Edition 22, March-April 2004

Licensing issues national project update - Forums

Occupational Licensing Forum - New South Wales

The New South Wales Department of Education and Training will be hosting its forum looking at links between industry licensing requirements and vocational training qualification outcomes. This is the second in a series of forums sponsored by the Australian National Training Authority.

Representatives from New South Wales regulatory (licensing) bodies, registered training organisations, industry training advisory boards, unions, employer groups an related industries and government agencies are encouraged to attend and contribute to the forum.

Forum details:

When: Wednesday, 5 May 2004
Where: Citigate Sebel, 28 Albion Street, Surry Hills
Time: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

To reserve your place contact Sue Tuckwell on (02)92445693 or email sue.tuckwell@det.nsw.edu.au


Occupational Licensing Forum - South Australia Feedback

The South Australian forum on Occupational Licensing was held on Wednesday 17 March 2004. This forum was sponsored by the Australian National Training Authority and hosted by the Quality Branch of Employment and Skills Formation within the South Australian Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology.

The forum was in response to a recommendation in the report A licence to skill subtitled, The implications of industry licensing for the implementation of training packages, a report commissioned by the Australian National Training Authority to examine the impact of industry licensing on the implementation of training packages under the national vocational education and training system.

Opened by Ann Doolette, Director Quality Branch, the forum was facilitated by Kim Thorpe of Interface Consultants, South Australia. Steve Quirk from the Australian National Training Authority presented an overview of the project A licence to skill.

Summary of feedback from the various groups

Eighty-seven people attended the forum from a wide range of industry groups. Regulators, industry stakeholders, registered training organisations, government agencies and unions were represented.

A summary of the issues raised includes:

  • national inconsistencies- portability, uniformity;
  • involving industry, relevance, variety, connection and dialogue;
  • licences versus competencies versus qualification;
  • who will assess? who will pay? who will assess assessors?;
  • need to prevent industry fragmentation;
  • ongoing or time limited competencies/licences - renewal;
  • concern that qualification parchments would replace licencesfor apprentices and tradespeople;
  • practical issues of 'on-the-job' assessment, for example right tools, right records;
  • issues to prevent accidents;
  • mutual recognition - context of original assessment;
  • developing packages - one assessment for licensing requirements
  • training package inconsistencies;
  • elapsed time between developing, evaluating and changing training packages;
  • specific timelines for specific competencies;
  • let's not go for the lowest common denominator;
  • duplication increases the audit burden;
  • regulators must have confidence in assessment.

For more information on the forum contact Elizabeth Owers on (08) 8226 0302 or email owers.elizabeth@saugov.sa.gov.au

Information on the forum in your state will be provided in this newsletter as they become available.

This page was generated on 26 August, 2009