training packages glossary of terms - National Skills Standards ...

GlossaryAccess and Equity: policies and approaches aimed at ensuring that vocational education andtraining (VET) are responsive to the individual needs of clients whose age, gender, cultural orethnic background, disability, sexuality, language skills, literacy or numeracy level,unemployment, imprisonment or remote location may present a barrier to access,participation and the achievement of suitable outcomes. Access and equity do not mean that aRegistered Training Organisation (RTO) has to accept anyone as a client.Action Learning: a group‐based learning model in which the participants contribute theirknowledge and expertise to guide the learning experience.Advanced Diploma: a qualification in the vocational education and training (VET) and highereducation sectors which recognises skills and knowledge meeting national competencystandards (or competencies consistent with these levels where the national industrycompetency standards are not applicable). The Advanced Diploma is a more specialisedqualification and signifies skill and knowledge of a greater complexity and a higher level ofpersonal accountability than is required at a Diploma level.Application of the Unit: a brief description of how the unit is practically applied in industry.Apprenticeship/Traineeship: a structured training arrangement for a person employed underan apprenticeship/traineeship training contract. It usually involves the person receivingtraining and being assessed both on and off the job.Apprenticeship/Traineeship Training Contract: a contract governing the terms of anapprenticeship or traineeship that is made between an employer and a person employed bythem as an apprentice or trainee. The contract must be registered with the relevant state orterritory's government department or agency in accordance with that state's or territory'slegislation. The training provided under the contract must be delivered by a RegisteredTraining Organisation (RTO) approved by the state or territory's department or agency and atraining plan developed by the RTO must form the basis of the person's training andassessment.Articulation: a process that enables students to progress from one completed qualification toanother with credit in a defined pathway.Assessment: the process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whethercompetency has been achieved, to confirm that an individual can perform to the standardexpected in the workplace, as expressed by the relevant endorsed industry/enterprisecompetency standards of a Training Package or by the learning outcomes of an accreditedcourse.1V2.1 170310

Assessment Context: the environment in which the assessment of competency will becarried out. This may be the environment where the work is performed 'in situ', a simulatedenvironment which replicates the work environment, various contexts which address differentaspects of the competency. It also includes physical and operational factors, the assessmentsystem within which assessment is carried out, the range of opportunities for gatheringevidence in a number of situations, the purpose of the assessment, who carries out theassessment and the period of time during which the assessment takes place.Assessment Guidelines: the endorsed component of a Training Package that underpinsassessment and sets out the industry's approach to valid, reliable, flexible and fair assessment.Assessment Judgement: the exercise of thinking skills by the assessor to evaluate whether theevidence provided meets the principles of assessment and rules of evidence and whether thecandidate is competent or not yet competent based on the evaluated evidence.Assessment Methods: the particular technique/s used to gather different types of evidence.This may include methods or techniques such as questioning, direct observation, structuredactivities, third party feedback, portfolios and review of products.Assessment Only Pathway: the achievement of competencies or qualifications recognisedthrough a process of formal assessment by an assessor which involves evaluative judgement ofcollected evidence arising from any combination of formal or informal education and trainingand education, work experience and/or general life experience; recognition of competenceheld through a process of assessment that is not directly linked to a structured learningprocess to support achievement of the competencies.Assessing risk in assessment: concerned with gauging the likelihood of unexpected and/orunfortunate consequences. For example, determining the level of risk (e.g., in terms of safety,costs, equity etc) of assessing someone as competent when in actual fact they are notcompetent, and or vice versa.Assessment quality management: processes that could be used to help achieve comparabilityof standards. Typically, there are three major components to quality management ofassessments: quality assurance, quality control and quality review.Assessment Strategy: a documented framework to guide and structure assessmentarrangements for a vocational education and training (VET) qualification.See also: Learning Strategy and Training and Assessment Strategy2V2.1 170310

Assessment System: a controlled and ordered process designed to ensure that assessmentdecisions made in relation to many individuals, by many assessors, in many situations areconsistent, fair, valid and reliable, and may include: grievances and appeals process, validationsystems and processes, reporting/recording arrangements, acquisition of physical and humanresources, administrative procedures, roles and responsibilities, partnership arrangements,quality assurance mechanisms, risk management strategies, and documented assessmentprocesses.Assessment Tool: an assessment tool includes the following components: the context andconditions for the assessment, the tasks to be administered to the candidate, an outline of theevidence to be gathered from the candidate and the evidence criteria used to judge the qualityof performance (i.e. the assessment decision making rules). It also includes the administration,recording and reporting requirements.Assessor: An assessor means an individual or organisation responsible for the assessment ofUnits of Competency in accordance with the Australian Quality Training Framework.Australian Apprenticeships: a job pathway that combines training for a nationally recognisedqualification with employment. The term Australian Apprenticeships covers bothApprenticeships and Traineeships.Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF): the policy framework that defines allqualifications recognised nationally in post‐compulsory education and training in Australia. TheAQF comprises titles and guidelines that define each qualification, as well as the principles andprotocols covering cross‐sectoral qualification links and the issuing of qualifications andstatements of attainment.Australian Qualifications Framework Alignment: alignment to the Australian QualificationsFramework (AQF) occurs when a group of units of competency are a viable AQF qualification orqualifications (in line with the guidance provided in the current AQF ImplementationHandbook).Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF): the Australian Quality Training Framework(AQTF) is a set of nationally agreed quality assurance arrangements for training andassessment services delivered by training organisations. The first version of AQTF wasimplemented in 2002. It was revised in 2005 and again in 2007 including the identification ofexcellence criteria.The AQTF comprises:a) AQTF 2007 Essential Standards for Registrationb) AQTF 2007 Standards for State and Territory Registering Bodiesc) AQTF 2007 Excellence Criteriad) AQTF 2007 Standards for Accredited Coursese) AQTF 2007 Standards for State and Territory Course Accrediting Bodies.3V2.1 170310

