Are the costs all-inclusive?

The TAE Academy declares all expected fees upfront and these include all the support you’ll need. Some providers have hidden costs, or make additional charges for what we believe should be standard inclusions, for example; extra charges to have your work re-assessed, to have your course extended, or even to obtain a printed version of a workbook. At the TAE Academy, we try to be as transparent with our costs as we can, so you aren’t hit with any extra fees you weren’t expecting.

What am I getting for my money?

On face value, some providers may appear to be much cheaper, however not all courses are created equal. If a course fee looks low in comparison to most others, you need to ask yourself “what are they not including?”. Cheaper fees often indicate hidden costs, or that a provider may be including less support, either from trainers (particularly when completing an online program), a dedicated customer support service, or both. It is obviously important that you find a provider that is affordable, but it’s equally important that you select a provider that will provide you with the support necessary to give you every chance of a successful outcome.

It is also very important that there is someone available to talk to when you need this support.

The TAE Academy has a trainer assigned to support duties every weekday. We also have a customer support team that can help you with all your non-training related needs, from enrolment to certificate issuance.

Are you flexible enough to suit my needs if they change?

Some providers only offer one model, lacking the flexibility to recognise those with previous training experience or who come from an education background, which can be frustrating. At the TAE Academy we pride ourselves on the different options we have available, allowing our students to select an option that best suits their needs, whether it be online, blended, recognition of prior learning (RPL) or a combination of each model. 

Furthermore, we afford our students the flexibility to change delivery mode when and if it suits, post-commencement, which is something some of our competitors like to charge its students for. 

We also appreciate that people get busy and sometimes, despite best intentions, training has to take a back seat to work and life. Extensions of time and temporary suspension of programs are only a request away with the TAE Academy and don’t incur a financial penalty, unlike some other providers.

Do you have a good reputation in the market?

The TAE Academy has built a reputation as a reputable provider with a quality product that provides a high level of service and represents value for money. Many of the enquiries we receive come from word of mouth, from those who have had a positive experience with us. The certificate you will receive after the successful completion of our program will be well recognised in the VET industry and held in high regard when you apply for your next training role.

Remember, your certificate will forever carry the name and brand (and therefore reputation) of the provider, so ensure you take the time to research and select a reputable provider.

What are your average completion rates for this qualification?

Naturally, not everyone goes on to successfully complete their course and qualification, however, with properly structured learning, assessments tasks that are easy to understand, and the right amount of support, it should not be unreasonable to expect the majority of people to successfully complete their program. Training providers will differ with regard to their assessments methods and tasks, with some being a lot easier to understand and navigate, whilst others make these tasks overly complex and challenging to understand. The average completion rate of a training provider, whilst not the only factor, is a reasonable indication of a) the quality of training provided, b) how well the assessment tasks are written and c) whether the support they provide is adequate.

The TAE Academy currently boasts a completion rate of >80%, which is at the high end of typical industry benchmarks. This kind of completion rate is only possible through a combination of the quality of our learning and assessment resources, our trainers/assessors and our customer (student) support service.

How long should it take me to complete my course?

In accordance with the volume of learning prescribed by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and the standards imposed by the national VET regulator, ASQA, the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment should take a minimum of 6 months to complete, regardless of the mode of delivery. The volume of learning requirement ensures that students are provided a quality training outcome and are properly prepared for a career in training and assessment. You should be wary of providers who claim the qualification can be completed in less time, as it may suggest they are prepared to cut corners, or worse, don’t understand the volume of learning required for the qualification. 

If you are new to training and are not applying for any Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), then you should expect to complete the program over a 9 to 12-month period. Providers quoting less than this may be cutting corners or making false promises.

What is the schedule of training delivery?

Some of our competitors deliver all the training (theory/content) upfront, which might seem convenient at first, but is not a practical way to learn. Once you complete all the learning, you will then be expected to remember what you’ve learnt and complete the related assessment tasks over a 6 to 12-month period. This approach can also make retention of knowledge difficult due to an initial information overload.

The TAE Academy delivers its training (the theoretical and learning elements) incrementally, imparting the thematic content, then affords appropriate time to apply the learning in practice, in order to consolidate the learning and to complete each topic (and the assessment tasks) before moving onto the next. This ensures students don’t become overwhelmed by having numerous topics of learning and/or assessment ‘open’ at the same time.

This approach is designed to simultaneously maximise the likelihood of successful completion and avoid the potential for stress for its students.

How long does it take for submitted work to be marked/assessed?

At the TAE Academy, we pride ourselves on our ability to maintain responsive timeframes for the marking of assessments and the timely provision of feedback. We ensure the turnaround time never exceeds three weeks (21 days) and actually average a turnaround time of around 7-10 days. Some of our competitors will take twice that time – some up to and even beyond seven weeks (42 days).

What learning resources are available to me?

Alongside the trainers and assessors, one of the most important things that determines the success of a training program is the quality of the methods, resources and materials used. The TAE Academy has an in-house development team that produces all of its resource, and we develop a variety, including:

• Well planned face to face workshops with specialist trainers
• High quality Powerpoint presentations
• Self-guided e-learning materials
• Magazine-style content ‘flip-books’
• Live streaming and webinars 
• Recorded webinars 
• Digital media – podcasts, video tutorials
• Animations
• Screencasts 
• FAQs embedded throughout our portal
• And more

What learning management system do you use?

Many providers are restricted by an ‘off-the-shelf’ learning management system they may have adopted. Often these ‘LMS’ have various limitations and very basic functionality, acting purely as a repository for document download and upload.

 TAE Academy has created its own industry-leading learning portal that we continuously evolve and improve, based on student feedback and this portal is designed to provide learners with a holistic, flexible and highly engaging experience.