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How to earn a qualification without further study

Mon 1 March 2010

Public servants, council staff and workers who have done most of their training on the job could benefit from the Skills Recognition Program offered by Victoria University.

Last year 282 middle and senior managers from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in Melbourne were assessed under the program for their prior learning. They emerged with a total of 371 qualifications in leadership, management, business administration and small business – all without having to do any further study.

“That’s the beauty of the Skills Recognition Program,” said VU’s Enterprise Program Manager Leigh Edwards. “It empowers employees by validating their skills as competencies which in turn translate into qualifications. The program also allows managers and human resources departments to accurately assess the skill levels and qualifications of their employees.”

“Many workers undervalue the skills they possess. This program encapsulates work experience into skill sets that many people have without any formal recognition.”

The program is delivered through Skills Stores funded by Skills Victoria and aims to assist people to identify skills that could be formally recognised via an RPL process. Set up in 2008, it aims to help fill in the gaps for the 1 million Victorians without formal post-secondary qualifications.

Assessment under the program is free for those who meet eligibility requirements and participants pay only for those units they are required to complete to make up their qualification.

The ATO program was run last year after an ATO staff member dropped in to find out about the assessment procedure at the Central Melbourne Skills Store in Flinders Arcade, Melbourne. “She was so impressed she referred the service to her fellow managers and as a result, we set up the program for them,” Ms Edwards said.

In this instance, the ATO managers were found to have garnered such a high level of skills over their years of service at the tax office and elsewhere that they emerged with a range of qualifications from Certificate IV level to Graduate Certificates.

Feedback from the ATO was overwhelmingly positive.  As one participant said: "Thanks for the initiative – positive and useful in the light of current economic downturn and tightening job market."

For further information on the Skills Recognition Program contact Virginia Wiggins on 9919 7889 or 9919 7859; email: virginia.wiggins@vu.edu.au

VU Vibe, February 2010 edition

This story forms part of the VU Vibe newsletter for February 2010. The newsletter is published every two months by the Government Liaison Unit (GLU).

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