The Recognising Competency model has been developed by the CS&H ITB since 2003, following our concern that the prevailing model was failing to meet the needs of a mature aged workforce. We proposed a strengths based approach based on models of proof that are commonly used within industry.
Since that time the model has received support from all sectors of industry, trainers and assessors and government in every state and territory. The process has been refined and adapted to differing needs, but has been shown to produce valid, fair and reliable assessment and to make Recognition of Current Competency accessible to many people.
Recognition of current competency has been placed squarely in the spot light by the recent Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreement. In February 2006 the (COAG) agreed to a suite of recommendations to improve the take up of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
COAG agreed that:
From 1 July 2006 there will be a new Commonwealth State and Territory matched three year programme to be agreed on a bilateral basis, to build the training system’s capacity to deliver quality RPL and drive good practice.
By 1 January 2007, all Registered Training Organisations and assessments centres in receipt of public funding will have contractual obligations to offer all workers entering training, who are not new entrants to the labour market, a quick and simple process to recognize their existing skills.
The bastard child of the Vocational & Education Training System has been welcomed back to the family and the onus has been placed on all training providers to offer genuine recognition of competency as part of the truly competency based training and assessment.
This is an exciting first step, but it is only a first step because it will need to be supported by an integrated policy and regulatory reform program that ensures that all aspects of the training system support recognition of competency. The training system by its very nature is complex and there are many real and many imagined barriers to successfully conducting recognition of current competency. It will require adequate funding, it will require increases in the skill of the trainers and assessors, it will require workplace reform and it will require willpower. We believe the Recognising Competency model provides a sound basis for moving forward.
Brian Spencer,
Executive Officer