Training and Assessment Policy

Version History

Version / Date / Revised By / Detail of Amendment
1.0

Contents

1.Introduction

2.How Does ABMN work in Vocational education and training?

3.Recognition

4.Assessment

Evidence

Assessment Process

Developing assessment strategies and tools

Assessment Results

Reassessment and Extension of Time

5.Assessment Strategies

Developing assessment strategies and tools

6.Validation

7.Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN)

Pre-Training Assessment

Other LLN Assessment Tools

Conducting a Training Needs Analysis

Seeking LLN specialist support

Training adjustments

Developing a LLN Development Plan (LDP)

8.Privacy

9.Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

10.Training Personnel

11.Access and Equity

12.Workplace Health and Safety

13.Student Records

Confidentiality of Student Records

14.Appeals

15.Grievances

16.Code of Conduct

17.Responsibilities of Parties to Training

18.Plagiarism and Collusion

How can you avoid plagiarism?

19.Quality Assurance

20.Policy Review

1.Introduction

ABMN acknowledges that in order to meet its role as a progressive provider of services to members, it is essential that we maintain a professional and progressive workforce. It is a high priorityof ABMN to ensure that all employees are currently competent in workplace competencies and can successfully perform their role.

ABMN is also committed to providing quality training services to our members and all business associates with a need for quality support. With these objectives in mind, ABMN’s training and assessment process is based on the following guiding principles:

  1. Access and Equity – the benefits of participating in vocational education and training are available to everyone on an equitable basis
  2. Equal Employment Opportunity – ABMN is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and, as such, all assessment and training is to be conducted in accordance with ABMN policies
  3. Literacy and Numeracy – assessment and training of workplace competencies will take into account literacy and numeracy requirements of participants
  4. Measurability – all ABMN assessment criteria shall align with recognised industry/competency standards
  5. Relevance – assessment and training must be relevant to the working environment and duties of the employee or client, and should be conducted in the workplace where possible
  6. Reliability – assessment activities should yield results which are consistently similar to those that would be obtained in other environments using the same benchmark
  7. Validity – assessment activities must measure what they claim to measure
  8. Flexible – the assessment process can be adapted to suit individual and work related needs
  9. Fair –the assessment process is non-discriminatory and inclusive of all employees and clients

2.How Does ABMN work in Vocational education and training?

Vocational education and training (VET) enables students to gain qualifications for all types of employment, and specific skills to help them in the workplace. ABMN uses a partnering RTO as an auspicing body to provide Vocational education and training to ABMN personnel and clients. ABMN works closely with the partnering RTO to deliver the best qualify of vocational training and assessment for all parties. ABMN develops and delivers a range of accredited and non-accredited training solutions to support the needs of employees and clients.

3.Recognition

Recognition of Current Competence (RCC), or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) are means of recognising competencies through previous informal and formal learning or through work and life experience. ABMN recognises that RCC/RPL are important methods of recognising competency in an adult learning environment.

ABMN employees undertaking RPL in a nationally recognised qualification are entitled to one half a day of leave to prepare their documentation. Leave will be granted when it is approved by a manager of ABMN. All leave must be applied for through the normal channels as indicated in the ABMN Human Resources Policy.

Mutual Recognition endorses the recognition of Australian Qualifications issued by other RTOs, enabling individuals to receive national recognition of their achievements, as stipulated by the regulator.

4.Assessment

Assessment is fundamental to any training and education program and involves the gathering and judging of evidence in order to decide if competence has been met. The principles of assessment inform the assessment process, in particular: validity, reliability, flexibility and fairness.

Assessment can be used to:

  • Issue a qualification
  • Determine whether an individual can perform to the expected standards (e.g. industry standard, unit of competency)
  • Identify the training needs of an individual or organisation to help determine what development a person/company needs
  • Identify what functions or range of functions a person can carry out to an industry standard
  • Give workers a licence to perform particular tasks (e.g. forklift licences)
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of a training program

Assessment outcomes provide an opportunity for greater capacity to:

  • Fully utilise the skills of the workforce
  • Ensure that training meets industry needs and delivers a measurable outcome
  • Employ people with recognised competencies for the work functions required
  • Invest a suitable amount of time, effort and finance into skill development with confidence of an achievable outcome

Evidence

Evidence is proof of competence against unit(s) of competency or industry standards. All evidence that gives an indication of a person’s competence can be used i.e., past and current experience, certificates, internal training etc.

