Publication:Sea Talk Summer 2007/Considering TAFE? – consider Navy

By LCDR Dean Manning and Taro Ogawa

Navy is one of Australia’s larger registered training organisations, and members can undertake training, and attain nationally recognised vocational education and training qualifications, in areas such as electrical, mechanical and aviation engineering, information technology, hospitality, health (medical and dental), fitness, business, logistics, public safety, government services and spatial information.

The Australian Quality Training Framework 2007

Because Navy is a registered training organisation (RTO), it is able to issue, under the Australian quality training framework (AQTF), qualification certificates and statements of attainment for the qualifications listed on its scope of registration.

Registration requires Navy's accredited training to comply with certain standards and conditions of registration. From 1 January 2008, Navy will operate under AQTF 2007, the three essential standards of which are that:

• The RTO provides quality training and assessment across all its operations;

• The RTO adheres to principles of access and equity and maximises outcomes for its clients;

• Management systems are responsive to the needs of clients, staff, and stakeholders, and the environment in which the RTO operates.

Through systematic approaches to training management and continuous improvement processes, training units demonstrate their commitment to meeting the training needs of Navy and its students.

To ensure that accredited training focuses on continually improving outcomes, Navy training units are audited externally on a cyclical basis by a representative of the ACT Accreditation and Registration Council, and assessed internally on a regular basis.

Qualifications

There are two types of qualification Navy issues - training package qualifications and enterprise qualifications.

Training package qualifications are awards derived from competencies developed by external industry skills councils and reflect skill-sets common to areas of employment throughout Australia. For example, the metal and engineering training package contains qualifications such as the Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade.

Enterprise qualifications are developed specifically for an employer such as Navy to cover skill-sets unique to that employer. They are derived from employer specific competencies or competencies from a variety of training packages which, by themselves, do not equate to a particular training package qualification.

Nonetheless, they still conform to the National Training Framework guidelines under which all qualifications are accredited to ensure national consistency and quality of training outcomes. The Diploma of Health Care in Underwater Medicine (Defence), for instance, is only issued by Navy, and covers a combination of Defence-specific and industry training package diploma‑level competencies.

Navy issues 100 training package qualifications from 14 different industry training packages. Navy also has 14 enterprise qualifications on its scope of registration. There are also several hundred older qualifications that personnel may be eligible for after having completed training from as far back as 1972.

Although the accreditation for these qualifications has lapsed, Navy can still issue them to personnel who completed qualifying requirements during the accreditation period. Qualification certificates are issued by the Record of Training and Employment Office in accordance with ABR 27 Volume 1 Chapter 10.

While not all Navy training is covered by accreditation, the accreditation process is ongoing and new qualifications are frequently added to Navy's scope of registration.

Nationally-recognised training

One of the conditions of registration for all RTOs is the principle of mutual recognition. This means that qualifications and statements of attainment issued by Navy must be recognised Australia-wide by every other RTO.

It also means that qualifications and statements of attainment issued by other RTOs will be recognised by Navy. This is important, as Navy training is designed for Navy capability requirements, so there may be qualifications which require competencies not needed by Navy and thus not covered by naval training and assessment (either at that time, or possibly ever).

For instance, after a satisfactory SPAR, a petty officer cook qualifies for a statement of attainment towards the Advanced Diploma in Hospitality with a gap of five competencies, two of which are gained at the WOCK level. If that POCK completes the outstanding units at an external RTO, then the qualification may be issued by that RTO, recognising Navy's Statement of Attainment, or by Navy, after recognising the external RTO’s Statement of Attainment.

For further information on Navy RTO matters, please contact Navy’s RTO Manager, (Mr) Taro Ogawa, on (02) 6265 4882.