Educator Competency and Currency Policy

1. Purpose

To ensure CIT effectively documents, captures, verifies and retains evidence of vocational education and training (VET) educators' qualifications, competence and currency, as required by the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTO) 2015 (RTO Standards).

This policy is to be read in conjunction with Educator Competency and Currency Procedure.

2. Scope

Where this policy refers to CIT, it includes CIT Solutions.

This policy applies to:

• all CIT VET educators conducting nationally recognised training and assessment
• third parties engaged on behalf of CIT to conduct nationally recognised training and assessment.

3. Principles

CIT is committed to ensuring qualified and skilled educators deliver nationally recognised training and compliant assessment. The qualifications and competency of educators directly impacts the quality of delivery and assessment.

To maintain compliance with the RTO Standards, CIT will ensure educators:

• hold the required credentials described in Schedule 1 of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (as amended), or, while requisite credentials are being completed, are appropriately supervised
• hold vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered and assessed, unless otherwise identified in the nationally accredited training product
• meet any additional competency requirements detailed in a nationally recognised training product, or determined by regulatory or licensing bodies
• have current industry skills directly relevant to the training and assessment they are delivering
• have current knowledge and skills in vocational education and training that informs their training and assessment practices
• systematically undertake relevant professional development
• are offered targeted professional development to maintain competency and currency through internal and approved external activities
• review and update personal Trainer Skills Matrices at least once every twelve months to reflect the training and assessment they are delivering.

Each educator is responsible for maintaining an individual Trainer Skills Matrix as a profile of currency and competency to train and assess specific units of competency. The Trainer Skills Matrix will describe and provide evidence of:

• formal qualifications, and evidence of industry competence and currency
• formal qualifications, and evidence of vocational education and training competency and currency
• reflecting  on how the professional development informs and relates to practice

3.1 Educator credentials

3.1.1 Delivery of training products other than Training and Education (TAE) Training Package

CIT will ensure training and assessment is delivered by educators who hold credentials required by the RTO Standards.

In exceptional circumstances, and only with prior written approval from the Senior Education Leader, CIT may employ a person who does not hold the required trainer and assessor credentials, to work under the supervision of a credentialled educator. Any person working under formal supervision cannot determine assessment outcomes, and must hold:

• vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered and/or assessed
• current industry skills directly relevant to the training and assessment provided
• a training and assessment credential specified in Item 6 of Schedule 1 of the RTO Standards that is relevant to the learner cohort which the individual is involved in training and assessing or is actively working towards a training and assessment credential specified in Item 8 of Schedule 1.

Refer: Trainer Working Under Supervision Procedure

3.1.2 Delivery TAE Training Package Qualifications

CIT will ensure training and assessment from the Training and Education (TAE) Training Package is delivered by educators who hold credentials required by the RTO Standards.

In exceptional circumstances, and only with prior written approval from the Senior Education Leader, CIT may employ a person who does not hold the required trainer and assessor credentials to work under the supervision of a qualified educator and not determine assessment outcomes.

Refer: Trainer Working Under Supervision Procedure

3.2 Roles and Responsibilities

3.2.1 People and Culture

People and Culture are responsible for authenticating credentials:

• during the recruitment and selection processes
• in the course of employment where new credentials are submitted.

3.2.2 College Director

College Directors are responsible for ensuring a repository of Trainer Skills Matrices is maintained for all educators.

3.2.3 Heads of Department

Heads of Department are responsible for:

• ensuring Trainer Skills Matrices for department educators are uploaded to the central repository
• monitoring educator entries in the Trainer Skills Matrix at least annually to review competency for the role
• planning for and monitoring relevant professional development activities
• negotiating professional development activities as part of each educator's annual Setting My Directions Plan
• systematically monitoring educators' progress towards achieving professional development goals
• reviewing educators' competency as part of the process of developing and seeking approval of every Training and Assessment Strategy.

3.2.4 Educators

Educators are responsible for:

• undertaking relevant professional development
• maintaining vocational currency and competency
• maintaining industry currency and competency
• maintaining a Trainer Skills Matrix and making it available in a secure location
• systematically uploading to the Trainer Skills Matrix new evidence of industry engagements and updated training product knowledge
• retaining evidence of professional activities contributing to maintaining currency and competency
• recording reflections in the Trainer Skills Matrix statements that explain how each identified professional development activity has informed vocational training and assessment delivery.

4. Documentation

4.1 Related Legislation/Regulation

• Standards for RTOs 2015
• Standards for Registered Training Organisations Amendment (VET Workforce Support) Instrument 2024

4.2 Related Policy and Procedures

• Educator Competency and Currency procedure
• Industry and Community Engagement (Training and Assessment) Procedure
• Trainer Working Under Supervision Procedure

4.3 Related Documents

• Trainer Skills Matrix
• Setting My Direction Plan
• Professional Development Activity Form
• Maintain Currency Guidelines

5. Definitions

All terminology used in this policy is consistent with definitions in the CIT Definitions of Terms.

Specific terms referred to in this policy are:

6. Policy Contact Officer

Executive Director, Education Futures and Students.

Contact CIT Student Services on (02) 6207 3188 or email infoline@cit.edu.au for further information.

7. Procedures

This policy is implemented through the associated procedures. Authority to make changes to the procedures rests with the policy owner.