Evidence may include (but is not limited to):

  • Written assessments of knowledge
  • Practical demonstrations and simulations
  • Work product or output
  • Workplace observation over a period of time
  • Oral assessment
  • Project work

All evidence must be:

  • Valid – meets the requirements that are essential to competency performance as set out in the unit(s) of competency (or equivalent)
  • Sufficient – there is sufficient quality and quantity of evidence
  • Current – evidence must reflect current performance of competence of the student. This means that evidence needs to be less than 2 years old. Where competence is determined over time, a mix of current and past evidence may be acceptable.
  • Authentic – evidence must be the student’s own work

Assessment Process

The assessment process should match as closely as possible the type of skill used and the working conditions of the candidate. The development and use of assessment tools to collect evidence will be facilitated by the ABMN Training Department. Quality control of assessments will be monitored by the Training department.

Developing assessment strategies and tools

Assessment strategies will be developed, adapted or delivered in accordance with the following principles and regulatory requirements:

  • Methods used for assessments are documented
  • The assessment materials are consistent with the requirements of the Training Package or accredited program and meet the needs of the target group catering to diversity within the target group
  • All assessment tools are subject to an appropriate version control process

Assessment Results

Assessment results must be recorded as either COMPETENT or NOT YET COMPETENT. All candidates shall be provided with constructive feedback.

Reassessment and Extension of Time

When a student does not demonstrate performance during reassessment to the specified standard on two occasions for a single unit of competency the Training Manager will investigate and make recommendations as to the appropriate program of action.Such action may include a review of the training delivery or assessment methodology or consultation with the student and their manager regarding the student’s readiness to complete the task.

There may be circumstances beyond the control of the student that impact on their capacity to meet the due dates for the submission of assessment tasks. In instances where there are extenuating circumstances likely to result in assessment tasks not being submitted by the due date, an application for an Extension of Time (EOT) should be requested.

5.Assessment Strategies

Assessment strategies and the TAS (Training and Assessment Strategies) must be developed in consultation with relevant expert personnel from the area and the partnering RTO. For external clients it is important that line managers or department heads are engaged in consultation prior to, during, and after training programs involving assessment.

In conjunction with the partnering RTO, all assessment strategies and assessment tools must be reviewed when there is a change in the Training Package/Qualification or course requirements.

The Training Manager must allocate appropriately qualified and competent staff to develop assessment strategies, consistent with the target student group and modes of delivery.

Developing assessment strategies and tools

Assessment strategies will be developed, adapted or delivered in accordance with the following principles and ASQA requirements:

  • Methods used for assessments are documented
  • The assessment materials are consistent with the requirements of the Training Package or accredited program and will meet the needs of the target group catering to diversity within the target group

All assessment tools are to be subject to an appropriate version control process including:

  • Version number/development date
  • Training Package code
  • Unit of Competency code

All assessment tools should be appropriate to the target student group, cover all aspects of competency and focus on the standard of workplace performance. The following requirements apply:

  • Allocate competent staff to develop assessment strategies, consistent with the target student group and modes of delivery
  • Develop the assessment strategies in consultation with relevant areas of expertise
  • Ensure the assessment strategies are educationally sound
  • Review assessment strategies and assessment tools when there is a change in the Training Package.

All assessment tools must meet the following minimum requirements:

  1. Assessment tasks must be developed in the Assessment Task Template.
  2. At least two assessment tasks must be developed for each unit. Each assessment task must comprise one method of assessment.
  3. Assessment tasks must enable competency to be demonstrated twice for each component of competency (such as CA, RK, PC, etc.), using two different assessment methods/types of evidence.
  4. Assessment task design must adhere to the rules of evidence.
  5. Assessment tasks for a unit must collectively reflect the principles of assessment.
  6. Once the above requirements have been met, the overall assessment task/instrument design and structure will be at the discretion of the developer, but must ensure:
  7. The evidence to be collected is clearly stated, and examples are provided.
  8. The collected evidence can be recorded by the assessor

Assessment tasks must contain clear instructions for assessors and candidates

6.Validation

Along with the auspicing RTO, the Training department will validate assessment strategies and tools used with ABMN staff or clients, at least once in a twelve month period by reviewing, comparing and evaluating assessment processes, tools and evidence contributing to judgements made by a range of assessors against the same competency/industry standard.All assessment validation activities must be considered with impartiality to ensure fair outcomes.

All actions taken to improve the quality and consistency of assessments must be documented.

At ABMN validation outcomes are used in an advisory capacity only to support the process of continuous improvement and rigour of the auspicing RTO.

Validation activities require the utmost attention to ethical principles during all stages. Outcomes from validation activities may be legally binding in certain circumstances and must be recorded and filed in the Training Department.

ABMN assessors are under a legal obligation to act in a highly ethical manner at all times and exercise their responsibilities judiciously

ABMN cooperates fully with our training and assessment partners and uses their badgedassessment tools for the purpose of validation activities. ABMN assessment tools as applicable to validation activities will also be used. ABMN has a requirement that on completion of all validation meetings the ABMN Validation Outcome form is completed for ABMN records

7.Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN)

At ABMN LLN assessments are conducted for learners and identified LLN development needs are included in all training and assessment strategies. These strategies are applied and evaluated.

