Trainer and Assessor Competencies: Standards 3.2, 3.3

Standard

Training and assessment is delivered by credentialled people with current skills and knowledge in training and assessment.

Performance Indicator

The RTO demonstrates:

1. training and assessment is only delivered by people with relevant credentials as specified by the Credential Policy
2. where the Credential Policy enables a person to work under direction, a system for ensuring the person does not make assessment judgements and for ensuring the quality of their practice
3. how it ensures each trainer and assessor undertakes continuing professional development to maintain current skills and knowledge in training and assessment, including engaging and supporting VET students.

Intent of Standard 3.2

To uphold the integrity of VET, it is important that only appropriately credentialled people with current relevant skills and knowledge deliver training and assessment.

Relevant to Standard 3.2, the Credential Policy sets out:

Credentials for the delivery of training and assessment (Section 1)

• the credentials a person must hold to deliver training and assessment or conduct assessment only (including making assessment judgements)
• requirements for people who can deliver training and contribute to assessment under the direction of a trainer or assessor (but are not permitted to make assessment judgements)
• requirements for people who can provide direction to others delivering training and assessment

Credentials for the delivery of training and assessment for training products from the TAE Training Package (Section 2) 

• the credentials a person must hold to deliver training and assessment for a qualification or skill set in the TAE Training Package
• requirements for people who can deliver training and contribute to assessment for certain credentials from the TAE Training Package under the direction of a trainer or assessor (but are not permitted to make assessment judgements)
• requirements for people who can provide direction to others delivering training and assessment for a training product from the TAE Training Package.

This recognises the specialised skills and knowledge required to deliver quality training and assessment and seeks to uphold the quality of training and protect the integrity of assessment practices.

The Standards require RTOs to meet the Credential Policy. As such, RTOs are responsible for complying with the Credential Policy and should establish mechanisms for ensuring people do not perform training and assessment tasks beyond the scope of their credentials.   

The Standards also require trainer and assessor skills to remain up to date through continuing professional development in training and assessment. This ensures students have the benefit of contemporary learning practices and styles and that training is engaging for students. 

Self-Assurance Considerations

In self-assuring against this Standard, consider (among other things):

• how you determine the scope of each trainer and assessor’s role and responsibilities in line with these Standards and the Credential Policy
• how you monitor compliance with the Credential Policy and oversee the quality of training and assessment delivered by people working under direction
• how you monitor and regularly review the performance of trainers and assessors to identify opportunities for professional development
• the ways in which you support staff to access continuing professional development to maintain their current skills and knowledge in training and assessment
• how you ensure people working under direction are provided with feedback that allows them to develop their training and assessment practice

Standard

Training and assessment is delivered by people with current industry skills and knowledge relevant to the training product.

Performance Indicator

The RTO demonstrates:

1. each person delivering training or assessment:
   1. has industry competencies, skills and knowledge that are relevant to, and at least to the level of, the training product being delivered and/or assessed
   2. maintains an understanding of current industry practices
2. where an expert is engaged to support trainers and assessors, this is based on a specific need for expertise related to the training product or VET student cohort, and there is a system for ensuring:
   1. the expert has relevant industry competencies, skills and knowledge and specialised industry or subject matter expertise
   2. the expert works under direction of a person with the credentials specified in the Credential Policy and, where the expert is involved in the assessment judgement, they work alongside the trainer or assessor to conduct the assessment
   3. sufficient oversight of the expert to ensure the quality of the training and assessment.

Intent of Standard 3.3

VET seeks to equip students with current and practical industry skills and knowledge so they can readily apply these in the workplace. As such, it is critical that trainers and assessors have real, current and comprehensive understanding of industry practice and understand how skills and competencies will be applied in practice. This may occur through continuing professional development, ongoing industry engagement, industry work placements, etc.

While Standard 1.2 requires RTOs to ensure that the training itself reflects current industry practice, Standard 3.3 focuses on ensuring trainers and assessors maintain current industry skills and knowledge. Industry engagement should be a key input in determining whether trainers and assessors have current industry competencies and in identifying any gaps.

In most situations trainers and assessors will hold the training product (and/or units of competency) that they deliver or assess. Where this is not the case, they are expected to have equivalent knowledge and skills and depth of experience.

RTOs will be responsible for demonstrating how they ensure the appropriateness, relevance and currency of each trainer and assessor’s industry competencies, skills and knowledge (in line with these Standards and the requirements of the training package).

Engaging industry experts to support training and assessment and provide practical insight into real workplace settings can add value, variety and interest into the training program. Industry experts can play an important role in training and assessment; however, it is important to note that many industry representatives will not have a VET training and assessment background. As such, RTOs must have systems in place to oversee and assure the quality of training and assessment where industry experts are engaged.

Self-Assurance Considerations

In self-assuring against this Standard, consider (among other things):

• how you determine the industry skills and knowledge required for trainers and assessors, as relevant to each training product
• how you identify and address any gaps in trainer and assessor industry skills and competencies
• how you identify relevant industry experts and define their roles and responsibilities in relation to training and assessment
• how you oversee the quality of training and assessment delivered by industry experts

In considering the reflective questions, consider the extent to which your current practices are working and what if any, changes you could make to improve these. It may be helpful to think about examples.

1. How do you assure yourself that each person delivering training and assessment is appropriately credentialled?
2. How do you know that your practice for monitoring those working under direction (including industry experts) is effective?
3. How do you monitor and regularly review the performance of trainers and assessors to identify opportunities for professional development?
4. How do you identify the types of industry competencies, skills and knowledge relevant to each training product on your scope of registration?
5. How do you identify and address gaps in your trainers and assessors’ industry competencies, skills and knowledge?
6. How do you ensure your use of industry experts adds value to training and assessment?

Standard

• Standard 3.1 - VET workforce management
• Standard 4.1 - leadership and accountability
• Standard 4.4 - continuous improvement

Credential Policy

• Section 2: Credentials for the delivery of training and assessment
• Section 3: Credential requirements for the delivery of training and assessment for training products from the TAE Training Package