Enrolling with HBTA
Recognition and Credit
overview | RPL | RCC | National Recognition | CT
Productivity Places Program & Recognition | evidence | cost
Overview
Recognition assessment acknowledges that you are not a 'clean slate' when you enrol for a new course. You may already have completed studies or had considerable working and life experience. It is important, however, that you can prove that you are already competent against some (or all) of the competency standards for a course or training program.
The process acknowledges skills, knowledge and attributes acquired through:
- formal training;
- life experience;
- work and business experience (formal and informal training);
- other relevant means
In most cases, we must consider currency of acquired skills and knowledge when processing your application. In some industries (IT for example), knowledge and skills that were gained more than 5 years ago may not be current today while in others (general anatomy & physiology, communication), it probably will. The determining factors are usually
- how recently have you applied that knowledge or skill in a way that is relevent to the unit's requirements
- what have you done to ensure that your knowledge and skills remain current in a way that is relevent to that unit's requirements
We are happy to discus any questions you might have regarding Recognition pathways, particularly where government funded programs are involved.
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Recognition of Prior Learning
RPL assesses the learning experiences that you have gone through to reach your current skill level. It is usually decided on the basis of documentary or interview evidence.
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Recognition of Current Competencies
(RCC) judges the level of abilities you have against the skill outcomes (competency outcomes) of the course. It is judged by a combination of methods, including
- documentary evidence,
- challenge testing (practical demonstrations and/or completion of assessments from study modules) and/or
- on-the-job assessments
We may employ one or more of these methods where they are relevant to the unit's requirements.
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National Recognition
This is the automatic status for accredited Units of Competency attained with any RTO that are identical to Units listed for your current qualification (i.e. the same Unit Code and Title). This does not require you to undertake a Recognition Assessment and is different to a Credit Transfer (though it is usually referred to by that name).
Our enrolment forms include the option of identifying and including units which you have already completed within your new program. Existing applicants can request national recognition after enrolling by advising the Academy in writing that they wish to amend their enrolment.
It is advisable to claim national recognition before commencing any training and/or assessments for a Unit as no refunds can be made if you have already started working in that unit.
We need to see a copy of your qualifications (certified as a true copy by a JP) so that we may list your achievements on the student database.
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Credit Transfer
On the other hand, a CT application requires us to make a judgement between broadly equivalent (but not identical) Units or modules from accredited courses against the Units on our scope of Registration. Unlike National Recognition which carries no fee, we charge an administrative fee of $75.00 to process your application. GST does not apply to this fee.
Once this determination is made, it applies to all subsequent applications involving these Units or Modules. If we have previously made such a judgement, this will automatically apply to your application.
Where you can prove your competency levels, you will be given status in various components of the course. This may be against:
- a full Unit of Competency
- a Training Program component, such as a practical workshop which forms part, but not all of the requirement for a Unit
- underpinning knowledge and skills components (such as the theory or basic skills you need in order to begin the new work, such as a basic understanding of Infection Control or Anatomy and Physiology in order to study a Unit at a higher level).
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Productivtiy Places Program & Recognition
Completion of the Productivity Places Program through Recognition of Prior Learining or Current Competencies is possible. It is possible for you to complete all of an approved program through Recognition provided you meet other eligibility criteria.
However, you will not be eligible for assistance through this scheme if you can claim credit transfer or national recognition against more than 25% of total units in your program. You must complete at least 3/4 of your program through Recognition or learning and assessment pathways for your enrolment to count as 'full time'.
You therefore need to carefully consider all National Recognition and Credit Transfer applications before including them in your enrolment. We are obliged to recognise any unit you have already completed. If your evidence for credit transfer includes more than 25% of the units for your approved course, we must give you status for all of those units whether or not you claim status for them. This is a legal requirments placed upon us as a Registered Training Organisation.
We recommend that you contact HBTA to discuss this matter, preferably before enrolling, as it is easier to address these matters before we enrol you in a Productivy Places Program.
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Forms of evidence
Recognition assessments are intended to provide you with an opportunity to have your existing knowledge and skills recognised so that you do not have to re-learn what you already know. In place of set assessments, you can demonstrate your competency against the unit requirements through:
- on-job assessments of your performance at work or in business
- performance reviews
- practical demonstrations
- portfolios of examples of work completed on-the-job
- qualifications relevant to the Unit of Competency and/or study module
- statements of attendance at formal or informal training courses relevant to the Unit of Competency and/or study module
- resumes and evidence of employment in relevant occupations
- letters of commendation/references from employers
- letters of commendation/references from co-workers, clients or professionals people you have consulted (accountants, solicitors, business consultants)
- evidence that you are an active member of a professional or community association in which you use or develop employability skills
This is not a complete list, since there are many ways you can demonstrate your skills. However, you also have to comply with two basic principles. In order to be valid, your evidence must also be
- authentic: i.e. you must be able to prove that it belongs to you and nobody else
- current: i.e. it must reflect the industry standards currently in place
It can sometimes be difficult to determine how current your skills are. For some skills, it may not be important how and where you attained them. For example, communication skills remain relevant for long time spans. Verbal and written communication skills for the professional and business environment remain largely the same today as they were twenty years ago, though some new terms may have crept in as technology changes.
However, there are other areas where there are significant changes in short periods of time. An example of this is in Information Technology, where the industry changes almost daily. Courses in Occupational Health and Safety have to relate to current laws and regulations. Industry work standards also change over time as new technology or techniques are adopted in the workplace.
Older courses and learning programs in areas such as these will need to be cross-matched against your current course to ensure that the competencies attained are still relevant in the current industry context. Some qualifications more than five years old may not be current in terms of industry practices.
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How much does it cost?
The enrolment forms contain the per unit and full program Recognition fee for each program we offer. The cost is a proportion of the distance education fee and will vary from qualification to qualification.
If your application for recognition (regardless of pathway) is not approved, you may be required to pay additional fees. This will normally be the difference between the Recognition fee and Distance Education enrolment fee for that unit. All enrolment forms identify the relevent charge on the Instructions page as this varies from qualification to qualification.
National recognition is free but all other forms of recognition assessment require payment.
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Last updated on August 13, 2008