Edition 50, October 2007

Integrating occupational licensing into training packages: an overview

Licensing requirements that apply to vocational education and training vary between states and territories and can be subject to frequent change. Depending on the industry sector, licensing can be complex for the developers of training packages for use nationally.

Training package developers must consider occupational licensing and other regulations concerning the training packages and units of competency being developed. National and state and territory licensing authorities and regulators are important stakeholders for the vocational education and training sector, and should be identified and consulted during the development process.

Incorporating licensing requirements

Given the relationships between licensing and training, and the potential for duplication of effort, licensing requirements should be embedded where possible into the appropriate units of competency and qualifications within the training package. If this is done, learners may have need for no further competency assessment over and above the training package requirements.

Alternatively, where there is regulator agreement on national licensing standards, units of competency which directly equate to licence requirements may be included in training packages. In this case, learners will not need any further competency assessment over and above the training package requirements.

To ensure licensing requirements are met, developers should:

  • map licensing requirements against training packages in a clear and transparent way (adding an appendix if there is a lot of information)
  • ensure that the training requirements of regulators issuing occupational licences are clearly identifiable in units of competency where relevant
  • ensure the packaging rules of qualifications do not impede licensing requirements
  • report any difficulties in engaging licensing authorities, or achieving agreement with regulators to DEST as soon as possible so that the National Quality Council can be advised out of session
  • advise DEST of issues emerging relating to lack of mutual recognition across state and territory regulatory authorities concerning qualifications or occupational licences
  • target licensing authorities in any marketing and information dissemination for the training package
  • where feasible, and in conjunction with DEST, pursue the formalisation of arrangements concerning the use of the training package with national and state and territory regulatory authorities via a memorandum of understanding or letter of agreement.

Acceptance by licensing authorities

In developing and reviewing national training packages, the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) aims to encourage Industry Skills Councils to produce qualifications or units of competency capable of meeting occupational licensing requirements established by regulators.

Progressively, this could shift to a position of acceptance and endorsement by occupational licensing authorities that full qualifications or units of competency from a qualification are one pathway to meet the occupational licensing requirements.

These expectations should be balanced against what is achievable in aligning training packages with licensing requirements.

To progress this, committees established to support training package development and review processes should include a representative from relevant national and/or state and territory licensing and regulatory authorities.

Training package advice

The assessment guidelines template as provided in the Style Manual for Training Package Endorsed Components Appendix 4 includes a section where developers must add licensing and regulation information, together with a standard disclaimer.

Insert this information into the training package as advice to readers and as a caution for their users to check licensing requirements with their local state or territory licensing authority. You will also need to provide contact details for relevant agencies.

For more information visit www.dest.gov.au (Select 'Home' > 'Training & skills' > 'Publications & resources')

If you have any comments on the information provided in the above article, email info@licensinglinenews.com or phone (07) 4247 5505.

This page was generated on 26 August, 2009