I've already done some training. Can this be recognised?

Generally, your Registered Training Organisation can recognise your existing training where it is relevant to your study area.

The training organisation would assess your skills to work out if you have gained an appropriate level of skills and knowledge relevant to your area of study.

These skills and knowledge may have been gained through some form of study, through previous training with a Registered Training Organisation, or through work or life experience.

As a result, you may be able to gain:

• a nationally recognised qualification or units of a qualification without attending the usual training program
• formal recognition of your skills, increasing the chance of career progression.

Registered Training Organisations generally apply skills recognition in two ways - Recognition of Prior Learning or Credit transfer.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is an assessment process that assesses your informal learning to determine the extent to which you have achieved the required learning outcomes, competency outcomes, or standards for entry to, and/or partial or total completion of, a qualification.

RPL recognises both your current and prior knowledge and experience and measures it against the course in which you are enrolled. You may not need to complete all of a training program if you already possess some of the competencies taught in the program.

RPL has many benefits:

• you can finish your course earlier
• training loads and costs are reduced
• you can take on additional study leading to a second qualification
• by identifying your current competencies, RPL can effectively target training requirements.

You need to provide your Registered Training Organisation (RTO) with evidence of your prior learning if you want to have your knowledge and skills recognised under RPL.

RTOs take previous experience and training into account whether it was achieved in Australia or abroad.

RTOs can also grant RPL to apprentices and trainees as part of their training plans.

Credit Transfers

Credit transfer assesses any previous qualification or units that you are using to claim credit towards another qualification. The assessment determines the extent to which your previous qualification or units of competence are equivalent to the required learning outcomes, competency outcomes, or standards in a qualification.

Need more information?

Your Registered Training Organisation will provide you with information about skills recognition, and the skills assessments they conduct in relation to the qualifications or units they deliver.