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

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:

Actively Working Towards	Actively working towards means an individual is enrolled in, has commenced, and is making satisfactory progress toward completing within two years of commencement, a specified training and assessment credential.
Competency	Competency is the consistent application of knowledge and skill to the standard of performance required in the workplace. It embodies the ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge to new situations and environments. (Source: https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/appendices/glossary).
Current industry skills	This means having: The knowledge, skills and experience required by VET educators and those who provide training and assessment under supervision to ensure that their training and assessment is based on current industry practices and meets the needs of industry. Current industry skills may be informed by consultations with industry and may include, but is not limited to: having knowledge of and/or experience using the latest techniques and processes possessing a high level of product knowledge understanding and knowledge of legislation relevant to the industry and to employment and workplaces being customer/client-oriented possessing formal industry and training qualifications training content that reflects current industry practice. (Source: https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/appendices/glossary)
Educator	Person employed under the PSM Act (ACT) for the purpose of conducting training and assessment as either: permanent employment on a full-time or permanent part-time basis short term temporary employment for a period not exceeding twelve months on a full-time or part-time basis long term temporary employment for a period greater than twelve months but not exceeding five years on a full-time or part-time basis casual employment.
Professional development activities	Activities that develop and/or maintain an individual’s skills, knowledge, expertise and other characteristics as an educator. This includes both formal and informal activities that encompass vocational competencies, currency of industry skills and knowledge and practice of vocational training, learning and assessment, including competency-based training and assessment. Examples of professional development activities include: participation in courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, or formal learning programs participation in mentoring, professional associations or other learning networks personal development through individual research or reading of publications or other relevant information participation in moderation or validation activities participation in industry release schemes. (Source: https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/appendices/glossary)
Vocational competency	Broad industry knowledge and experience, usually combined with a relevant industry qualification. A person who has vocational competency will be familiar with the content of the vocation and will have relevant current experience in the industry. Vocational competency must be considered on an industry-by-industry basis and with reference to the guidance provided in the Assessment Guidelines of the relevant Training Package. (Source: https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/appendices/glossary)

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.

POLICY INFORMATION

Policy No: CIT2023/1709
Approved: April 2024
Next Review: April 2026
Category: Training Policies
Policy Owner: Executive Director, Education Futures and Students

PROCEDURES/DOWNLOADS

Educator Competency and Currency Procedure
(PDF File 264.2 KB)

Educators Incremental Advancement Qualifications Procedure
(PDF File 139.2 KB)