Glossary

Advanced Standing

The status granted to a student in an accredited course or training program on the basis of previous study, work or life experience, and skills acquired.

Assessment

The process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whether competency has been achieved, or whether specific skills and knowledge have been achieved that will lead to the attainment of competency

Assessor

A subject specialist who examines the evidence provided on the application for Recognition and make judgements as to whether the competency outcomes have been met.

Authenticity

Acceptance that the evidence used to make an assessment judgement is the applicant's own product or performance. Ensuring authenticity may involve checking records, obtaining confirmation from the workplace, questioning the applicant, third party verification and sighting of original documents and qualifications

Competency

(also competence)

The ability to perform tasks and duties to the standard expected in employment

Course

A structured sequence of vocational education and training that lends to a student learning a range of skills and knowledge (competencies)

Credit Transfer

Credit Transfer is advanced standing obtained on the basis of previously completed study. A document such as a certificate to confirm successful completion is required in order to receive credit transfer

Currency (of skills and knowledge)

Skills and knowledge that are applicable in present workplace practices. The applicant must be able to present evidence that skills and knowledge previously acquired have been used and/or updated in current workplace environments. Currency may also relate to technology or processes

Current Competency

A competency currently possessed by a person. People can lose competence over time, and having been competent in the past may need further training and practice to demonstrate current competency

Evidence

Information gathered which, when matched against units of competency/Competencies, provide proof of competency. Evidence can take many forms and be gathered from a number of sources

National Recognition

The acceptance by Registered Training Organisations (RTO's) throughout Australia of the decisions and qualifications or partial qualifications issued by other RTO's. Any RTO - for instance, TAFE NSW - must recognise the qualifications and units of competency awarded to a student by another RTO

Performance Criteria

The part of a competency standard specifying the required level of performance in terms of a set of outcomes which need to be achieved in order to be deemed competent

Portfolio

A collection of evidence that is provided to an assessor as proof of skills. The portfolio may include references, certificates, reports and examples of work you have done. Once the portfolio is completed it then becomes the evidence that the assessor uses to determine Recognition.

Pre-arranged Recognition

A term used by TAFE NSW to describe previously negotiated arrangements between TAFE NSW and other training providers such as Universities, schools and Adult & Community Colleges

Recognition

A broad term that means Recognition of competencies held, regardless of how, when or where the learning occurred. In TAFE NSW it covers four types of Recognition services: Pre arranged Recognition, Recognition of Prior Learning (Recognition), TAFE NSW Credit Transfer and National Recognition. The aim of Recognition is to reduce repetition of previous learning acknowledging skills and knowledge acquired through formal and informal learning. Enrolled students can receive Recognition for up to 100% of a TAFE NSW course or qualification. The smallest educational unit granted through Recognition is a whole competency

Recognition of Prior Learning (Recognition)

The acknowledgement of a person's current skills and knowledge acquired through previous education, training, work or life experience. In TAFE NSW this type of Recognition encompasses all Recognition where either formal Recognition arrangements have not been recorded on the Course Information System (CIS) or where the identical TAFE NSW competency has not been completed or where National Recognition does not apply.

Recognition Process

Recognition process is a term that covers Recognition of Prior Learning (Recognition), Recognition of Current Competency (RCC) and Skills Recognition. All terms refer to Recognition of competencies held, regardless of how, when or where the learning occurred. Under the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF), competencies may be attained in a number of ways. This includes through any combination of formal or informal training and education, work experience or general life experience. In order to grant Recognition/RCC the assessor must be confident that the candidate is currently competent against the outcomes specified in Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) accredited courses. The evidence may take a variety of forms and could include certification, references from past employers, testimonials from clients and work samples. The assessor must ensure that the evidence is authentic, valid, reliable, current and sufficient.

Registered Training Organisation (RTO)

An organisation registered by a State or Territory authority to deliver training and/or conduct assessments and issue nationally recognised qualifications in accordance with the Australian Recognition Framework. RTO's include TAFE colleges and institutes, adult and community education providers, private providers, community organisations, schools, higher education institutions, commercial and enterprise training providers, industry bodies and other organisations meeting the registration requirements.

Result Transfer

The form of Recognition by which a student may be eligible for the transfer of grades or marks from a previous TAFE NSW competency to the current competency enrolment. With Recognition and most credit transfer the student competency result will show `by advanced standing' and not a grade or mark.

Self Assessment

Self assessment is a process that allows students being assessed to collect and provide evidence on their own performance against the competency standards. Self assessment is often used as a tool to help the student and assessor to determine what evidence is available and where the gaps may be.

Sufficiency

The provision of evidence of the required quantity and quality to satisfy an assessor that the applicant is able to consistently achieve to the required standard.

TAFE NSW Credit Transfer

The Recognition of specified learning previously completed in TAFE NSW, within a single Institute or across Institutes. It is granted where the identical TAFE NSW competency has previously been successfully completed or a TAFE NSW competency deemed to be equivalent has previously been successfully completed.

Transferability

The ability of the skills and knowledge acquired to be applied outside the specific context in which they were learned

Unit of Competency

A competency standard that specifies the knowledge and skill an individual needs to perform their job to the required industry standard

Validity

This occurs when the assessment process assesses what it claims to assess, where the evidence collected is relevant to the Competencies or units of competency concerned and demonstrates that these have been met