What’s wrong with our industry’s Training Package system
Conversations I have every day continue to reinforce my belief that we need fundamental reform to our flawed Training Package system.
As a case in point – I’ve been discussing the unit CHCMHS005: Provide services to people with co-existing mental health and alcohol and other drugs issues with a subject matter expert today. They were adamant that students on work placement would not be allowed to actually manage these clients for assessment purposes.
Therefore, the only alternative to fulfil performance evidence requirements for this unit would then be a simulated assessment – of three different roleplay clients with co-existing mental health and alcohol and other drugs issues! How is this meaningfully assessing that student’s capabilities? How can an assessor realistically roleplay diverse and complex clients, and what would an auditor think about this?
For classroom-based students not working in the field, this issue presents a real problem. We should not continue with units of competency that are simply expressions of workplace tasks. Students should not have to be assessed against criteria that they will only achieve once they have been at work for some time.
I’d love to discuss with policymakers and other thought leaders how we can shake up the VET system. We should be pushing forward with units that truly develop underpinning knowledge and skills, and that can be further advanced in the workplace through application over time.
I wrote about this in more detail in my article on the UK Extended Diploma of Management some time ago.
What are your thoughts on where we go from here with competency-based training and assessment?
Education | VET & HE Operations| Quality Assurance | Curriculum | Policy | Published Author | Student Journey | Marketing | ELICOS | Commonwealth funding | State funding | Registrations Higher Ed & VET
3 年Great article Sally! I have found that even the recent changes to so many training packages were just not enough! Just read your article on 'The link between Training Package reform and VET regulator reform' I think that sums up most of our thoughts.
Board Member and Educational Strategist
3 年Unless the RTO employs skilled professional actors to act as clients (at great expense) I do not see that role plays with other students can develop the level of skill required to work effectively with this vulnerable client group. It is a skill that would be developed on the job over time under careful supervision
Specialist in Strategic Learning, Program and Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement | Expert in VET, Higher Education, Corporate Learning, and Adult Learning Design | Passionate About Lifelong Learning
3 年I totally agree with the need to reform our system and one way would be to follow the UK and other countries that have a more realistic two piece approach to vocational learning and training. We acknowledge that blended learning and the 70:20:10 approach is good for workplace training so why not extend that to all learning in the VET system. Have learner gain underpinning knowledge and understanding of the the work, how to do it, why and when it is applied. Assess this knowledge and understanding and then follow up with a competency based assessment once the person has secured a position and is int he actual workplace. Give them two parts of a unit, award the knowledge and understanding of theory and application first (much like other higher education does) and then only award the competency in the skill when actually in the workplace and having had time to hone those skills.
Chief Executive ? National Farmers Federation (NFF)
3 年The fifteen new Skills Entperises to replace the SSOs will certainly have their work cut out as the architecture to develop qualifications is reformed.