Authenticity: one of the rules of evidence. To accept evidence as authentic, an assessor mustbe assured that the evidence presented for assessment is the candidate's own work.Award: see QualificationBenchmarking assessment: benchmarks are a point of reference used to clarify standards inassessment. They are agreed good examples of particular levels of achievement which arisefrom the moderation process. Benchmarks help clarify the standards expected within thequalification, and illustrate how they can be demonstrated and assessed. They can also identifynew ways of demonstrating the competency.Case for Endorsement: provides compelling evidence of the quality, industry relevance andstakeholder support for the new units of competency, Skill Sets (if applicable), qualifications orTraining Package. The Case for Endorsement is compiled by the Industry Skills Council (ISC) foreach submission and is the basis on which National Quality Council (NQC) members will maketheir endorsement decision.Categories of Change: see ISC Upgrade and NQC Endorsement RequiredCertificate I‐IV: a set of qualifications that prepare candidates for both employment andfurther education and training. These qualifications recognise achievement of specifiednational industry competency standards at four Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)levels in a wide variety of trades, industries and enterprises. These qualifications may begained through a wide range of pathways, including: Australian Apprenticeships (includingTraineeships); work‐based and/or school/institution‐based training; and Recognition of PriorLearning (RPL) (which may include training programs or an accumulation of short courses).Clustering: the process of grouping competencies into combinations which have meaning andpurpose for learning, assessment, or work related needs.Code: the unique alpha‐numeric identifier allocated to the endorsed components of a TrainingPackage.See also: Qualification Code, Training Package Code and Unit of Competency CodeComparability of standards: comparability of standards are said to be achieved when theperformance levels expected (e.g., competent/not yet competent decisions) for a unit (orcluster of units) of competency are similar between assessors assessing the same unit(s) in agiven RTO and between assessors assessing the same unit(s) across RTOs.Competency: Competency is the consistent application of knowledge and skill to the standardof performance required in the workplace. It embodies the ability to transfer and apply skillsand knowledge to new situations and environments.4V2.1 170310

Competency based assessment: competency based assessment is a purposeful process ofsystematically gathering, interpreting, recording and communicating to stakeholders,information on candidate development against industry competency standards and/orlearning outcomes.Competency Field: denotes the industry sector, specialisation or function, or the way the unitsof competency are categorised in the Training Package.Competency Standard: see Unit of CompetencyConsistency of evidence: the evidence gathered needs to be evaluated for its consistency withother assessments of the candidate’s performance, including the candidate’s usualperformance levels.Construct validity: the extent to which certain explanatory concepts or constructs account forthe performance on a task. It is concerned with the degree to which the evidence collected canbe used to infer competence in the intended area, without being influenced by other nonrelatedfactors (e.g. literacy levels).Content validity: the match between the required knowledge and skills specified in thecompetency standards and the assessment tool’s capacity to collect such evidence.Contextualisation of a qualification: refers to the substitution of unit/s of competency in aqualification for unit/s from other qualification/s in the same Training Package or from otherendorsed Training Packages to maximise its application in industry and/or to meet the needsof particular learners, within the confines of the packaging rules. Contextualisation ofqualifications must not distort the qualification purpose or its alignment with the AustralianQualifications Framework (AQF). The substitution must be consistent with the relevantTraining Package advice on allowable contextualisation of qualifications and consistent withthe Training Package Development Handbook.Contextualisation of a unit of competency: refers to the addition of industry orenterprise/organisation specific information to the range statement and/or evidence guide ofa unit of competency to maximise its application to particular enterprise/organisationcontexts. Training Package developers can contextualise units imported from other Packagesfor their specific industry requirements. Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) cancontextualise units of competency to make them more relevant and meaningful to learnersand enterprises. Such changes must not diminish the competency’s breadth, reduce itsportability, or limit its use. Changes are made in accordance with the Training PackageDevelopment Handbook and with relevant Training Package contextualisation guidelines.5V2.1 170310

