RPL* – Waking the sleeping giant
*Recognition of Prior Learning
National Change Agent -
Reframing the Future
Bernadette Ioannou, Recognition Coordinator, TAFE NSW - Illawarra Institute, Wollongong Campus.
Bernadette Ioannou is the Recognition Coordinator at the Wollongong campus of TAFE NSW - Illawarra Institute, where she coordinates RPL within the Illawarra Institute. As a 2006 National Change Agent for Reframing the Future her focus has been on the bigger picture of RPL.
Bernadette investigated not only traditional areas of RPL (the secondary school sector and unemployed people entering TAFE with qualifications) but she also looked at RPL in skills shortage areas, tapping into mature aged workers already in the workforce. For example, many people in the hospitality industry got into their industry without qualifications. 'But what many of these people don’t realise is that they have gained new skills and knowledge from their working environment that could equate to a level of a qualification, possibly a Certificate II. And some of these people could also be a fair way into a trade qualification at Certificate III level.'
'Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as a concept has always been there. For 10 years under ANTA, it just bubbled along, nobody did it properly and no one knew how to fix this problem - it was a giant that lay dormant. Some thought it would go away, but it didn’t go away. Now it has been woken by the COAG agenda and now we have to do something about it!' says Bernadette Ioannou.
Change is starting to happen as RPL rises on the political agenda as a means to combat the skills shortage problem.
Shift in thinking
Bernadette explains, 'RPL offers people the opportunity to display their skills and knowledge against a job task, though not necessarily. This is a shift in thinking. Traditionally we have held an educational view of recognition, but now our thinking needs to shift to an industry perspective, that is, not necessarily matching against a qualification, but really looking to see what the job task involves and if the skills used at work could be equivalent to a qualification or part of a qualification.'
RPL - a complex process
'But what we have up to date has been very complex and that is why we haven’t had the uptake of RPL that the government expected,' Bernadette said. Currently, the national uptake of RPL is a low 4% of all VET delivery.
RPL – the sleeping giant that has been woken by the COAG agenda and now we have to do something about it.
'Like anything, if you make it hard, then it is hard, if you sell it as hard, then it is hard and unfortunately that is the way some teaching staff have sold it. Many teachers found it is a lot easier to say ‘come sit in my classroom’ and not have to deal with RPL.'
Bernadette’s Change Agent’s project has allowed her to collect data from other states about processes and procedures used to streamline the recognition process. 'In the past, a lot of emphasis has been on selling the concept of RPL, but I really believe it is at the assessor end that we now need to provide support, encouragement and development. Professional development must be customised for the different teaching sections. How an RPL tool is used, or what type of tool is developed, for example, in a trade area could be very different to what is developed for the hospitality sector. This is because each must meet the needs of a particular training package in regards to a qualification.'
I really believe it is at the assessor end that we now need to provide support, encouragement and development.
'We have made RPL really hard with the concept of portfolios. To say to a person, here is a kit, away you go, just tick and flick and gather the evidence you need, is not helpful. The student may be left wondering what does it mean, who is going to help me with this? The difficulty compounds further if the person has problems with the language.'
Relationship building
Bernadette believes we must move away from this concept of how RPL works to one where we focus on building a relationship between the assessor and the individual. 'It is essential that we build this relationship. When the individual comes in, we must support them to tell their story and to understand the types of evidence they require.' But for this to happen, Bernadette said it is essential that the assessor understands the critical aspects of the training package and is familiar with the current industry environment from a job task perspective. Unfortunately this could be a problem for teachers and assessors who have not had the opportunity of returning to industry or who have lost touch with their industry.
Assessment validation and RPL
Bernadette found that some teaching sections have RPL well mapped out and have good RPL tools in place that have been trialled and validated, and this made the process a lot quicker. 'I am trying to make people understand that RPL doesn’t sit out there on its own and it should be treated no differently from the other types of assessment validation that we do.'
RPL as a precursor to training
Currently, the national uptake of RPL is a low 4% of all VET delivery.
'The government no longer wants people in our classrooms who don’t need to be there. We must encourage RPL upfront. RPL could be a precursor to training,' Bernadette explained.
From the classroom to the workplace - partnership with Industry
To ensure the success of the RPL process, Bernadette believes teachers need to be proactive in determining the needs of the individual client and the gaps in their skill base. 'You need to ask the question, can these gaps best be filled by the person going back to their industry and liaising with their supervisor to obtain training on the job?'
Bernadette would like teachers to look more closely at flexible delivery options such as mentoring.' We have to get away from 'the only answer is an educational environment' because it is NOT the only answer. If we do this, we will collaborate better as TAFE NSW and we will collaborate better with our industry partners.'
Funding issues
'We have made RPL really hard with the concept of portfolios. To say to a person, here is a kit, away you go, just tick and flick and gather the evidence you need, is not helpful.'
Bernadette recognises that there are still funding issue surrounding RPL practices that need to be resolved. Until someone is enrolled, RPL does not attract any funding. An individual interested in RPL comes into a campus and a teacher may take two hours to speak with the person about their options, which is dead money if the person decides not to take up that opportunity. This may be partially overcome by the virtual website and referral centre where people will be able to get the information they need. At the moment, the person needs to go to a teaching section, where RPL is explained one-on-one.
It is probable that in the future RPL will be tied into funding.
Approaches by other states
As a Reframing the Future national change agent, Bernadette has been investigating RPL practices in other states. Skilling Solutions Queensland has adopted a shopfronts approach to recognition with 12 shopfronts located in several Queensland campuses and shopping centres. 'People walk in off the street and receive career guidance, employment statistics and have access to the competency navigator which indicates the person’s RPL opportunities.' Skilling Solutions also provide a mobile service to remote areas in Queensland. The Victorian Government is currently spending $21 million to implement this concept in Victoria.
The Future for RPL – COAG agenda
'RPL is going to be a key focus for VET and TAFE NSW as a whole and an opportunity to bring TAFE NSW closer together. We are going to have to do this as TAFE NSW, not as 10 individual Institutes.'
The future for RPL looks bright in response to the COAG Agenda, with a lot happening between 2007 and 2009 at a cost of over $6.6M. Four of the RPL projects are being undertaken by TAFE NSW and DET:
- Promotion RPL
- Professional development of assessors and auditors
- Development of a virtual website and referral centre, and
- Creation of 10 specific RPL models primarily in skills shortage areas. The models will be developed in conjunction with key stakeholders and industry groups.
As a result of the shift in the political focus Bernadette anticipates a flow on of benefits for TAFE NSW. 'RPL is going to be a key focus for VET and TAFE NSW as a whole and an opportunity to bring TAFE NSW closer together. We are going to have to do this as TAFE NSW, not as 10 individual Institutes. We must all row the same way, with clear and concise polices and a clear understanding of our audit requirement for reporting and recording of RPL, in particular, the evidence.
'The COAG agenda will drive us ahead! We have been up there in the forefront, but what pulled us back were the onerous systems and processes we have in place for compliance. It is all that red tape that we get tied up in and it ties our students up in too.'
Benefits of the Reframing the Future Project
While Bernadette speaks of her personal and professional growth as a result of her year as a national change agent, she considers the biggest plus has been the networks she developed and the sharing of information. 'People have been very forthcoming with information across states and boundaries. RPL is a national focus and we are all facing the same issues, the same barriers, all driven by the same political agenda. This is our opportunity for consistency for RPL. I believe to make this happen, the key will be collaboration as we don’t have the energy to keep reinventing the wheel.'
'My biggest challenge now is how do I impart all the skills and knowledge I have to make it happen, to make it so?'