The client will always most certainly have a variety of different needs that can be similar to the vocational area in which they need training.

Once trainers of Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and other training programs understand Training Packages and their components, they can utilise these to meet a particular purpose for the clients.

Some of these purposes include:

• For the professional development of the learners
• To change or upgrade careers
• To maintain current qualifications or competencies
• To develop skills
• For assessment
• To provide part of a qualification or the entire qualification from the AQF (Australian Qualifications Framework)
• To meet a training need or fill a gap

Implementation Guides provide information on various components and requirements of a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment Training Package and any other training package, such as the registration process for training organisations, qualification, sample training programs and relevant contacts.

These include support resources designed to help Trainers when implementing a Training Package. Not all Training Packages have an Implementation Guide attached to them however.

Refer to the following site for more information:
www.tpguides.gov.au

Please note that at the time of publication of this material, this site provided accurate information.

Accredited courses, which are sure to be discussed by Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualified trainers are the qualifications that are accredited by the AQTF (Australian Quality Training Framework) and provide the same level of qualifications nationwide.

They are effectively the building blocks that lead to an AQF Qualification or Statement of Attainment.

Training Packages

Training packages, which you’ll find out from Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, are defined as:

• A set of nationally endorsed industry and competency standards and assessment guidelines that training and assessment can be based on
• Written by industry experts
• Developed by Industry Skills Councils for the relevant industry
• Can also be referred to as National Training Packages

Training Packages form the basis for VET (Vocational Education and Training) programs which lead to Nationally Recognised Qualifications.

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment learners should remember that when confirming the training or assessment needs of the clients, it is important to understand Training Packages and how they can be helpful to the process of writing a training program.

Training Packages are made up of various elements that make them flexible for training delivery. The performance indicators give detail to the required level of knowledge and skills a learner of Certificate IV in Training and Assessment will have at the end of the training.

The Conscious Competence Model of Learning suggests that learners go throughfour (4) stages of learning as follows:

1. Unconscious Incompetence – I don’t know what I don’t know
2. Conscious Incompetence – I suddenly realize that I don’t know something
3. Conscious Competence – If I really concentrate, I can do it.
4. Unconscious Competence – I don’t even realize I am doing it, it just happens naturally

Trainers conducting Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or any other training program need to be aware what stage their learners could be at when delivering a training session. If all learners are at the same level it will be easier to train them accordingly. Usually the learners are at different levels of competence and as a trainer it is a challenge to manage them accordingly. Training programs that have pre-requisites indicate that the learners should be at the same level to make it easier for the trainer to put together the training session.

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One of the first steps in developing a training program which you’ll find out when you enroll in Certificate IV in Training and Assessment is to identify the target learners.

Each individual learner will bring with them a set of expectations and pre-determined views on learning. Previous experience for learners can impact how they deal with the learning they are attending.

Assumptions about the Learners

Learners will attend a training session such as the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment for varying reasons – they may be forced to attend, they may want to attend, or they may need to attend (even if they don’t want to).

Brainstorm

Think of a time when learners will be attending a training session where they want to attend or have been forced to attend.

Overall, the following principles apply to adult learners:

• They need to know what they are learning and why they should be learningor taking up Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
• Adult learners will always have a wealth of experience and are best suited to a learning environment where they are involved in case studies, discussions, role plays, simulated activities and other activities where they can draw on previous experience.
• Situations where they feel they are being imposed will often be resisted, and that includes being forced to attend a training session, or being forced to accept ideas and concepts at a training session they may not necessarily agree with. For this reason, adult learners need to be given a chance to incorporate their own experiences into a training session such as the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
• They need to feel valued and included.
• They will often be attending further training as a direct result of wanting to expand their career options, change careers, learn a new skill, earn more money, or improve their overall quality of life.
• The experiences they have had in the past (which are not always good ones) can impact on how they approach learning.
• They will always be tuned in to WIIFM – “What’s in it for me?” Why are they there? What do they expect to achieve from completing Certificate IV in Training and Assessment? How quickly will they achieve it?