Pre-Training Assessment

Trainers and assessors may, at their own discretion, issue the Pre-Training Assessment to learners prior to course commencement, or when a possible skills gap has been identified. Refer to the Pre-Training Assessment – Assessor Instructions for further information about how to conduct the assessment.

Other LLN Assessment Tools

Trainers and assessors may, at their own discretion, identify other methods to gather the information necessary to make an informed decision about learners’ LLN development needs. These methods may include:

  • Face-to-face interviews (Learner Profiles)
  • Observation of work tasks
  • Collect samples of work.

Conducting a Training Needs Analysis

  1. Refer to (or complete) the Core Skills Analysis to determine the required ACSF Level for a specific unit of competency. Refer to (or complete) the Core Skills Qualification Analysis to identify the required ACSF level for the qualification.
  2. Conduct an LLN Assessment with the learner, using at least two assessment methods or tools.
  3. Document the assessment results in the Training Needs Analysisspreadsheet for each learner, for each unit:
  4. Document the required ACSF Level for the unit in the Required Skill Level column;
  5. Record the assessment results in the Current Skill Levels columns. You will need to identify the assessment method used, as well as the results of each assessment method;
  6. The spreadsheet will average the results and round down in the Overall column;
  7. The spreadsheet will identify whether LLN skill development is required in the Skill Development Required? column;
  8. Charts have also been provided to enable a visual depiction of the learner’s current vs. required Core Skill Level.

Seeking LLN specialist support

The Training Manager is an LLN specialist. You may require advice or assistance from the LLN specialist to identify suitable approaches to training and assessment based on the identified skill development needs of the learner. The LLN specialist can spend time with the learner to develop their skills where alternative resources or sources of support are not adequate or suitable.

Training adjustments

Adjustment to training and assessment practices may be needed to ensure that the learning and assessment tools and resources are appropriate to the required ACSF Levels. Learning and assessment tools and materials should be measured against the required ACSL levels for the unit/qualification, and adjusted accordingly. For example, learning materials (in particular)may be too wordy and complex for the required ACSF Level.

Developing a LLN Development Plan (LDP)

If gaps in the learner’s LLN skill requirements have been identified, the trainer or assessor will develop a Training and Assessment Strategy for the learner for each unit.

Open the LDP template and save this for each learner. The following sections of the LDP MUST be completed:

Special Needs

Consider the special needs of the learner that may impact on their ability to develop the required LLN skills. Consider the cultural, financial, social, language, geographical needs and how these might impact on the training and assessment strategy.

Core Skill Requirements

Record the information from the learner’s Training Needs Analysis.

Resources/Support

List the available resources and sources of support that the learner can draw upon to improve their skills. Consider resources that will enable them to enhance the required Core Skills. For example, to improve the Reading skills of the learner, identify available workplace or business documents that can be used as part of a training strategy.

Available resources and sources of support may include:

  • Training or learning materials (written)
  • Instructional or training videos
  • Workplace documents (such as procedures)
  • Examples of completed business documents (such as letters and reports)
  • Trainer or assessor
  • Colleague or supervisor (to observe and ask questions)
  • LLN specialist
  • Applications to support learning (accounts for all learning styles)

Identify any resources that may require customisation to suit the current LLN skills of the learner.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes will determine the focus of training and assessment strategies. Essentially, the learning outcomes are the Performance Level Indicators for the required core skill/s.

Document the learning outcomes in the LDP.

Skill development

Skill development focuses on developing the learner’s LLN skills to align with those required for their training or job (and to achieve the learning outcomes). Skill development occurs separately from learners’ existing training or tasks, but occurs within the context of both. This approach allows the learner to develop their LLN skills without added pressure to meet training or job requirements. Learners are requested to attend a weekly 30-minute training session with their trainer or assessor, or as negotiated and agreed upon between the learner, trainer or assessor and their manager.

Training content should focus on gaining skills and knowledge as indicated in the Performance Features for the required core skill or level.

When considering the context of training, consider workplace-based or training activities or tasks the learner could undertake to improve their skills. This enables the learner to develop relevant training and job skills. To assist you with this:

  • Refer to the Workplace & Employment and Education & Training Domains of Communication for the required Core Skill for suggested activities to meet required skill level, and/or;
  • Refer to the Unit Aspects in the Core Skills Analysisfor the unit/qualification.

Important Note:

  • Training strategies and activities must incorporate visual, auditory and written means of communication.
  • Skill development must include at least one training session and one workplace-based activity.
Assessment strategy

Identify how you will assess the learner’s competence in the learning outcomes. Two different assessment methods are required. When developing assessment strategies, consider workplace tasks the learner can perform to demonstrate competency. Work with the learner to identify a suitable assessment strategy.