The short answer is yes, you do!
It’s crucial that those who train and or assess accredited qualifications (or parts of them) have the necessary competence. That is to say, the skills and knowledge gained through experience, in the vocational discipline(s) they intend to train and/or assess.
This is a fundamental cornerstone of quality in the vocational education and training sector– in short, you can’t teach what you don’t know!
This experience may be evidenced by the qualifications attained. For example, a Certificate or Diploma in the same vocation to be trained/assessed. Alternatively, it may be evidenced through less formal means, such as demonstrating one’s experience and expertise through documented and demonstrated work history.
Whilst there is no currently prescribed guidance as to a minimum requirement when it comes to vocational experience, as it is purely competency-based, five years (minimum) is a rough and indicative guide as to how long it might take someone to gain the level of vocational experience to be able to then teach or train others in their field.
Once sufficient vocational experience has been gained, you also require a specific set of skills in relation to the art of training and assessing, which can also only be gained through experience.
This may immediately sound like a ‘chicken and egg’ scenario, after all, how can one gain experience as a Trainer and Assessor if one can’t become a Trainer and Assessor without experience? Fortunately, there is an answer– through a course in the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
In addition to the practical nature of the qualification itself, TAE Academy’s TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment programs are built on the 70:20:10 principle which, based on prolific research, suggests that as little as 10% of what we learn is learned in formal classroom settings, around 20% is learned through those we regularly interact with; peers, supervisors, managers, etc, and up to 70% is learned by actually ‘doing.’TAE Academy’s programs incorporate these principles through the incorporation of practice and the application of learning in real situations, to ensure that experience in training and assessment is gained and the associated skills are honed concurrently- i.e. as part of the coursework, so that once qualified, participants have the requisite experience to confidently and competently training and assess others.
By Louise Badr
National Group Business Development Manager
1300 000 TAE
About The Author
Louise Badr is the National Group Business Development Manager at the IVET Group, to which the TAE Academy belongs.
‘Lou’ has worked in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Sector for 7+ years, working for both private Registered Training Organisations (RTO) and TAFE Institutes.
Lou has a true passion for education and has utilised her own studies to change careers and achieve personal goals. Because of this passion, she uses her extensive knowledge of the sector to drive quality outcomes for all the people she interacts with.