Contingency Management Skills: one of the four dimensions of competency. These skillsinvolve the requirement to respond to irregularities and breakdowns in routine.Continuous Improvement: the process whereby Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) applycontinuous improvements to Training Packages during their endorsement period.Continuous Improvement Plan: details the changes to be made to the endorsed componentsof Training Packages to enable them to meet the emerging skill needs of industry. TheEnvironmental Scan informs the Continuous Improvement Plan. It is developed annually byeach Industry Skills Council (ISC) as a rolling three‐year plan.Credit: the value assigned for the recognition of equivalence in content and learningoutcomes between different types of learning and/or qualifications which reduces the amountof learning required to achieve a qualification.Credit Transfer: a process that provides students with agreed and consistent credit outcomesbased on identified equivalence in content and learning outcomes between matchedqualificationsCurrency: one of the rules of evidence. In assessment, currency relates to the age of theevidence presented by a candidate to demonstrate that they are still competent. Competencyrequires demonstration of current performance, so the evidence collected must be from eitherthe present or the very recent past.Customisation: See Contextualisation of a unit of competency and Contextualisation of aqualificationDecision making rules: the rules to be used to make judgements as to whether competencyhas been achieved (note that if grades or scores are also to be reported, the scoring rulesshould outline how performance is to be scored). Such rules should be specified for eachassessment tool. There should also be rules for synthesising multiple sources of evidence tomake overall judgements of performance.Delivery Method: the particular techniques used to guide, facilitate and support the learningprocess.Delivery Strategy: forms part of the learning strategy and involves developing anddocumenting: the focus of delivery, the context of delivery, the mode of delivery and deliverymethods.6V2.1 170310

Development and Endorsement Process: the process, agreed by the National Quality Council(NQC), for the development and endorsement of Training Packages that enablesresponsiveness to industry priorities for new and updated skills.Dimensions of Competency: dimensions are part of the broad concept of competency, whichincludes all aspects of work performance as represented by task skills, task management skills,contingency management skills and job/role environment skills.See also: Contingency Management Skills, Job/Role Environment Skills, Task ManagementSkills and Task SkillsDiploma: a qualification in the vocational education and training (VET) and higher educationsectors which recognises skills and knowledge meeting national competency standards (orcompetencies consistent with these levels where the national industry competency standardsare not applicable). The length of study varies according to the particular pathways andindustry involved, with full time study involving the equivalent of two years for a Diploma.Students can commence a Diploma directly or advance to a Diploma from a lower Certificatelevel.Direct Observation: an assessment method which involves opportunities to view realwork/real time activities in the workplace or work activities in a simulated workplaceenvironment.Editorial Report: a report confirming that the draft endorsed components of a TrainingPackage being submitted to the National Quality Council (NQC) have met the agreedrequirements for editing.Elements: elements of a unit of competency that describe actions or outcomes which aredemonstrable and assessable.See also: Performance CriteriaEmployability Skills: the non‐technical skills and competencies that have always been animportant part of effective and successful participation in the workplace. Employability skillsare applicable to all occupations, and have been defined in the vocational education andtraining (VET) sector as: communication, teamwork, problem solving, initiative and enterprise,planning and organising, self management, learning and technology.Employability Skills Summaries: the table in a Training Package that contains a summary ofthe Employability Skills as identified by industry or enterprise for this qualification and theeight employability skills with a summary of examples of contextualised employability skillsfacets.Endorsement: the formal recognition of Training Packages by the National Quality Council(NQC).7V2.1 170310

Endorsement Date: the date on which the National Quality Council (NQC) endorses theTraining Package content. The Endorsement Date is added to the Training Package on theNational Training Information Service (NTIS) by the Department of Education, Employment andWorkplace Relations (DEEWR) prior to publication on NTIS.Entry Requirements: specified prior knowledge, skill, and experience, expressed in terms ofcompetency, and may include licensing or industry recognised standards. Where entryrequirements are identified, these are mandatory. Entry requirements:• do not form part of a qualification for training and assessment purposes.• must be completed prior to enrolling in a qualification.• must be specific to the knowledge, skills or experience required to enter aqualification.Environmental Scan: a document developed on an annual basis by each Industry Skills Council(ISC) that captures and analyses the most recent grass‐roots industry intelligence gathered bythe ISC, identifying existing and emerging skill shortages and training requirements.Equity Report: a report confirming that the draft endorsed components in a Training Packagebeing submitted to the National Quality Council (NQC) have met the agreed requirements forequity.Evidence: information gathered to support a judgement of competence against thespecifications of the relevant unit or units of competency.Evidence Guide: provides essential advice for assessment of the unit of competency and mustbe read in conjunction with the elements, performance criteria and range statement of theunit of competency, and the Training Package Assessment Guidelines.Face validity: the extent to which the assessment tasks reflect real work‐based activities.Fairness: one of the principles of assessment. Fairness in assessment requires consideration ofthe individual candidate's needs and characteristics, and any reasonable adjustments thatneed to be applied to take account of them. It requires clear communication between theassessor and the candidate to ensure that the candidate is fully informed about, understandsand is able to participate in the assessment process, and agrees that the process isappropriate. It also includes an opportunity for the person being assessed to challenge theresult of the assessment and to be reassessed if necessary.Flexibility (assessment): one of the principles of assessment. To be flexible, assessmentshould: reflect the candidate's needs; provide for recognition of competencies no matter how,where or when they have been acquired; draw on a range of methods appropriate to thecontext, competency and the candidate; and support continuous competency development.8V2.1 170310

