(1) Charles Darwin University (‘the University’, ‘CDU’) acknowledges that an individual’s skills, knowledge, and experience can be gained through formal, non-formal and informal learning. These prior competencies are recognised in accordance with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (or successor). (2) The University recognises the mobility of VET units of competency by granting credit transfer (CT) to students who have completed an equivalent unit at another RTO. (3) This procedure outlines the University’s process for assessing a student’s previous learning, skills, and knowledge to determine the extent to which they have achieved the required learning outcomes, competency outcomes, and training product outcomes for partial or total completion of a (4) This procedure applies to current and prospective VET students applying for credit transfer (CT), recognition of prior learning (RPL) or recognition of current competency (RCC) for VET training products on the University’s scope of registration and the University employees involved in the administration and assessment of these applications. (5) To ensure consistency, fairness and transparency, the University will facilitate and support the progression of VET students by providing information on RPL, RCC, or CT prior to or upon enrolment. (6) Students who have previously completed any of the units or the previous equivalent versions in their enrolled course may be eligible for CT. Students who have previously gained any skills and knowledge relevant to their course may be eligible for RPL. RCC is a specific form of RPL; it only applies where an individual is required to maintain current competency in one or more units of competency linked to a license or regulatory requirement. To meet these requirements, individuals may present for re-assessment in units previously attained. (7) Once recognition has been attained for a unit of competency, the grade is reported on the student’s record and is portable locally and nationally, and they can apply to be credited into further training products as per the National Register of VET (training.gov.au). Recognition is at the assessor's discretion and, per the Academic Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning Policy, must align with the training product outcomes. Recognition may be limited when an individual study plan includes electives that meet the packaging rules but not the overarching intent and job role of the training product. (8) Students in a superseded course who are not expected to complete must be compulsorily transferred to the replacement course in line with VET Student Transition Procedure timelines. (9) Compulsory transfer must protect students from disadvantage and maximise the recognition for the learning and assessment already gained in the expiring training product. The VET Lecturer must analyse the units and create administrative mapping to identify and record learning and assessment requirements that are equivalent in intent and extent between the expiring and new training products. Mapping is categorised in the following ways: (10) There are no student fees associated with compulsory transfer. (11) Compulsory recognition is applied in the following ways: (12) Students subsequently enrolled in units via RPL ‘assessing’ under compulsory transfer arrangements must be assessed following an appropriate RPL strategy that meets the principles of assessment and the rules of evidence, such as questioning of knowledge evidence gaps, direct observation of performance gaps, a third-party report of performance in the workplace and a professional conversation to verify learning. The administrative mapping analysis forms part of the evidence for the student. (13) Credit transfer grades are only applied where the unit held by the student is deemed equivalent to the target unit on the training.gov.au and could have been achieved via training and assessment, RPL or CT. (14) Students should apply for credit transfer for units of competency they already hold that contribute to the application and job outcomes of the course and meet the packaging rules of the training product they are pursuing. (15) Students are encouraged to apply for credit transfer during the application process, but CDU will accept requests at any stage. Late applications may impact student enrolment. (16) The University does not charge student fees for credit transfers and no funding is received by CDU for credit transfer grades applied to a student’s record. (17) Equivalency can be identified under two circumstances: (18) To apply for a credit transfer, students must complete the VET110 - Application for Credit Transfer form located on Forms and guides and provide supporting evidence to the relevant Team leader or delegate. The supporting evidence must meet ASQA Standards or be verified in writing by the issuing RTO. (19) The following evidence meets the ASQA Standards for credit transfer evidence: (20) If the student supplies evidence that does not meet the ASQA standards, the student must authorise CDU, through the VET110 Application for Credit Transfer located on Forms and guides, to contact the issuing RTO for verification in writing that the student completed the