Practice Guide - Trainer and assessor competencies

Key concepts

The following key concepts are covered in this practice guide on this page:

Standard 3.2

The Credential Policy
Working under direction
Professional development

Standard 3.3

Industry competencies
Industry currency
Employing experts

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Achieving these Standards in practice

The following table lists examples of activities that may demonstrate compliance with the Standards, as well as risks to mitigate or control. These examples are not a complete list of every activity or risk, nor do all the activities listed need to be completed to achieve compliance. Rather, they are a guide and should be considered within the context, size, scale and student cohorts of your RTO’s operations. 

To help determine whether you have achieved the Standards refer to the self-assurance questions below.

Standard 3.2: Training and assessment is delivered to VET students by credentialled people with current skills and knowledge in training and assessment.

Performance Indicators

An NVR registered training organisation demonstrates:

training and assessment is only delivered by persons who hold the appropriate credentials for the delivery of training and assessment as specified in the Credential Policy;
where the Credential Policy permits a person to deliver any training or assessment under direction – the organisation has systems in place that ensure the person does not make assessment judgements and is delivering quality training and assessment; and
how it ensures all trainers and assessors undertake continuing professional development to maintain current skills and knowledge in training and assessment, including skills and knowledge relating to engaging and supporting VET students.

Example activities and considerations for compliance

You can demonstrate how your systems ensure that all persons involved in training and assessment always meet the requirements of the Credential Policy.
You can demonstrate your mechanisms for ensuring people do not perform training and assessment tasks beyond the scope of their credentials.
You can demonstrate how you authenticate the relevant credentials held by your trainers and assessors.
Where a person is working under direction, you can demonstrate:
- that the supervision and guidance arrangements are reflective of the skills and knowledge of the person
- how you assure the quality of their practice
- how you ensure the person is not making assessment judgements.
- how you ensure that their supervisor has sufficient support to perform the supervisory role and is appropriately skilled and qualified.
You can demonstrate how staff involved in training and assessment maintain up-to-date trainer and assessor skills, for example by:
- participating in internal or external courses, workshops, industry seminars, and conferences
- demonstrating recent completion of a higher-level qualification in training and assessment practice
- undertaking activities that allow them to maintain their understanding of current industry practice
- accessing relevant publications related to VET and competency-based training and assessment
- participating in learning networks
- taking part in validation or moderation activities
- shadowing or working closely with other trainers and assessors under a mentoring arrangement.

Known risks to quality outcomes

Not having a system in place to authenticate the training and assessment credentials held by your trainers and assessors.
Not regularly reviewing the skills and knowledge of the persons working under direction to determine if their level of supervisory arrangements and guidance require adjustment.
Not systematically reviewing the quality of work produced by those persons working under direction.
Not ensuring that supervisors have adequate skills, experience and qualifications to provide appropriate support and supervision to those working under direction.
Only providing trainers and assessors with access to professional development on an ad-hoc basis with no consideration as to whether the professional development is the most suitable to understanding current and emerging training practices.

Standard 3.3: Training and assessment is delivered by persons with current industry skills and knowledge relevant to the training product.

Performance indicators

An NVR registered training organisation demonstrates:

all persons delivering training or assessment for, or on behalf of the organisation:
1. have industry competencies, skills and knowledge that are relevant to, and at least to the level of, the training product being delivered or assessed by the person; and
2. maintain an understanding of current industry practices relevant to the training and assessment being delivered by the person;
where it engages experts for the purposes for the purposes of delivering training, it does so:
1. by reference to the requirements of the training product or the specific VET student cohort; and
2. in response to a specific need for the expert to be engaged;
it has a system for ensuring:
1. experts have industry competencies, skills, knowledge and specialised industry or subject matter expertise that is directly relevant to the training product they are delivering;
2. experts are only authorised to work under the direction of a person with the appropriate credentials to provide direction on the delivery of training and assessment, as specified in the Credential Policy;
3. where the expert is involved in assessment judgement – they conduct the assessment alongside the trainer or assessor; and
4. the training or assessment the expert is involved in delivering is subject to oversight by the organisation.

Example activities and considerations for compliance

You can demonstrate the systems you use to assess the appropriateness, relevance and currency of each trainer and assessor’s industry competencies, skills and knowledge.
You can demonstrate how you authenticate that all your trainers and assessors (including industry experts and those engaged by your third parties) have industry competencies, skills and knowledge that are relevant to, and at least to the level of, the training product they are delivering and assessing.
You can demonstrate that all trainers and assessors, and those working under direction, are maintaining an understanding of current industry practices, for example by:
- volunteering or working part-time in the industry area
- undertaking accredited training, or higher-level qualifications, relevant to the industry area
- belonging to industry associations
- engaging with industry (for example, through discussions with employers or attending industry networking events)
- subscribing to industry journals and newsletters
- staying informed about changes to technology
- keeping up to date with changes to industry-specific legislation and licencing requirements.
You can show how your industry engagement practices are used to determine the currency of trainer and assessor industry competencies and whether there are any gaps to be addressed.
Where an industry expert is engaged to support trainers and assessors, you can demonstrate:
- that experts work under the direction of a qualified person and work alongside a qualified assessor where they are supporting in making the assessment judgement
- how experts are utilised to enhance the real-world application of training and assessment
- that your oversight of the expert ensures the quality of training and assessment.

Known risks to quality outcomes

Not having mechanisms in place for maintaining regular and meaningful industry engagement that confirms current industry relevance of trainer and assessor competencies, skills and knowledge.
Failing to ensure that each person delivering training and assessment has the relevant industry competencies, skills and knowledge, aligned to all the unit of competency requirements that they deliver and assess (where the specific units of competency delivered are not held).
Allowing training and assessment to be conducted by trainers and assessors that do not maintain an understanding of current industry practices.
Not continuing to review the trainers’ and assessors’ industry competencies, skills and knowledge after the completion of the onboarding process.
Failing to assess industry experts’ competencies, skills and knowledge to determine relevancy and suitability.
Not ensuring an expert is training under direction of, and assessing alongside, a qualified trainer and assessor.
Failing to document where industry experts have assisted in the assessment judgement process.

Self-assurance questions

How do you verify that each person delivering training and assessment for your RTO is appropriately credentialled?

How do you ensure that you are engaging with industry regularly to assure yourself that trainers and assessors have current industry skills?

How do you know that your system for monitoring those working under direction is effective?

How do you monitor and regularly review the performance of trainers and assessors to identify opportunities for professional development?

How do you identify the types of industry competencies, skills and knowledge relevant to each training product on your scope of registration?

How do you identify and address gaps in your trainers and assessors’ industry competencies, skills and knowledge?

How do you ensure your use of industry experts adds value to training and assessment outcomes?