March Newsletter - TIPS for COMPLIANCE with SNR 15.4

I am currently running Auditing Workshops in most states of Australia. Upon asking the candidates about how they validate that a trainer/assessor meets (VQF - SNR 15.4) or (AQTF - Element 1.4), some of the answers were along the lines of: “We ask for a CV and they (the trainer) must have qualifications at or above the level of the qualification they are to deliver/assess.” My response was that there certainly is a bit more you need to consider and that the regulators will also want to see further evidence and this might be in the form of a Trainers Skill Matrix.

Further evidence: Consider the standards; certainly a signed/dated current and comprehensive CV (detailing relevant vocational work history) is worth some weight. The CV should detail the training and assessment qualifications, being TAA40104 or TAE40110 which must be sighted and validated prior to any training taking place.
The RTO should also consider the vocational competencies e.g. does the person have the exact VET qualification they would be delivering and assessing, or another qualification. If they have some other qualification or experience that they purport to be acceptable then this must be mapped to the competencies.
The RTO should also clearly outline how the trainer has demonstrated current industry skills for the training and assessment they will facilitate, and not to forget that the trainer must maintain vocational industry currency, and so you need to identify workshops or seminars the trainer has attended in regard their vocation and the competencies they are delivering. You also need to identify what Professional Development (PD) in areas of VET knowledge and skills has been undertaken by trainer.

Let me create a scenario: Let us say that the Diploma of Management is one of the courses you have on scope, Okay, you need an extra trainer and you advertise and find someone with a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and TAA40104 Certificate IV Training and Assessment. They provide you with a CV and their qualifications. Certainly, they may have the competence required to meet the respective standards, but you as the RTO need to verify their competence and so you should then request further evidence.
One of the units in the Diploma Management is BSBPMG510A Manage Projects. The applicant with the MBA has not completed the Manage Projects unit or in fact any units from the Diploma Management and so how would you deem them competent to train and assess in this particular unit or any of the other units?

My Suggestion: You need to investigate further and go into more detail to clearly demonstrate and verify that they (the applicant) has the experience in the unit(s) they will be delivering and assessing. Yes, it may be a bit of work to clearly verify and validate the applicants formal and/or informal training and experience to the units/module they will be delivering and/or assessing.
I recommend that in this case you should then detail down to the element level of how they meet the requirements.
You, as the RTO must prove that they ‘the trainer’ have the requisite requirements to train and assess in the respective qualification or units thereof. And what do you do with the evidence? Collate the data and detail the specifics in a Trainers Skills Matrix and reference the data.

Outcome: In this way, the RTO has clearly shown that they have analysed and determined that the applicant’s evidence is sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant has the required qualifications and experience to train and assess in the respective unit(s) or module.

If you would like a copy of a sample Trainer Skills Matrix, click here.
Note that this matrix is provided in two versions, one where the person has completed the unit of competency and the second version where the trainer has not completed the respective unit of competency.

Feedback is always appreciated.