What is happening in RPL?
ARTICLE | Jan Macindoe, Norma Smith, Marie Cozens
RPL models and resources were showcased in the Making Better Connections forum, held in December 2008.
The Forum brought together representatives from a wide range of the sixty projects funded by COAG in New South Wales.
Two writers, Jan Macindoe and Norma Smith, both with many years experience in TAFE NSW, participated in the event and recorded their observations and perceptions, giving an insight into what is happening on the ground in RPL.
Methodology
The forum was designed and facilitated by Janet Hewson of the TAFE NSW Workforce Development Unit in consultation with DET Industry Skills Program. A story approach was used by project leaders, which involved participants sharing dialogue in groups in response to the insights and most significant change that project leaders had experienced in undertaking their projects. This process allowed a space for reflection and new understandings.
Themes
The major themes of the Forum were
- RPL for existing workers, especially delivered in the workplace
- strategies to build assessor confidence.
Jan Macindoe's paper elaborates on these themes. Jan explored the reasons behind the low uptake of RPL, and then reflected on models she observed. She noted that “Industries with skills shortages… have the incentive to invest in the recognition of skills in their existing staff, and to follow up with skills gap training…. Skills Express covers a range of projects involving TAFE-industry partnership, …. Skills Express has fostered innovative and user-friendly approaches to Recognition – models with the potential for wider application”. More >>
Models explored in Jan’s paper are in Automotive, Engineering and Aged Care.
View the entire article by Jan Macindoe
RPL – models for success: Making Better Connections Forum, 4 December 2008
Embedding RPL
The forum was well timed for endorsing the business case for RPL being embedded in the workplace and in teaching practice.
Norma Smith spoke of the value of “… embedding into the psyche of the practitioners’ teaching and learning thought processes so that RPL becomes second nature – simply part of the learning cycle” More >>
Norma observed six of the projects showcased. Two were primarily about professional development, and embedding RPL
- the Community Services Certificate IV in Employment Services
- Mentoring – Significant Conversations
Two were focused mostly on the RPL process
- the RPL Skills Express for Hairdressing
- the Arts Media Artsmart Project
Two projects were about involving employers as stakeholders and promoters of RPL.
- Western Sydney Institute, Blue Mountains Campus managed A Business Perspective on Recognition Project.
- The Network of Community Activities based at Surry Hills managed an Out of School Hours (OOSH) Project.
View the entire article by Norma Smith
Recognition of Prior Learning – Recognition of Progress,
Reflections on Making Better Connections Forum 2008
Mainstreaming RPL
Evelyn Goodwin, Professional Development Co-ordinator, Industry Skills Unit, Department of Education and Training said:
“ the Making Better Connections Forum shows workplace practitioners are getting out there and doing RPL across all types of industries and in all areas”. She added, “this demonstrates that RPL can be mainstreamed and that we have to make everyone understand that it is possible to achieve this both with, and without funding as there are such great benefits. A key goal is to embed the RPL in the workplace and to help people recognize the value of this to their organization and employees, irrespective of whether they are one of the sixty funded projects in NSW.
The need for mainstreaming, or achieving an embedded form of RPL was one of the messages emerging from the RPL Forum. The “business case” for this form of RPL is being acknowledged and explored. Evidence of this came from the variety of projects across a whole range of industries.
A national RPL project
An example of a national RPL project was the COAG Skills Express Construction industry Partnership Project (SCIP) from TAFE NSW, Western Sydney Institute. This developed an RPL and Gap Training model for the provision of qualifications to workers in the construction industry in the areas of steel fixing, concreting, dogging and rigging to address skills shortages. The major achievement of this project is providing alternative avenues to qualification that is likely to appeal to all stakeholders.
A regional RPL project
A second example of a regional project was the Aged and Community Services Association (ACS) NSW and the ACT who in conjunction with the IDEAS project team addressed the aged care skills shortage. Its aim are to improve recognition processes, to increase the capability and expertise of the aged services sector on the North Coast and to raise, diversify the skills of the existing aged services workforce, sustain industry capacity in the aged care services sector and the associated training sector.
So far the ACS association has established significant networks within the residential community care sectors and has developed partnerships with education and training organisations within the region to assist with workforce development and skills acquisition.
A local RPL project
A local program was showcased titled “A Business Perspective on Recognition” from the Blue Mountains TAFE College and Western Sydney Institute. The focus of this project is on engaging stakeholders to have confidence in the benefit from use of recognition processes to progress candidates towards qualification. The project aims to develop a ‘best practice model’. The focus will be on RPL and workplace assessment to identify gap training requirements and then progress employee candidates towards qualifications recognised under the AQF.
This cross fertilization of ideas and achievements was very worthwhile and is aimed at demystifying the RPL process. It becomes increasingly easier as models are developed and communication between all the practitioner groups is maintained.
The forum program, with further information on the the NSW projects can be seen here. (Penny please link to TAB C sent with this report) .
Since December 2008
In response to the current economic crisis, a special meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) met in February 2009 to put further measures in place to deal with the challenges ahead of building skills in Australia.
These measures recognise the critical role RPL will play.
RPL resources
The energy going into RPL has led to the development of a host of new resources, many of which are freely available. These are located on the Department of Education and Training’s Skills Online.
Some of these include
- Recognition of Prior Learning - Resource Catalogue
- RTO Guide has been developed to assist Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) deliver a quality recognition service and develop or improve the capacity of RTOs to engage and assist RPL candidates and employees being instructed in recognition.
- Candidate Guide has been produced to assist people seeking recognition for experience, skills and knowledge for which they do not hold a vocational qualification. This guide has been developed to provide individuals with more information about recognition and help them to understand the recognition process.
- Assessor Guide will assist assessors to offer streamlined recognition processes and enable them to assist employers and recognition candidates to be better informed about recognition.
DET workshops
These are intended for VET practitioners and include RPL workshops. Details can be found at https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/industryprograms/forum_events/tng_assessment.htm
Further showcase
A further forum for practitioners based around the COAG funded NSW RPL projects will be held 25 – 26 May. Keep an eye on the skillsonline.net.au for details.
What are you doing in RPL?
We are interested in hearing from you about any model that you are developing or implementing which could form the focus of an eZine interview.
Contact the TAFE Workforce Development Unit to let us know what you're doing in RPL.