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Accreditation and accredited courses
Accreditation and accredited courses
Accredited courses bridge the gaps in training packages and address skill requirements for industry, enterprises and the community. They also have the capacity to address changes in skill needs, and the needs of emerging and converging industries and industry sectors, in a responsive manner.
Accreditation is the process used to formally recognise national qualifications not covered by nationally endorsed training packages.
In the vocational education and training system, state or territory course accrediting bodies formally recognise these qualifications through the process of accrediting courses in line with the Australian Quality Training Framework.
Accreditation means that the course:
- meets industry, enterprise or community needs
- provides appropriate competency outcomes and a satisfactory basis for assessment
- meets national quality assurance requirements
- is aligned to the appropriate level of the Australian Qualifications Framework where it leads to a qualification.
What does accreditation mean?
When a course has been accredited it means it is nationally recognised and that a registered training organisation can issue a nationally recognised qualification or statement of attainment following its full or partial completion, respectively. Once a course has been accredited, it is listed on the National Training Information Service by the course accrediting body.
The accredited course document describes essential course information and provides the legal specification for the course. The accredited course document provides the basis for the development of strategies for training and assessment by each registered training organisation and describes essential course information including the packaging rules, outcomes to be achieved, standards for assessment and required resources.
What can and cannot be accredited?
A course leading to an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification or statement of attainment can be accredited. This includes a course based on:
- a combination of units of competency from one or more training packages, or groups of endorsed national units of competency, where the outcomes of the new course meet industry, enterprise, legislative, education and/or community needs not covered by an existing training package qualification
- units of competency developed to meet an identified training need where no relevant training package and/or endorsed competency standards exist
- learning outcomes where the course developer can show it is not possible to develop appropriate competency standards.
A state or territory course accrediting body will not accredit a course if:
- the course outcomes can be achieved through the packaging rules applicable to a training package qualification
- outcomes can be met by contextualising units of competency within a training package qualification
- the course is a sub-set of a training package qualification that could be recognised through a statement of attainment
- the course includes competencies additional to those in a training package qualification that could be recognised through one or more statements of attainment, in addition to the Australian Qualifications Framework qualification
- the course is made up of units/modules that ultimately achieve the competencies of a training package qualification.
Applying for accreditation and delivering an accredited course
An organisation or individual responsible for the development of a course must apply to have a course accredited. The course developer does not need to be a registered training organisation.
Once a course has been accredited by a course accrediting body and placed on the National Training Information Service, it will be recognised in all other states and territories without the need for further accreditation in those states and territories. However, only a registered training organisation with the course listed in its scope of registration can deliver and/or assess an accredited course and issue a subsequent qualification or statement of attainment.
Who is responsible for accreditation?
The state or territory course accrediting body is responsible for the accreditation of courses and is bound by:
- relevant state legislation
- AQTF 2007 Standards for Accredited Courses
- AQTF 2007 Standards for State and Territory Course Accrediting Bodies.
Under AQTF 2007 these standards have recently been revised and came into effect on 1 July 2007. In line with the new accrediting arrangements, new guides and guidelines are also currently being redeveloped. For more information refer to the Up to date article in this edition of Training Packages @ Work at www.tpatwork.com/viewarticle.asp?articleid=2611
More information
State and territory accrediting bodies
Australian Capital Territory
Accreditation and Registration Council
Phone: 02 6205 7091
Web: www.decs.act.gov.au/services/TrainingARC.htm
New South Wales
Vocational Education Training Accreditation Board
Phone: 02 9244 5335
Web: www.vetab.nsw.gov.au
Northern Territory
Department of Employment, Education and Training
Phone: 08 8301 1340
Web: www.deet.nt.gov.au/training/training_organisation/raca
Queensland
Training and Employment Recognition Council
Phone: 07 3237 1764
Web: www.trainandemploy.qld.gov.au
South Australia
Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology
Phone: 08 8226 3065
Web: www.training.sa.gov.au/OVETorgs
Tasmania
Tasmanian Qualifications Authority
Phone: 03 6233 6364
Web: www.tqa.tas.gov.au/
Victoria
Victorian Qualifications Authority
Phone: 03 9637 2806
Web: www.vqa.vic.gov.au
Western Australia
Training Accreditation Council
Phone: 08 9441 1910
Web: www.tac.wa.gov.au