Recognition of prior learning process

SKILLS RECOGNITION
Skills recognition is a term used to describe all the ways in which an
individual's existing skills and knowledge are measured against
competency standards in order to be acknowledged and to be granted
a whole or partial qualification.
Skills recognition is known by a variety of terms and is carried out in a
variety of ways. All can lead to the issuing of a Statement of
Attainment for one or more units of competency, or a whole
qualification.
RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)
RPL is the most well known term for skills recognition. This is an
assessment process in which a person's formal and informal learning,
work experience and other life experience is assessed to determine to
what extent the person can demonstrate competency in the required
skills and knowledge. It can happen through collection of a portfolio
of evidence, conversations with an assessor, attendance at an
assessment workshop, practical workplace demonstration or
completion of written assessments. More on this process later.
RECOGNITION OF CURRENT COMPETENCY (RCC)
RCC applies if a person has previously successfully completed the
requirements for a unit of competency and is now required to
demonstrate that the competency is still being maintained. You may
need to do this if you have the unit of competency required for a
qualification but received it more than three years ago – the assessor
will be required to ask for recognition of current competency in some
form in order to include this unit in the qualification that you are
attempting. Often this is just your job description or a letter from
your supervisor.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION (FORMERLY MUTUAL
RECOGNITION)
This means that a person has already completed the unit/s of
competency at another RTO in Australia. When granted national
recognition you do not have to complete any extra work to
demonstrate competency. All you need to do is provide CCWT with a
copy of your transcript listing the unit.

CREDIT TRANSFER
Credit transfer involves assessing a previously completed course or
subject to see if it provides equivalent competency outcomes to those
required by the person's course of study.
MORE ON RPL
Recognition of Prior Learning has earned a reputation as a complex
and time consuming way of completing a qualification. In the past it
has involved the collection of reams of paper based evidence to prove
your competency. Sometimes it was easier and less time consuming to
attend the workshop and complete the written assessment than
bother with RPL.
Not any more! RPL has changed significantly in the last three years
and is now a time and cost effective way of completing a partial or
whole qualification.
RPL
WORKSHOPS
ACWA/CCWT offers RPL workshops for the qualifications CHC52208
Diploma of Community Services Coordination and BSB51107 Diploma of
Management and for a cluster of four units in Case Management. At
these workshops you demonstrate that you have the necessary skills
and qualifications to be granted the relevant units of competency.
You may take part in role plays, group discussions, written
assessments and conversations with the assessor. Sometimes there is
work that is required to be completed outside of the workshop, but
this is kept to a minimum. You are provided with all the resources
that you need to prepare for the workshop and complete the
qualification or cluster of units.
RPL
PORTFOLIO
Some people prefer the traditional method of collecting workplace
evidence, so this process has been streamlined and improved. You are
provided with Evidence Guides, which give you some idea of the types
of evidence that you could collect. After an initial evidence collection
period you then engage in a 'professional conversation' with your
assessor in which you discuss your work practices. This means that you
don't have to have paper based evidence for all parts of the
qualification, which is particularly useful for people who have moved
jobs or do not have paper evidence of every task and process that
they carry out in the workplace.
Including the professional conversation in this process has significantly

shortened the evidence collection process and has enabled a more
flexible approach to demonstration of competency. In many cases the
professional conversation takes place in your workplace and your
evidence is right there at your fingertips.
After the professional conversation you complete your RPL process by
finding evidence to fill the gaps.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF SKILLS
RECOGNITION
◦ You don't have to sit through training courses or assessment tasks
that you have already done before
◦ It is normally cheaper than attending training and assessment
◦ You can therefore spend your training budget and time on different
training
◦ You can start at any time without having to wait for the training
course to be scheduled.
WILL I LEARN ANYTHING DOING SKILLS
RECOGNITION
When you are taking part in an RPL process you come to a greater
understanding of the range of skills and knowledge that you possess,
and, particularly if you attend an RPL workshop, there are some
elements of learning in the process. In gathering evidence you often
learn to look at your work in new ways and can be challenged to try
new ideas.
However the learning process is much more obvious if you attend a
training workshop and then complete the assessment. In a workshop
you are faced with new theories and practices and learn from the
other participants. If you wish to be exposed to a range of new
learning, you can attend the training workshop and then complete
your assessment requirement by RPL if you wish.