ASH earnedearned

What has been looked What has been looked at?at? Consultations with managers and head Consultations with managers and head

teachers/teachers in SIteachers/teachers in SI Review of the work of other institutes and consultation Review of the work of other institutes and consultation

with various teachers/managerswith various teachers/managers Review of initiatives in other states Review of initiatives in other states Review of pubic RTO's, where recognition information Review of pubic RTO's, where recognition information

is generally available including Vetassess, OLI is generally available including Vetassess, OLI Queensland, Box Hill TAFE and the Canberra Institute Queensland, Box Hill TAFE and the Canberra Institute of Technologyof Technology

Research of developments in Europe including the Research of developments in Europe including the work of the Council of Europe and the Bologna Process work of the Council of Europe and the Bologna Process and the National Academic Recognition Information and the National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC), Centres (NARIC),

Review of the work in the Canada - PLAR – Prior Review of the work in the Canada - PLAR – Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition which is found Learning Assessment and Recognition which is found in different forms in a variety of institutionsin different forms in a variety of institutions

What has been looked What has been looked at? (2)at? (2) Research into tools available such as the Competency Research into tools available such as the Competency

Navigator, Vetways, Prove It, ELVASS and the Navigator, Vetways, Prove It, ELVASS and the Resource GeneratorResource Generator

Review of the work in Asia including Thailand’s system Review of the work in Asia including Thailand’s system which allows for workers to gain credit for on the job which allows for workers to gain credit for on the job and off the job learning for qualifications up to degree and off the job learning for qualifications up to degree level, Malaysian national skill certification and the level, Malaysian national skill certification and the Korean Credit BankKorean Credit Bank

Consideration of the work of non-government RTO’s, Consideration of the work of non-government RTO’s, where recognition information is generally available where recognition information is generally available including AIM QLD, REI NSW, Workplace Education etc. including AIM QLD, REI NSW, Workplace Education etc.

Review of the work and information available from Review of the work and information available from organisations such as through the Industry Skills organisations such as through the Industry Skills Councils and the Vocational Training TribunalCouncils and the Vocational Training Tribunal

VOCED and NCVER searchesVOCED and NCVER searches

How is the institute How is the institute performing?performing? In 2004 and 2005 SI was one of In 2004 and 2005 SI was one of

the best performing institutes the best performing institutes with RPL ASH accounting for with RPL ASH accounting for approximately 1% of total ASH approximately 1% of total ASH

In 2006 to date the ratio is around In 2006 to date the ratio is around 3% ( 100% ASH in 2006) which is 3% ( 100% ASH in 2006) which is in line with most institutesin line with most institutes

Are there areas of Are there areas of good practice in SI?good practice in SI? Beauty Therapy - Portfolio development Beauty Therapy - Portfolio development

and use of Prove Itand use of Prove It Vehicle Trimming – Development of visual Vehicle Trimming – Development of visual

portfolios and on the job assessmentportfolios and on the job assessment Business Administration- Separation of Business Administration- Separation of

delivery and assessment, regular delivery and assessment, regular provision of assessment only class times provision of assessment only class times to allow establishment of the need for to allow establishment of the need for gap traininggap training

Are there areas of Are there areas of good practice in SI? (2)good practice in SI? (2) Roof Plumbing – Pre-assessment Roof Plumbing – Pre-assessment

advice, paper based audit, holistic advice, paper based audit, holistic assessment and gap trainingassessment and gap training

Accounting - Provision of all outcomes Accounting - Provision of all outcomes for modules in a suite of courses and for modules in a suite of courses and early conditional assessment, early conditional assessment, assistance and support for refugeesassistance and support for refugees

Training and Assessment - Use of Training and Assessment - Use of Prove It in identifying competence held Prove It in identifying competence held and need for Gap trainingand need for Gap training

Are there areas of Are there areas of good practice in SI? (2)good practice in SI? (2) Rigging and scaffolding - Advice on Rigging and scaffolding - Advice on

enrolment, assessment and enrolment, assessment and recognition matched to industry recognition matched to industry requirements and individual needsrequirements and individual needs

Private Investigation - Development of Private Investigation - Development of detailed recognition guidesdetailed recognition guides

Carpentry and Joinery - One on one Carpentry and Joinery - One on one tutoring and assistance in developing tutoring and assistance in developing claims for recognition and support and claims for recognition and support and help for candidates for trade testshelp for candidates for trade tests