Some of the relevant stakeholders who are available for consultation on training needs include:

• Anyone in the organisation who is responsible for organizing training and development for staff, including Human Resources, Line Managers,Supervisors, not to mention Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualified trainers
• RTO’s or industry bodies
• Industry experts
• The actual learners.

Brainstorm

Who are some of the stakeholders you can think of that are relevant to your organisation?

When putting together a training program, enrollees in the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment will be taught that the overall need for training shouldfirst be considered. In some cases it will be necessary to use an accredited training course and access information from the relevant training package or it may be necessary to develop or research sources for training material, depending on client needs.

If the training to be delivered is for Nationally Recognised Training, then the material will need to be based on the training package for that course.

Any Certificate IV in Training and Assessment trainer will inform you thatnationally recognized training also needs to be delivered by either an RTO (Registered Training Organisation) or by an organisation or individual that has partnered with an RTO to deliver Nationally Recognised Training.

Learning material is available for purchase – it is often possible to buy an entire training program ready built to be delivered to learners. Industry Skills Councils have material available for purchase for Nationally Recognised Training courses. These are usually on a per user basis. The term ‘per user’, as you’ll learn from your TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment trainer, means it is a requirement that one copy is purchased per learner.

Some private industry providers can also sell their materials with an unlimited uselicense, which means the material can be branded with organizational details and used over and over again.

The learning process in any training program such as the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment is different for all learners. Previous experience can play a large part in how the learner will approach any new learning situation. They can feel motivated, excited, unsure, threatened or apprehensive depending on their past experiences in a learning environment.

A trainer assigned to conduct Certificate IV in Training and Assessment has a large part to play in how he or she influences a learner – whether they walk away from the training determined to continue their learning pathway, or whether they choose to abandon their learning altogether can often have a lot to do with the trainer and how the training was managed.

Prior to writing a training program, your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment trainer will discuss that relevant client groups should be consulted to determine what the learning needs of a target audience are. Client groups and stakeholders will play a large part in the program coming together.

Who are the key stakeholders in any learning situation?

The key stakeholders in any learning situation will include;

• An individual learner or group of learners
• The organisation or business that has requested the training
• Government departments or agencies
• External consultants
• Internal and external staff

Find out more about training and assessment when you enroll in Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.

Whether or not you work in a Registered Training and Assessment Organisation, when coordinating a learning program, there will be legislative requirements or standards to consider. These may include:

Lead and coordinate Certificate IV Training services

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

OHS considerations are important for any organisation. All organisations are subject to national and state legislative requirements. In addition, Registered Training and Assessment Organisations must check the details of any Training Package they use for specific OHS considerations that must be taken into account for delivery and/or assessment of particular programs.

The Australian Safety and Compensation Council website <http://www.ascc.gov.au> (accessed October 2008.) provides useful information and links on occupational health and safety issues in Australia.

The Australian National University website < http://info.anu.edu.au/hr/OHS/index.asp> (accessed August 2008) provides useful local, national and international sites on this topic.

Privacy legislation

The website for The Office of the Privacy Commissioner <http://www.privacy.gov.au> (accessed August 2008) provides information and links to other privacy sites.

Anti-discrimination legislation

The Law link NSW website at <http://www.nsw.gov.au> (accessed August 2008) provides links to commonwealth, state and territory legislation relevant to anti- discrimination. Anyone managing staff should be aware of this legislation.

Other

Depending on the learning program being delivered, there may be other legislation, codes of practice or standards that need to be considered. See the following examples.

Building:

• Building regulations
• Code for working on roots

Oxywelding:

• Codes of Practice for working in confined places
• Dangerous goods storage and handling legislation

Aviation:

• CASA licensing requirements

Tax Accounting:

• Taxation laws and guidelines

Teacher training:

• Vocational Education and Training acts and Standards
• Privacy Act
• Teaching registration standards in specific sector

Assessor:

• National Assessors code of ethics

ACE provider:

• ACEFE Act