TAFE teaching staff mandatory qualifications, competencies and supervision guideline

Intent and objectives

The purpose of this guideline is to ensure that all TAFE teachers at RMIT have the qualifications and competencies as required by the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) and to record the update of

a) those requirements and

b) the arrangements to supervise teachers who do not currently have those qualifications and competencies and/or are in the process of acquiring them.

Scope

All TAFE teaching staff

Exclusions

Academic staff, general staff, senior executives, security staff, child care staff.

Guideline

AQTF Requirements for trainers and assessors

The National Quality Council (NQC) is responsible for determining the training and assessment competencies to be held by trainers and assessors in accordance with Standard 1 Element 1.4 of the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) as set out below. RMIT must be able to demonstrate that all staff delivering and/or assessing VET programs meet these requirements.

Standard 1: The Registered Training Organisation (RTO) provides quality training and assessment across all of its operations.

1. Training and assessment qualifications

Element 1.4: Training and assessment are conducted by trainers and assessors who

a) have the training and assessment competencies determined by the NQC or its successors and

b) have relevant vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered or assessed and

c) continue developing their vocational and training and assessment competencies to support continuous improvements in delivery of the RTO’s services.

Element 1.4a: Trainers must be able to demonstrate vocational competencies at least to the level of those being delivered and:

a) hold the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA40104) from the Training and Assessment Training Package, or

b) be able to demonstrate equivalent competencies, or

c) hold the Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training from the superseded Training Package for Assessment and Workplace Training (BSZ98), or

d) be able to demonstrate that prior to 23 November 2005 they had been assessed as holding equivalent competencies to the Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training from the Training Package for Assessment and Workplace Training (BSZ98); or

e) work under the direct supervision (see section 4) of a person who has the competencies specified in (a) or (b) or (c) or (d) above.

Element 1.4b: Assessors must be able to demonstrate vocational competencies to at least the level of those being assessed and:

a) hold the following three competencies from the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA40104) from the Training and Assessment Training Package:

(i) TAAASS401A Plan and organise assessment

(ii) TAAASS402A Assess Competence

(iii) TAAASS404A Participate in assessment validation, or

b) be able to demonstrate equivalent competencies to all three of the above units of competency; or

c) hold the following competencies from the superseded Training Package for Assessment and Workplace Training (BSZ98):

(i) BSZ401A Plan assessment

(ii) BSZ402A Conduct assessment, and

(iii) BSZ403A Review assessment, or

d) be able to demonstrate that prior to 23 November 2005 they had been assessed as holding equivalent competencies to all three of the above units of competency; or

e) work with a person who has all of the assessment competencies listed above to conduct the assessments (see section 4).

Where a fixed-term or casual TAFE teacher is unable to meet any or all of the requirements for assessor and/or training competencies, they can only work under direct supervision (refer section 4 below) and in addition, they will need to complete the Supervision of TAFE Teaching Staff form.

2. Vocational competencies

TAFE teachers must be able to demonstrate relevant vocational competency to at least the level of those Units of Competency they are delivering and assessing through having current relevant qualifications and/or industry experience (which could include networks, community

of practice, private consultancies, industry projects, professional/trade registrations, publications/exhibitions and other relevant training). If teachers do not have formal qualifications, a mapping document is required to demonstrate their competence against the Unit/s of competency being taught. TAFE teachers must also continue to develop their vocational competencies to support continuous improvement in delivery of RMIT’s programs and services, in alignment with the units of competency being delivered and/or assessed.

3. Record of qualifications and competencies

All TAFE teachers need to complete the “TAFE Teacher Qualifications and Current Competency” form to record mandatory qualifications and vocational competencies, continuous development required in maintaining the currency and the evidence to support their statement.

The form is designed in four sections:

i. Training and assessment qualifications held.

ii. Development of training and assessment competencies. Under this heading, teachers are required to record substantial activities, dates of activities and evidence on the activities undertaken. Up to a maximum of six substantial activities are expected.

iii. Vocational competencies held.

iv. Development of vocational competencies. Under this heading, teachers are required to record their activities related to the specific course/s they are teaching and where and when those activities were conducted. These activities must align with the unit of competency/ies being taught. As evidence, examples of activities are provided on the form.