Flexibility (quality): one of the quality principles for Training Package development. Theendorsed components of a Training Package must provide the flexibility to meet the diversityof individual and enterprise needs, support equitable access and progression of learners, andsupport learner transition between education sectors.Formal Learning: learning that takes place through a structured program of learning andassessment that leads to the full or partial attainment of a recognised AQF qualification orother formally recognised qualification.Functionality: one of the quality principles for Training Package development. The endorsedcomponents of a Training Package must provide the functionality, through ease ofunderstanding, clever design and consistency with policy and publication requirements, tosupport implementation across a range of settings, support sound assessment practice, andnot impose structural barriers to implementation.Impact Statement: details the implications of the new or revised units of competency, SkillSets, qualifications or Training Package, and the extent of change required to enable successfulimplementation in various delivery environments. It is compiled by the Industry Skills Council(ISC) for each Case for Endorsement based on information gathered throughout theconsultation process.Industry: includes, but is not limited to, business owners and employers and theirrepresentative bodies , employees and unions, and their representative bodies.Industry Skills Councils (ISCs): national bodies contracted by the Department of Education,Employment and Workplace Relations to develop and maintain Training Packages specific tothe industry area(s) for which they have coverage.Industry Skills Council Quality Assurance Panel: an expert resource for Industry Skills Councils(ISCs) on matters relating to equity, editing, and holistic quality assurance.Informal Learning: learning gained through work‐related, social, family, hobby or leisureactivities and experiences. Unlike formal and non‐formal learning, informal learning is notorganised or externally structured in terms of objectives, time or learning support.Integrated Assessment: an approach to assessment that focuses on the assessment of a'whole of job' role or function. This involves drawing on a number of units or elements ofcompetence, and combining the assessment of the application of knowledge, technical skills,problem solving, and demonstration of attitudes and ethics.ISC Quality Assurance Panel: see Industry Skills Council Quality Assurance Panel9V2.1 170310

ISC Upgrade: A change to a qualification and/or unit of competency that does not change itsoutcomeSee also: Categories of Change and NQC Endorsement RequiredIssues Register: operates as a constant and formal mechanism for stakeholders to providefeedback on the suitability and industry relevance of a Training Package, qualification, Skill Setsor units of competency. Located on the Industry Skills Council's (ISC's) website, feedback isprogressively collected, analysed and validated. It forms a key input to the consultation anddevelopment process.Job/Role Environment Skills: one of the four dimensions of competency. These skills involvedemonstrating the ability to deal with responsibilities and expectations of the workplace,including working with others.Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN): taken collectively, these are the skills tocommunicate in oral and written form. The term includes reading and use of writteninformation; the ability to write appropriately, in a range of contexts and the integration ofspeaking, listening, and critical thinking with reading and writing. LLN includes numeracy, suchas the recognition and use of numbers and basic mathematical signs and symbols within text.Learning and Assessment Pathway: a pathway to achievement of competencies/qualificationsthat involves participation in a structured and sequenced learning process that providesrelevant learning experiences and which combines formative assessment and summativeassessment to determine competence.Learning Outcomes/Objectives: The set of knowledge, skills and /or competences anindividual has acquired and/or is able to demonstrate after completion of a learning process.Learning Resources: products designed to enhance and support the effectiveness of thelearning process, providing an integrated approach that commonly combines guidance,materials, activities, and relevant information to support delivery/facilitation, learning, and/orassessment.Learning Strategy: a documented framework to guide and structure the learning requirementsand the teaching/delivery and assessment arrangements of a vocational education andtraining (VET) qualification.See also: Assessment Strategy and Training and Assessment Strategy10V2.1 170310

