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The 1995 ACT training profile identifies the directions and priorities of vocational education and training in the ACT. The target group for vocational education and training is larger in the ACT than in the other states and territories, resulting in a high demand and high participation in vocational education and training programs. The profile covers the same areas as those of the other states and territories: planning framework and strategic directions, including commitments, Territory priorities, activity tables, ATS and AVCTS, capital development, national projects and interstate cooperative activities. Show less

The cornerstone for the vocational education and training system reform in Australia is the development of competency based training. The competency based training system includes the establishment of competency standards within each occupation classification, training curriculum to meet those standards, and mechanisms for assessing the skills of individuals against such standards and the certification of skills possessed. Recognition of prior learning (RPL) processes enables the recognition of competencies acquired through skills developed outside the workforce, through on-the-job training, through accredited courses and through training programs undertaken overseas. The recognition of skills acquired informally is of especial significance to women and disadvantaged groups. Industry partners and government agree that a nationally consistent approach to recognition is needed. The project to develop and trial RPL was divided into three parts. In Part A 12 occupations were selected to trial the RPL process. Competency schedules were developed for each occupation and guidelines for managing the process were developed into a manual. Information booklets for applicants were also produced. The trialling process began in late 1991 and is reviewed here. Part B focussed on the development of an assessment mechanism to facilitate the entry and re-entry of women into the workforce. By recognising their competencies the women were directed into occupations related to their competencies. Part C examined processes in the ACT hospitality industry for RPL and competency based training. The ACT experience was then analysed and compared with the new national approach. Selected documents are included. Show less

This report outlines the business activities of the ACT Vocational Training Authority (VTA) which is the State Training Agency for the ACT under the National Training Authority (ANTA) agreement. It includes a statistical picture of vocational training in the ACT and staffing of the Authority. Show less

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Vocational Training Authority (VTA) has established a skills recognition service to assess and grant formal recognition to the skills gained by persons outside the current formal qualification channels. The service establishes the competence of applicants to carry out the duties associated with their chosen occupation via assessment of formal qualifications, personal interview and, where necessary, a competence assessment test. Show less

The terms of reference for this project were to: examine the extent to which the various recognition of prior learning (RPL) mechanisms in the Australian Capital Territory (A.C.T.) are integrated into the competency based training (CBT) system; evaluate the effectiveness of the RPL system in its various forms; and review the links between RPL models operating in the hospitality industry. This report reviews CBT and RPL processes in the A.C.T. hospitality industry and provides analyses of the role of RPL services in facilitating the training and/or career progression of trainees/employees in the A.C.T. hospitality industry and of the benefits and deficiencies of CBT and RPL services in the A.C.T. hospitality industry. The report concludes that: in general, the A.C.T. is well-served in terms of the availability of CBT and RPL services; while the overall impression was that the recognition service was serving a valuable purpose in the community, certification itself did not ensure long-term employment and a substantial number of employers in the hospitality industry were not aware of the Skills Recognition Service or what a Certificate of Recognition represented; and RPL services provide scope for improved access to training and employment, greater efficiency in the preparation of a competent workforce, and a training and assessment system that is more responsive to the needs of employers and individuals in the community. A number of recommendations are also included. Show less

The document puts forward the Vocational Training Authority's (VTA) views on the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) in relation to broad policy issues (as distinct from matters of procedural detail). Information in the report includes: the VTA support of the ANTA Agreement's underlying principle of joint State/Territory-Commonwealth effort; ANTA should sponsor research to indicate how the expansion of training has benefited the nation; the Agreement should include safeguards to protect the principle of State/Territory autonomy; ANTA should introduce training performance indicators more relevant to industry needs; the Agreement should be revised to eliminate inefficiencies; ANTA should introduce a 'State by State' accountability process which takes into account the characteristics of the local training system; development timelines should be established through consultation with States/Territories; ANTA's adoption of financial performance indicators should make allowance for the diseconomies of scale suffered by the ACT and other smaller States/Territories. Show less

The aim of this project was to develop an assessment mechanism which would facilitate the entry and re-entry of women into the workforce by providing access to a process that would: recognise their current competencies in relation to specified core competencies; link these competencies to occupational categories and the Australian Standards Framework (ASF) for employment purposes; and recommend further training and advanced standing arrangements. This final report contains: the terms of reference; the project methodology; the background to the National Framework for the Recognition of Training, national developments in the recognition of prior learning (RPL), development of competency standards, competency standards in the public service and tourism industries, key competencies, and the RPL process; the rationale for, and description of, core competencies; evaluation of the pilot assessment process; overviews of the procedures manual and preparatory information and guidelines; an outline of the marketing strategy for the RPL process; discussion of issues that arose during the course of the project; and the overall conclusions and recommendations of the project. These include: RPL of women's skills gained through life and work experiences is an important service that needs to be made widely available to women; it is desirable to complement the assessment levels of performance of core competencies with the development of a personal action plan for career development; it is important that all RPL processes be seen as integral parts of a larger framework of 'skill formation and recognition opportunities'; and training authorities should closely monitor the identified needs of women for training and where possible, develop new training and skill formation options as required. Show less