training with them. (21) Occasionally units of competency are superseded and equivalent back more than one version. Under these circumstances, CT can still be awarded. However, best practice for compliance, validity, and currency may require a mapping analysis and gap assessment for older equivalent unit content. Under this alternative method an RPL grade would be used and the mapping document included with the evidence. (22) Under the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, CDU must offer RPL to students unless the requirements of the training package or licensing requirements prevent this. (23) RPL acknowledges that people learn in many ways and that learning may have been obtained through: (24) A lecturer appropriately matrixed to the units being sought by the student must assess RPL. (25) An RPL grade may be a sufficient precedent for a further CT grade in an equivalent unit in a subsequent training product. (26) An RPL grade is not solely sufficient for further RPL in a related or non-equivalent unit and additional evidence is required in addition to the curriculum mapping between the units. (27) In determining where RPL may be granted, the assessor must be confident of the currency of the student’s competency. In fields where practices and technology change rapidly, RPL may not be granted without currency. Similarly, where licenced outcomes prohibit RPL, no applications will be accepted. (28) The RPL assessment strategy must be fully described in the training and assessment summary (TAS). This can be either a discrete RPL cohort for all students in the training product or an integrated strategy within each cohort. (29) There may be potential for real or perceived conflicts of interest when staff members apply for RPL through the University. As such, there is a moratorium for University staff members seeking RPL at CDU. (30) Students are encouraged to pursue recognition where appropriate, and they are encouraged to discuss with their lecturers eligibility for skills recognition, evidence requirements and fees, as well as seek advice on completing the self-assessment and application form and gathering reliable evidence. (31) CDU must protect and inform students by ensuring they are suitable candidates for RPL before their enrolment. Through initial triage and provision of an RPL guide and self-assessment tool, the student can make an informed decision about proceeding with RPL or enrolling via training and assessment. (32) Team Leaders must manage RPL volume, processes, timelines, and their RPL workforce efficiently to sustain the RPL market for their industry areas and the typical RPL cohort. Strategies can include tailored assessment methods and processes, structured intakes and units by teaching period, intake census dates, or where students commence near the end of the year to only enrol them in units they can accomplish before the end of the year. (33) Recognition enquiries can come via several means and must be triaged appropriately: (34) Triage includes the following: (35) Once triage is completed, Student Administration or the Enrolment Officer forwards all communication and documentation to the Team Leader or delegate. (36) If not completed during enquiry and triage, the student must initially submit the completed self-assessment questionnaire. The self-assessment questionnaire must be developed based on at least the performance evidence of each unit and ask the student what evidence they are likely to be able to provide of their skills against a suggested list. (37) The assessor must review the provided answers and advise the student on their next steps based on the cohort they fall within for the units in their study plan. (38) Once the self-assessment is completed, the units of competency in a training product may be assessed against the student’s RPL. (39) Cohort One refers to an RPL student with sufficient prior learning and experience with authentic and current evidence of the same. In the self-assessment questionnaire, this student has met the performance requirements recently and often. They are often active in the job role for which they seek the training product. (40) Recognition of current competency (RCC) falls within this cohort because the student has a previous version of the training product and requires assessment to be granted the latest version. (41) At the discretion of the (42) This student is enrolled via RPL for the appropriate units. (43) Cohort Two refers to a student with significant prior experience, but it is either not current and/or no evidence is available. In the self-assessment questionnaire, they have done the performance requirements, but perhaps not all of them, or not often or recently. They often have significant experience in the job role and can demonstrate the skills but may not have an active workplace to do so and no formal learning of knowledge evidence. (44) At the discretion of the (45) Beyond the threshold, this student is enrolled via an assessment-only (AO) pathway for the appropriate units. (46) Cohort Three refers to students with insufficient prior learning and experience based on the self-assessment questionnaire. (47) This student is enrolled via a training and assessment (TA) pathway for the appropriate units. (48) Students must complete the TAFE101 Enrolment Form located on Forms and guides and indicate which units are enrolled in via RPL, AO, or TA pathway. This stage must also include developing a realistic plan with timelines, milestones, and review dates to complete the study plan that the assessor and student must agree upon. RPL student fees are applied at the point of enrolment. (49) Evidence can take many forms and be gathered from several sources however, there must be an appropriate balance to ensure that, overall, the evidence collected meets the rules of evidence. Evidence can be categorised as: (50) RPL assessment tools are created by the VET lecturer and can be designed by modifying existing assessment tools used for the unit of competency. Alternatively, a new suite of RPL assessment tools can be developed. (51) RPL assessment tools must be pre-validated prior to use and submitted to the VET Assessment Panel through the Senior TAFE Quality Manager for review and approval. Refer to the VET Assessment System Policy and Procedure. (52) Applicants should not send original documents. (53) The following principles will apply in the assessment of applications for RPL: (54) RPL assessment must be conducted using a pre-validated kit developed to suit the type of cohort and the industry area for the training product of the following forms. All RPL kits must include expected benchmark answers and space to capture student responses and assessor comments, a summary of the assessment outcomes and a place for student feedback. Options include: (55) Planning and facilitating RPL assessment evidence collection, communications, face-to-face meetings, video conferences, feedback, task allocation, reminders, reviews and encouragement and guidance are all parts of RPL assessment and are managed at the team level. (56) A combination of assessment methods is required when assessing RPL. The following options are indicative only and not exhaustive; some industries suit other assessment methods, such as a reflective journal or client role-play. (57) The assessor will conduct an assessment in accordance with the assessment principles above. As the student presents evidence that meets the expected benchmarks and thus can be checked off against the unit components, a summary of the remaining evidence required must be shared with the student however is most appropriate. Once sufficient evidence has been provided, the judgement can be made, and an RPL grade granted. (58) The RPL assessor will: (59) RPL assessment must be finalised within six (6) months from enrolment so no applicant is disadvantaged. If the process is expected to go beyond that period, an exemption must be sought from the relevant TAFE Deputy Chief Executive or Academy of the Arts Director. There are no continuing enrolment grades in RPL for when students are still being assessed across the end-of-year closure so RPL enrolment and assessment planning must be managed so all grading at the unit level is completed before the end of the year. The student can continue their RPL journey into the new calendar year with any remaining units. (60) Where RPL is not granted, the student will be informed of training and assessment enrolment opportunities. (61) Should a student receive an RPL-NOT grade and wish to appeal they may contact their assessor, the Team Leader or the student complaints area of CDU. (62) In the case of successful RPL assessment judgements, the evidence collected must include all evidence provided by the student and the assessor’s mapping of that student's evidence against the unit requirements. (63) There is currently a moratorium on the disposal of evidence. Retain the RPL application form, the self-assessment questionnaire, all evidence and the completed mapping until further notice in the CDU TAFE SharePoint team library. (64) Where RPL evidence is collected as part of an integrated training and assessment pathway via Learnline, the evidence can stay within the Learnline site. (65) Non-compliance with Governance Documents is considered a breach of the Code of Conduct - Employees or the Code of Conduct – Students, as applicable, and is treated seriously by the University. Reports of concerns about non-compliance will be managed in accordance with the applicable disciplinary procedures outlined in the Charles Darwin University and Union Enterprise Agreement 2022 and the Code of Conduct – Students. (66) Complaints may be raised in accordance with the Code of Conduct - Employees and Code of Conduct - Students. (67) All staff members have an individual responsibility to raise any suspicion, allegation or report of fraud or corruption in accordance with the Fraud and Corruption Control Policy and Whistleblower Reporting (Improper Conduct) Procedure.VET Recognition Procedure
Section 1 - Preamble
Section 2 - Purpose
Section 3 - Scope
Section 4 - Procedure
General rules
Compulsory Transfer
Credit Transfer
Recognition of Prior Learning
Conflicts of Interest
Applying for recognition
Enquiry and Triage
Self-Assessment
Enrolment
Supporting Evidence
Assessment Principles
Conducting Assessment
Records
Section 5 - Non-Compliance
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