Publication:Sea Talk Winter 2003/Training recognised
By LEUT G. Beven
For over a decade now the Navy and the Defence Force as a whole has identified and worked towards meeting the needs of its members to be accredited with nationally recognised competencies and qualifications.
Competency-based training has provided the Navy with the opportunity to adopt a consistent and standardised approach to the assessment of work skills and this is fundamental for civil recognition of Navy training.
There are two means by which the Navy goes about attaining civil recognition of its training.
The first is 'accreditation' generally, that requires the completion of a course which has been nationally recognised through the assessment of course material. On successful completion of the course, or related work experience, a nationally recognised certificate is awarded.
The other way the Navy goes about gaining civil recognition is by the completion of an endorsed 'Training Package' from specific industries. This involves a nationally recognised qualification being awarded upon demonstration of competency in all relevant units. This type of recognition is the preferred option as accreditation, whilst recognised by training organizations, will not in the most part be recognised by employers within an industry.
Navy as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) has the authority to award Training Package qualifications, however it is unlikely that these Training Package qualifications will meet all Navy needs or requirements. Therefore in some instances the qualifications for some Navy jobs will be met through a hybrid of national and enterprise (Navy specific) units of competency.
An enterprise qualification is a qualification that indicates a level of competency achieved from a unique area of training e.g. AWA sailors. However, this qualification may hold a limited accreditation period, as is the example for Certificate III in Acoustic Analysis for LSAWA sailors, which has been accredited for a five-year period.
A training package qualification is where the level of competency achieved is from an industry developed national training package. An example of this is the Certificate III in Transport and Distribution(Warehousing) for LSSN. The period of accreditation for this qualification will depend on the life of the training package.
Whilst training package qualifications are the preferred option there is an order of preference in how they are awarded:
- Use existing Training Package qualification. This is where all units of competency related to a qualification are relevant and that qualification could be awarded through competency assessment. Where only some of the units of competency are relevant, those units are assessed and a Statement of Attainment is awarded for the national qualification.
- For job skills where no national units of competency exist, Navy enterprise units are written although endorsement of these units as a Training Package would not normally be sought
- For job skills where no units of competency exists, a scalar or other form of job description could be used as the product of job analysis and training development
- Develop a Training package that comprises nationally endorsed and Navy developed enterprise units of competency and seek national endorsement as an enterprise-training package. Such a qualification, although enterprise specific, would detail national units of competency.
An example of this process has been the development of nationally recognised defence competencies for the Boatswains Mate Category (BM), the project was undertaken with the cooperation of the Public Safety Industry Training Advisory Board (ITAB). The Boatswains Mate are among the first of 10 occupational areas across the three Services to be covered in a new Defence component of the Public Safety Training Package.
The competency units that form the new qualification 'Certificate III in Public Safety (Boatswains Mate)' recognise the wide and varied employment field of the Basic Boatswains Mate. The qualification and associated competency units will provide a better representation of the Basic Boatswains Mate employment role and be nationally recognised.
This means that future training for Boatswains Mate will be based on nationally endorsed competencies and that assessment against these competencies will lead to the achievement of nationally recognised qualifications or Statements of Attainment.
It is envisaged that this will improve the career path for Boatswains Mate and give them more opportunity for employment once they leave the Navy.
So what's in it for you? Quite simply the recognition of Naval training and job related skills, be you a Boatswains Mate or Steward can be used (by you) to support applications for employment and to gain credit towards other qualifications.
This formal recognition provides you, the individual, benefits that flow on beyond your time in the service.
The RAN's civilian accreditation program is managed by LCDR Dean Manning, Staff Officer – Accreditation, within Navy Personnel and Training Centre – Canberra. He can be contacted on 02 6266 4361 or dean.manning@defence.gov.au
Or alternatively contact you local Education Officer For further information in relation to the new qualification for Boatswains Mate visit http://psitab.org.au or contact
John Nibbs Ph: (07) 3246 2439, or
nobbsj@anta.gov.au
LEUT Guy Beven (03) 5950 7301, or