Mandatory Text: content that is inserted into all Training Packages to provide the overarchingregulatory and policy advice to users of Training Packages. Developed for the followingsections:• Introduction to Training Packages• Qualifications Framework• Units of Competency• Assessment GuidelinesMinisterial Approval Date: the date on which, following a National Quality Council (NQC)endorsement process, the Ministers for vocational education and training (VET) approved thepublication of the Training Package on the National Register (currently the National TrainingInformation Service ‐ NTIS). Note that Ministers agreed to remove this approval step in 2010.Training Packages endorsed after 12 March 2010 did not require Ministerial endorsement.Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE): a Council comprised ofthe State, Territory and Australian Government Ministers with responsibility for tertiaryeducation and employment. MCTEE is the key decision‐making body and has overallresponsibility for the national tertiary education and employment system.Moderation: the process of bringing assessment judgements and standards into alignment. Itis a process that ensures the same standards are applied to all assessment results within thesame Unit(s) of Competency. It is an active process in the sense that adjustments to assessorjudgements are made to overcome differences in the difficulty of the tool and/or the severityof judgements.Module: a group of learning outcomes in an accredited course where the copyright owner canestablish that it is not possible to develop an appropriate Unit of Competency.Mutual Recognition: see National RecognitionNational Quality Council (NQC): a committee of the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Educationand Employment (MCTEE). The NQC has a role in: (a) providing the Ministerial Council withadvice on the operation of the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) and any changesto it that are considered necessary; (b) providing the state and territory registering and courseaccreditingbodies with information and advice on implementation of the AQTF; and (c)providing the Ministerial Council with information and advice on the operation of the AQTF ineach state and territory, including advice on their registration, audit and related processes,and on the Commonwealth processes that support the AQTF.11V2.1 170310

National Recognition: (a) recognition by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) of theAustralian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications and statements of attainment issuedby all other RTOs, thereby enabling national recognition of the qualifications and statements ofattainment issued to any person; (b) recognition by each state and territory's registering bodyof the training organisations registered by any other state or territory's registering body and ofits registration decisions; and (c) recognition by all state and territory course‐accreditingbodies and registering bodies of the courses accredited by each state or territory's courseaccreditingbody and of its accreditation decisions.National Register: the register for recording information about Registered TrainingOrganisations (RTOs), Training Packages, and accredited courses.National Training Information Service (NTIS): see National RegisterNational Skills Framework (NSF): the system of vocational education and training (VET) that:(a) applies nationally; (b) is endorsed by the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education andEmployment (MCTEE).Nationally Recognised Training: see Recognised TrainingNationally Recognised Training (NRT) Logo: the logo used nationally to signify that trainingand assessment products and services meet the requirements agreed under the National SkillsFramework (NSF). It may only be used on qualifications and courses that have nationalrecognition.Nominal Hours: the value assigned to a structured program of study that nominally representsthe anticipated hours of supervised learning and/or training deemed necessary to conducttraining/learning and assessment activities associated with the program of studyNon‐formal Learning: learning that takes place through a structured program of learning butdoes not lead to a formally recognised qualification.Noted Materials: Training Package support materials that have met the quality assurancerequirements of the National Quality Council (NQC) Noting Process and are permitted todisplay the official 'tick' logo.See also: Noting ProcessNoting Process: a non‐compulsory process of the National Quality Council (NQC) to qualityassure Training Package support materials.See also: Noted Materials12V2.1 170310

NQC Endorsement Process: the formal process of recognition of Training Packages undertakenby the National Quality Council (NQC). NQC members have twenty‐one calendar days toconsider the Case for Endorsement.NQC Endorsement Required: a change to a qualification and/or unit of competency thatchanges its outcome and must be submitted to the NQC for endorsementSee also: Categories of Change and ISC UpgradeOccupational Health and Safety (OHS): activities concerned with the prevention andmitigation of work‐related illness or injury including illness or injury that may be of long onset.OHS requirements are embedded within units of competency in Training Packages.Packaging: the process of grouping competencies in a Training Package into meaningfulcombinations which represent whole jobs or key functions in the workplace.Pathways in Training Packages: a path or sequence of learning or experiences that can befollowed to attain competency. Pathways also describe the way in which training andassessment is undertaken in an education or training program.Performance Criteria: specify the standard to which elements must be achieved and reflectthe applied knowledge that enables competent performance.See also: ElementsPredictive validity: a form of criterion validity concerned with the ability of the assessmentoutcomes to accurately predict the future performance of the candidate.Pre‐requisite Units of Competency: units of competency that are critical to achieving thesubsequent competency.Principles of Assessment: to ensure quality outcomes, assessment should be: fair; flexible;valid; reliable; sufficient.See also: Fairness, Flexibility, Reliability, Sufficiency and ValidityPrinciple for validation and moderation: The following principles underpin validation and/ormoderation within the VET sector• Transparent• Representative• Confidential• Educative• Equitable• Tolerable13V2.1 170310