Fixed term and continuing TAFE teaching staff need to complete and review the form as part of the annual work-planning and review process.

Casual TAFE teaching staff need to complete the form at the start of their employment and regularly review and update it at the beginning of each semester.

After completion, this form is to be kept in the school and needs to be accessible for audit purposes.

Supervisors are responsible for:

  • ensuring that the TAFE Teacher Qualifications and Current Competency form is maintained and updated at each six monthly review and that a discussion occurs regarding qualifications attained
  • updating qualification records of current staff in Employee Self Service (ESS) by sighting the original qualifications and forwarding verified copies of the qualifications to People and Culture to document on the staff member’s file

Teachers are responsible for informing their School:

a) of any change to their qualifications to ensure details of qualifications remain current

b) for updating current competencies.

3.1 Evidence

All teachers involved in VET program delivery must ensure that evidence requested in the TAFE Teacher Qualifications and Current Competency form is documented regularly. Type of evidence may include:

  • Testamur (e.g. Qualification/ Statement of Attainment/ Statement of Achievement/ Statement of Participation/ Statement of Attendance/ Certificate of Completion).
    The teacher is qualified, either by having completed the relevant competency as part of a formal course of study or via an RPL process (refer to http://mams.rmit.edu.au/5ewltsm8tvku.doc for the University’s RPL Process).
  • Transcript of results
    The teacher may provide evidence of having the competency via a transcript of results from a different qualification in the same discipline field, mapped against specific subjects/units from the particular unit(s) of competency that they are teaching and/or assessing.
  • Verified evidence (e.g. position descriptions, job roles, official letter of statement from previous employer, licences or registrations etc.)

a. The teacher may provide evidence of current vocational competency by providing verified evidence of their performance via mapped documents between relevant, recent industry experience against the unit(s) of competency being taught and/or assessed.

b. The teacher may provide evidence of current teaching skills by providing verified evidence of current and recent teaching activities.

Note:

  • Some training packages specify the type of industry experience that are appropriate and current and minimum duration of that experience.

Verified types of industry experience may be suitable as vocational competence, depending on the rules within the relevant training package.

4. Direct supervision

Where a casual or fixed-term staff member is unable to meet any or all of the requirements for vocational and training competencies listed in section 1 (Element 1.4a) above, they can only deliver under the direct supervision with regular guidance, support and direction of a person who has these vocational and training competencies and who monitors and is accountable for the training delivery. Some licensing authorities may not permit direct supervision of trainers who do not hold the appropriate training competencies.

Direct supervision for training should include a combination of the following:

  • providing input to the preparation for training delivery
  • discussing strategies to support specific learners
  • assisting the trainer to locate appropriate resources
  • observing some training sessions and providing feedback
  • de-briefing after the training session
  • discussing audit requirements

It is not necessary for the supervising person to be present during all training delivery.

Where a staff member is unable to meet any or all of the requirements for vocational and assessment competencies listed in section 1 (Element 1.4b) above, they must work together with staff who have the vocational and assessment competencies to conduct assessment jointly (co-assess).

Co-assessment should involve:

  • conducting assessments jointly
  • providing input to the preparation for assessment
  • discussing strategies to support specific learners
  • de-briefing after the assessment
  • discussing audit requirements

Supervisors or a qualified staff member nominated by the Program Manager and/or Head of School are responsible for ensuring that staff requiring supervision and/or co-assessment, complete the Supervision of TAFE Teaching Staff form.

Supervision and/or co-assessment should be recorded as follows:

The supervisor is required to use the Supervision of TAFE Teaching Staff form to record date of supervision, training and/or assessment competency being supervised/co-assessed, description of aspects being supervised, his/her observation and evaluation on teacher’s performance and date the supervision is completed.

Fixed term staff need to complete and review the form as part of the annual work-planning and review process. Casual staff need to complete the form at the start of their engagement and review the form at the beginning of each semester.

The Supervision of TAFE Teaching Staff form is to be kept in the school together with the TAFE Teacher Qualifications and Current Competency form.

5. Continuous improvement

These guidelines detail minimum teaching, assessing and vocational qualification and competence requirements at RMIT. RMIT is committed to staff, and values highly skilled teaching staff. As such the University will encourage and support staff to pursue higher levels of teaching, assessing as well as maintaining currency of vocational competence.

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