Are there areas of Are there areas of good practice in SI? (3)good practice in SI? (3) Legal Administration - Early recognition Legal Administration - Early recognition

and gap training through special and gap training through special composite classes on line and face to composite classes on line and face to faceface

Music - Education advice days prior to Music - Education advice days prior to commencement of classes to advise on commencement of classes to advise on recognitionrecognition

Health and Fitness - Provision of Health and Fitness - Provision of recognition guides, ongoing assessment recognition guides, ongoing assessment of evidence that allows off site students of evidence that allows off site students to complete their course at any timeto complete their course at any time

Are there areas of Are there areas of good practice in SI? (4)good practice in SI? (4) Product Design - Local Website for access of Product Design - Local Website for access of

students with course and recognition students with course and recognition information information

Logistics and Management - The Logistics and Management - The development and administration of grids for development and administration of grids for self assessment and collection of evidence self assessment and collection of evidence for both for public access programs and for both for public access programs and commercial students as well as mentoring commercial students as well as mentoring and coaching of students in relation to likely and coaching of students in relation to likely evidence that might be supplied to achieve evidence that might be supplied to achieve recognition, identification of gap training recognition, identification of gap training required and provision of that trainingrequired and provision of that training

What barriers exist to What barriers exist to offering RPL?offering RPL?

CulturalCultural TAFE role - education versus TAFE role - education versus

assessment/recognitionassessment/recognition Not always agreement on Not always agreement on

appropriate processes and appropriate processes and evidenceevidence

Training package versus educationTraining package versus education Culture of certain industriesCulture of certain industries

What barriers exist to What barriers exist to offering RPL? (2)offering RPL? (2)

ProcessesProcesses Purpose of recognition – assessing Purpose of recognition – assessing

learning or workplace learning or workplace competence?competence?

Appropriateness, quality, Appropriateness, quality, sufficiency, reliability etc. of sufficiency, reliability etc. of evidenceevidence

Use of available toolsUse of available tools

What barriers exist to What barriers exist to offering RPL? (3)offering RPL? (3)

StudentsStudents OH and S concerns in relation to OH and S concerns in relation to

assessmentassessment A grade/pass rather than RPLA grade/pass rather than RPL Affect on benefits and pensionsAffect on benefits and pensions Unrealistic expectationsUnrealistic expectations Competence may not be Competence may not be

transferable between contextstransferable between contexts

What barriers exist to What barriers exist to offering RPL? (4)offering RPL? (4)TeachersTeachers Time constraintsTime constraints Class sizes, head teacher grading and jobsClass sizes, head teacher grading and jobs Integrated delivery and assessment Integrated delivery and assessment Lack of knowledge of APS course studentsLack of knowledge of APS course students Concerns in exercising professional Concerns in exercising professional

judgment, portfolio assessment, workplace judgment, portfolio assessment, workplace assessment and mentoring studentsassessment and mentoring students

What issues impact on What issues impact on carrying out RPL?carrying out RPL?FlexibilityFlexibility One size does not fit all. There is a One size does not fit all. There is a

need to be able to customise tools and need to be able to customise tools and processes to meet individual needs processes to meet individual needs

The distinction between commercial The distinction between commercial and non-commercial recognition and non-commercial recognition

Differing procedures and timing of Differing procedures and timing of recognition in respect to when each recognition in respect to when each college carries out recognition college carries out recognition

What issues impact on What issues impact on carrying out RPL?carrying out RPL?

CoursesCourses Some possible discrepancies Some possible discrepancies

between TAFE courses and between TAFE courses and training package requirementstraining package requirements

Possible variations between units Possible variations between units of competency and modules of competency and modules ( learning pathway)( learning pathway)

What issues impact on What issues impact on carrying out RPL?carrying out RPL?

RecordkeepingRecordkeeping

Consistency of record keeping and Consistency of record keeping and storage for both recognition forms and storage for both recognition forms and evidence across the institute evidence across the institute

What tools might help What tools might help with RPL?with RPL?

There are many existing worthwhile There are many existing worthwhile tools. tools.

The Competency Navigator starts with The Competency Navigator starts with the person, what they know, can do the person, what they know, can do and can showand can show

Prove It can be used as tool to gather Prove It can be used as tool to gather evidence to support an application for evidence to support an application for recognition which could build on the recognition which could build on the output of the navigatoroutput of the navigator

What does the literature What does the literature say?say?