Qualification: the formal certification, issued by a relevant approved body, in recognition thata person has achieved learning outcomes or competences relevant to identified individual,professional, industry or community needs.Qualification Code: a unique alpha‐numeric code of eight‐characters allocated to aqualification. Using the code 'ICT50308' as an example, qualification codes identify:• Training Package identifier ‐ the 'ICT' identifies the Training Package• qualification identifier ‐ the '5', is an Arabic figure referring to the AustralianQualifications Framework (AQF) qualification (the example is a Diploma qualification,noting however that Roman numerals must always be used in Certificate qualificationtitles)• sequence identifier ‐ the '03' identifies the position in the sequence of qualifications atthat level (i.e. this represents the third Diploma qualification in that Training Package)• version identifier ‐ the '08' identifies the year in which the qualification was endorsed.See also: Code, Training Package Code and Unit of Competency CodeQualification Title: the name given to a qualification that is unique and reflects the identifiedoccupational outcomes of the qualification. Each title has a unique qualification code.Qualifications Framework: a framework created by packaging units of competency intomeaningful groups defined in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).Quality assurance of assessment: concerned with establishing appropriate circumstances forassessment to take place. It is an input approach to assessment quality management.Quality Assurance Panel: see Industry Skills Council Quality Assurance PanelQuality control of assessment: focuses on monitoring, and where necessary makingadjustments to judgements made by assessors prior to the finalisation of assessmentresults/outcomes. This approach therefore involves the direct management of assessmentjudgements to ensure consistency in the interpretation and application of the competencystandards. As it occurs prior to the finalisation of the result, in which alterations can be madeto assessor judgements, it is referred to as an ‘active process’ to assessment qualitymanagement.Quality Report: a report detailing if the units and/or qualifications (and Skill Sets if applicable)being put forward for endorsement have met the Training Package Quality Principles. Thisreport must be undertaken by a holistic member of the ISC Quality Assurance Panel and isincluded in the Case for Endorsement.14V2.1 170310

Quality review: concerned with the review of the assessment tools, procedure and outcomesto make improvements for future use. It is referred to as a retrospective approach toassessment quality management.Range of Variables: see Range StatementRange Statement: a statement that contextualises the competency, provides a link toknowledge and a range of enterprise requirements, and provides a focus for assessment.Reasonable adjustments: adjustments that can be made to the way in which evidence ofcandidate performance can be collected. Whilst reasonable adjustments can be made in termsof the way in which evidence of performance is gathered, the evidence criteria for makingcompetent/not yet competent decisions [and/or awarding grades] should not be altered in anyway. That is, the standards expected should be the same irrespective of the group and/orindividual being assessed; otherwise comparability of standards will be compromised.Recognised Training: training conducted in accordance with the requirements of theAustralian Quality Training Framework (AQTF).Recognition: one of the quality principles. Training Packages enable recognition of anindividual's competence across industries and occupations. The endorsed components of aTraining Package must: recognise convergence and connectivity of skills; support movement ofskills within and across organisations and sectors; promote national and internationalportability; and reflect licensing and regulatory requirements.Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): an assessment process that involves assessment of theindividual’s relevant prior learning to determine the credit outcomes of an individualapplication for credit.Registered Training Organisation (RTO): a training organisation registered by a state orterritory registering body in accordance with the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF)Essential Standards for Registration within a defined scope of registration. A trainingorganisation must be registered in order to deliver and assess Nationally Recognised Training(NRT) and issue nationally recognised qualifications.Release Date: the date on which the Training Package is released live on the National Register.15V2.1 170310

Reliability: one of the principles of assessment. Reliability refers to the degree to whichevidence presented for assessment is consistently interpreted and results in consistentassessment outcomes. Reliability requires the assessor to have the required competencies inassessment and relevant vocational competencies (or to assess in conjunction with someonewho has the vocational competencies). It can only be achieved when assessors share acommon interpretation of the assessment requirements of the unit(s) being assessed.Report by Exception on Stakeholder Consensus: a document that details where a stakeholderor individual holds a significantly differing viewpoint from the majority during the TrainingPackage consultation and validation process. This report is provided to the National QualityCouncil (NQC) as part of the Case for Endorsement and it gives NQC members an open andimpartial view of the issue and assures that all reasonable measures have been taken by theIndustry Skills Council (ISC) to respond to stakeholder concerns.Required Skills and Knowledge: the essential skills and knowledge identified in units ofcompetency as required for competent performance.• Knowledge ‐ identifies what a person needs to know to perform the work in aninformed and effective manner; and• Skills ‐ describes the application of the knowledge to situations where understandingis converted into a workplace outcome.See also: SkillResponsiveness: one of the quality principles. Training Packages ensure responsiveness to theneeds of contemporary industry and its workforce. The endorsed components of a TrainingPackage must: reflect contemporary work organisation and job profiles incorporating a futuresorientation; be driven by industry's needs; and respond to government broad policy initiatives.Review Date: the date by when the whole Training Package must be reviewed holistically or bycontinuous improvement and submitted to the National Quality Council (NQC) forendorsement.Risk indicators in assessment: the potential factors that may increase the risk associated withthe assessment. These factors should be considered when selecting a representative samplefor validation and/or moderation. Risk factors may include safety (e.g., potential danger toclients from an incorrect judgement), equity (e.g., outcomes impacting on highly competitiveselection procedures), human capacity (e.g., experience and expertise of assessors) etc.Rules of Evidence: these are closely related to the principles of assessment and provideguidance on the collection of evidence to ensure that it is valid, sufficient, authentic andcurrent.16V2.1 170310

