RPL Ready
Paula Johnston, Project Manager,
skillsrecognition.gov.au project,
TAFE NSW - Northern Sydney Institute
RESOURCE | Janet Hewson, ICVET
Creating informed consumers who are ‘recognition ready’ when they go to an RTO is the aim of the new website skillsrecognition.gov.au. The first simple version of the site provides information to encourage people to have their existing skills formally recognised with a qualification.
Phase one – student support for RPL
This first release is a starting point from which to build and improve. Over time additional information and services will be rolled out on the site. The site’s primary audience – students and potential students – will be encouraged to give input to the enhancements to be made.
Complete the skillsrecognition.gov.au User Feedback Survey
This is the first simple version of our site to get us started. We plan to make changes and improvements, but need your feedback. Your views are essential to help us grow the site to meet your needs.
The online survey will only take 10 minutes of your time so please complete the survey.
The website doesn’t replace the practitioner’s assessment process or the RTO’s responsibility to provide RPL information and individualised service. But it does help potential RPL candidates to understand the basics and be well prepared when they engage with an RTO for a recognition assessment.
Paula Johnston, the skillsrecognition.gov.au Project Manager, sees the website as playing an important role in “providing a consistent message about recognition rather than disjointed and scattered information” – additionally in providing enough information “to allow students to ask the right questions and saving the assessor’s time in not having to go over the basics. Instead they can focus on providing a high quality personal service to meet each student’s more detailed needs”
In this way, the current release will benefit all RTO’s and VET practitioners.
The future
Phase 1 was completed in Dec 2007 and the project will run for another two years.Three major phases are planned, with information aimed at industry and RTOs being considered. Feedback on the site will be continually reviewed and iterative changes made.
Research and design
In developing the site, research was undertaken through consultation with users and stakeholders, and technical and content reviews were also done. The initial design stage was about content generation, navigation and information architecture as well as the visual design.
The research found that individuals wanted -
- simple language and minimal jargon
- help in analysing existing skills vs career and study choice
- an RPL map explaining steps in the process
- estimates of time and cost
In some other States, notably Queensland and Victoria, physical “one stop shops” have been set up to assist RPL customers before they go to an RTO. Interestingly, the research undertaken as part of skillsrecognition.gov.au showed individuals were more concerned with the type of support they would receive, not how it was delivered, ie they didn’t prefer face-to-face help.
The Australian Government has contributed to funding this program under the COAG RPL Program. The NSW Department of Education and Training also provides funds. The skillsrecognition.gov.au project is being managed through TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute.
The website can be found at: skillsrecognition.gov.au