Dominant themes:Dominant themes: RPL is a means for job advancement RPL is a means for job advancement

and should be focussed on vocational and should be focussed on vocational outcomesoutcomes

By having skills recognised there is the By having skills recognised there is the opportunity for vertical mobilityopportunity for vertical mobility

RPL takes time and resources - issue of RPL takes time and resources - issue of gap traininggap training

There is a low take up rate and it is There is a low take up rate and it is difficult to promote RPL effectively difficult to promote RPL effectively

RPL may not be for everyoneRPL may not be for everyone

What does the What does the literature say? (2)literature say? (2) The basis for recognition has The basis for recognition has

moved from a focus on general moved from a focus on general experience to each persons’ experience to each persons’ specific experience specific experience

There are issues in carrying out There are issues in carrying out RPL in educational systems where RPL in educational systems where the main documentation of the main documentation of competence is grades competence is grades

What does the What does the literature say? (3)literature say? (3)Improvement and encouragement of RPL requires:Improvement and encouragement of RPL requires: More client-friendly and less paper-based More client-friendly and less paper-based

approaches; i.e. access to online support, approaches; i.e. access to online support, telephone access to assessors, group processes telephone access to assessors, group processes and information sessions or workshopsand information sessions or workshops

Pre-assessment interviews with direct assistance Pre-assessment interviews with direct assistance and advice for evidence-gathering and advice for evidence-gathering

Support materials, including assessment plans Support materials, including assessment plans and checklists that reflect workplaces and real and checklists that reflect workplaces and real work tasks, not simply elements and units of work tasks, not simply elements and units of competency provided early in the processcompetency provided early in the process

What might be done?What might be done?

Develop a process for the institute which Develop a process for the institute which focuses on:focuses on:

Marketing/ information to studentsMarketing/ information to students Assessing suitability for Assessing suitability for

RPL/evidenceRPL/evidence Advice and helps to studentsAdvice and helps to students Assessment and identification of Assessment and identification of

gapsgaps Feedback and recording resultsFeedback and recording results

What might be done? What might be done? (2)(2)

Marketing and informationMarketing and information It is proposed that a marketing and information It is proposed that a marketing and information

strategy be developed which focuses on recognition strategy be developed which focuses on recognition being a marketing point for students enrolling in the being a marketing point for students enrolling in the institute, encourages application for recognition and institute, encourages application for recognition and provides institute wide information that is compatible provides institute wide information that is compatible with the SI marketing/information strategywith the SI marketing/information strategy

Would you like recognition Would you like recognition with that?with that?

What might be done? What might be done? (3)(3)WebsiteWebsite It is proposed to transform the SI recognition It is proposed to transform the SI recognition

site website into a webpage which covers the site website into a webpage which covers the key aspects of recognition with links to key aspects of recognition with links to brochures, tools, guides and contactsbrochures, tools, guides and contacts

Forms and guides would provide information Forms and guides would provide information on how to start the recognition process, the on how to start the recognition process, the nature of evidence and various templates nature of evidence and various templates which can be down loaded by a student so as which can be down loaded by a student so as to commence their recognition application at to commence their recognition application at any timeany time

What might be done? What might be done? (4)(4)Learning and development Learning and development

The development of several The development of several professional development programsprofessional development programs

The process of recognition The process of recognition Undertaking recognitionUndertaking recognition Developing your professional Developing your professional

judgmentjudgment Ongoing learning support and Ongoing learning support and

development - development - Development of a Development of a recognition network (Reframing the recognition network (Reframing the Future)Future)

What might be done? What might be done? (5)(5)Processes and practicesProcesses and practices Offering of recognition Offering of recognition

workshopsworkshops offered on a rotating offered on a rotating basis in colleges basis in colleges

Review of information provided Review of information provided in offersin offers made to successful made to successful students for APS programs to identify students for APS programs to identify students where there is credit students where there is credit transfer likely and likely requests for transfer likely and likely requests for RPLRPL

What might be done? What might be done? (6)(6)

Processes and practices (2)Processes and practices (2) Review policies and documentsReview policies and documents Recognition days Recognition days Auto credit transfer runsAuto credit transfer runs

What might be done? What might be done? (7)(7)

Processes and practices (3)Processes and practices (3) Standard/Mutual Recognition Standard/Mutual Recognition SIS SIS –– Issues in respect to Issues in respect to

course completion of students course completion of students with extensive RPLwith extensive RPL

Any Questions?Any Questions?