Scope of Registration: the particular services and products a Registered Training Organisation(RTO) is registered to provide. The RTO's scope defines the specific Australian QualificationsFramework (AQF) qualifications, units of competency and accredited courses it is registered toprovide, and whether it is registered to provide: (a) both training delivery and assessmentservices, and to issue the relevant AQF qualifications and statements of attainment, or (b) onlyassessment services, and to issue AQF qualifications and statements of attainment.Skill: the ability to perform a particular mental or physical activity which may be developed bytraining or practice. The skill may be intellectual, manual, motor, perceptual, or social.Specified skills are identified as part of each competency standard. Competence usuallyrequires a combination of skills in the application of cognitive and psycho‐motor functions.See also: Required Skills and KnowledgeSkill Sets: single units or combinations of units within Training Packages which link to a licenceor regulatory requirement, or defined industry need.Skills Australia: an independent statutory body that provides advice to the Minister forEducation, Employment and Workplace Relations on Australia's current, emerging and futureworkforce skills needs and workforce development needs.Specialisations in Qualifications: the identification of alternative pathways within thequalification packaging rules. Most often used where specialisations are widely recognised inan industry in addition to a shared set of skills covered by the core units.State and Territory Training Authorities (STAs): a body within each Australian State andTerritory government that administers vocational education and training (VET) includingallocating funds, registering training organisations, and accrediting courses. STAs have a keyrole to play in the development and endorsement of Training PackagesStatement of Attainment: issued by a Registered Training Organisation when an individual hascompleted one or more units of competency from nationally recognisedqualification(s)/courses(s).Sufficiency: one of the principles of assessment and also one of the rules of evidence.Sufficiency relates to the quality and quantity of evidence assessed. It requires collection ofenough appropriate evidence to ensure that all aspects of competency have been satisfied andthat competency can be demonstrated repeatedly. The specific evidence requirements of eachunit of competency provide advice on sufficiency.Support Materials: see Training Package Support Materials17V2.1 170310

Target group in assessment: this refers to the group of individuals that the assessment toolhas been designed for. The description of the target group could include any backgroundcharacteristics of the group (such as literacy and numeracy) that may assist other assessors todetermine whether the tool could be applied to other similar groups of individuals.Task Management Skills: one of the four dimensions of competency. These skills involvedemonstrating the ability to manage a number of different tasks/operations/activities withinthe job role or work environment.Task Skills: one of the four dimensions of competency. These skills encompass the ability toperform individual tasks.Traineeship: see Apprenticeship/TraineeshipTraining and Assessment Strategy: a framework that guides the learning requirements and theteaching, training and assessment arrangements of a vocational education and training (VET)qualification. It is the document that outlines the macro‐level requirements of the learning andassessment process, usually at the qualification level.See also: Assessment Strategy, Learning StrategyTraining Contract: see Apprenticeship/Traineeship Training ContractTraining Package: a nationally endorsed, integrated set of competency standards, assessmentguidelines and Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications for a specific industry,industry sector or enterprise.Training Package Code: the unique five‐character alpha‐numeric code assigned to a TrainingPackage. For example, the TAA08 where 'TAA' identifies the industry area (Training andAssessment Training Package), and '08' identifies the year of endorsement.Training Package Implementation Guides: support resources to help Registered TrainingOrganisations (RTOs), teachers, trainers, and assessors use Training Packages.Training Package Quality Principles: the four Training Package Quality Principles areresponsiveness, recognition, flexibility, and functionality. They are applied by the Industry SkillsCouncil Quality Assurance Panel and the Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) in guiding thedevelopment of Training Packages and for making judgements on the quality of the completedTraining Package. Panel members use these principles in their analysis for the Equity Report,Editorial Report, and Quality Report.See also: Flexibility, Functionality, Recognition and Responsiveness18V2.1 170310

Training Package Support Materials: the non‐endorsed components of Training Packageswhich may include learning resources, assessment resources and professional developmentresources, that are based on the competency standards, assessment guidelines andqualifications framework of a particular Training Package.Training Package Title: a unique and concise title reflecting the industry covered by theTraining Package.Training Plan: a documented program of training and assessment required for anapprenticeship/traineeship training contract. It is developed by a Registered TrainingOrganisation (RTO) in consultation with the parties to the contract as the basis for training andassessing a person undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship.Training Program: a program (also known as a learning program), developed by a RegisteredTraining Organisation (RTO), that meets the training and assessment requirements of aqualification from a Training Package, one or more designated units of competency, or anaccredited course. The training program may specify such matters as essential and electiveunits, the sequence and timing of training and assessments, and the resources required. It mayform part of a training and assessment strategy.Trialling of assessment tools: a quality assurance process for checking that the assessmenttool will produce valid and reliable evidence to satisfy the purpose of the assessment and thereporting needs of the key stakeholder groups. A trial is often referred to as a ‘dress rehearsal’in which the tool is administered to a group of individuals who are representative of the targetgroup. The information gathered from the trial can be used to determine the costeffectiveness,fairness, flexibility, validity and reliability of the assessment prior to use.Unit Descriptor: communicates the content of the unit of competency and the skill area itaddresses.Unit of Competency: the specifications of knowledge and skill, and the application of thatknowledge and skill to the standard of performance required in the workplace.Unit of Competency Code: the unique alpha‐numeric code assigned to a unit of competency,which does not exceed 12 characters. Using the unit code TAADES401A, unit of competencycodes identify:• Training Package identifier ‐ 'TAA' refers to the Training Package in which it resides• industry field identifier ‐ 'DES' refers to the industry field of Learning Design• qualification identifier ‐ the '4' is an Arabic figure referring to the AustralianQualifications Framework (AQF) qualification in which the unit was first packaged, i.e.Certificate IV (noting however that Roman numerals must always be used inCertificate qualification titles)• sequence identifier ‐ '01' refers to its position in the Training Package unit sequence• version identifier – 'A' shows it is the first version19V2.1 170310

Unit of Competency Title: a concise description of the discrete workplace outcome to beachieved by the unit of competency.Unit Sector: a category used to group units within a Training Package.Validation: is a quality review process. It involves checking that the assessment tool producedvalid, reliable, sufficient, current and authentic evidence to enable reasonable judgements tobe made as to whether the requirements of the relevant aspects of the Training Package oraccredited course had been met. It includes reviewing and making recommendations forfuture improvements to the assessment tool, process and/or outcomes.Validity: one of the principles of assessment and also one of the rules of evidence. Assessmentis valid when the process is sound and assesses what it claims to assess. Validity requires that:(a) assessment against the units of competency must cover the broad range of skills andknowledge that are essential to competent performance; (b) assessment of knowledge andskills must be integrated with their practical application; and (c) judgement of competencemust be based on sufficient evidence.Validity in assessment: There are five major types of validity: face, content, criterion(predictive and concurrent), construct and consequential. In general, validity is concerned withthe appropriateness of the inferences, use and consequences that result from the assessment.In simple terms, it is concerned with the extent to which an assessment decision about acandidate (e.g., competent/not yet competent, a grade and/or a mark), based on the evidenceof performance by the candidate, is justified. It requires determining conditions that weakenthe truthfulness of the decision, exploring alternative explanations for good or poorperformance, and feeding them back into the assessment process to reduce errors whenmaking inferences about competence. Unlike reliability, validity is not simply a property of theassessment tool. As such, an assessment tool designed for a particular purpose and targetgroup may not necessarily lead to valid interpretations of performance and assessmentdecisions if the tool was used for a different purpose and/or target group.Versioning of Training Packages: the first release of the Training Package, including reviewedTraining Packages, is Version 1. If NQC Endorsement Required changes are made to a TrainingPackage during the endorsement period, its version number must be incremented (noting thatArabic figures are used for version numbers and that the increment is by a whole number, nota decimal point).VET in Schools: see Vocational Education and Training in Schools20V2.1 170310

Vocational Competency: broad industry knowledge and experience, usually combined with arelevant industry qualification. A person who has vocational competency will be familiar withthe content of the vocation and will have relevant current experience in the industry.Vocational competencies must be considered on an industry‐by‐industry basis and withreference to the guidance provided in the Assessment Guidelines of the relevant TrainingPackage.Vocational Education and Training (VET): the sector responsible for developing the skills andknowledge of individuals for work. It includes VET undertaken in industries, enterprises,government agencies, and community and school settings. The VET sector encompasses bothrecognised training leading to a qualification/statement of attainment under the AustralianQualifications Framework (AQF), and non‐recognised training, such as in‐house, product‐basedtraining.Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS): school‐based VET programmes thatprovide students with the opportunity to gain credit towards the senior secondary certificatewhile at the same time gaining a national industry recognised qualification or credit towardsthis qualification. VET in schools programmes are commonly based on industry endorsedTraining Packages and delivered to the standards set out in the AQTF.Vocational Graduate Certificate: a vocational education and training (VET) qualification withinthe Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). It requires evidence of higher level andbroader or more specialised knowledge, skill and judgement than an Advanced Diploma. Thelength of study varies according to the particular pathways and industry involved, with fulltime study involving the equivalent of six months for a Vocational Graduate Certificate.Vocational Graduate Diploma: a vocational education and training (VET) qualification withinthe Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). It requires evidence of higher level andbroader level or more specialised knowledge, skill and judgement than a Vocational GraduateCertificate. The length of study varies according to the particular pathways and industryinvolved, with full time study involving the equivalent of twelve months for a VocationalGraduate Diploma.21V2.1 170310