Recognition of Prior Learning
As a leading RTO, we offer Recognition of Prior Learning to persons who can demonstrate competency gained through other means and over time.
Whether you are ex-defence personnel, emergency services or looking for recognition for a career or work experience, we can help you.
What is RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)?
RPL is a process of recognition where the skills and knowledge you already have through informal learning and/or existing skills and knowledge, may count towards a nationally recognised qualification or statement of attainment. To have your skills recognised you need a formal assessment.
Note: The requirements of legislation and national standards are regularly maintained and updated, therefore, RR+R requires candidates to demonstrate current competence of your skills and knowledge in your evidence.
Credit Transfer
If you have recently done formal nationally recognised training within Australia you may receive credit for unit of competency that contribute towards a qualification or the qualification itself.
Who can apply for RPL?
Anyone can apply for RPL if you think that you have substantial prior learning or experience that you can provide evidence for to determine your current competency.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) looks at the full range of your skills, knowledge and experience.
Skills and knowledge might come from:
Formal training completed through a school, TAFE or other RTO, college, university, industry courses, in-service (workplace) training.
Life experience, such as family responsibilities, hobbies, community involvement, volunteer work. For example, you may have experience working within a team in a sports club and this experience may align to team requirements in a unit of competency.
Work experience: for example, what you have learnt on the job or through informal training.
Relevant experience in a similar or different industry: for example, you may have learned incident scene management as a paramedic in the health industry, and this experience may translate into the public safety or mining industry.
Are you competent?
To decide whether you are competent in something, start by asking yourself these kinds of questions:
- What tasks have I done at work or in community or voluntary activities?
- How recently did I do them and would I still remember how?
- What training have I done that might be relevant, including informal on-the-job training?
- How can I prove I can do these things?
- Am I up to date with current industry knowledge and skills?
Your role in the recognition process
In traditional training, the trainer teaches and you study to pass assessments. With skills recognition, the responsibility is on you to provide evidence of your competence.
The idea of evidence is to show your assessor that you already have the skills and knowledge to meet the required outcomes for the Unit/s of Competency, Qualification that you are seeking RPL for.
Although skills recognition can save you a lot of study time, you will need to put a fair amount of work into your application
RPL Fees and Charges
The following are indicative prices for RPL. Please note that these charges can be affected by various factors, including:
- The number of units in a qualification
- The complexity of units
- Whether you can provide evidence that can be used for Direct Credit Transfer for some units (reducing the overall cost).
The Application Fee, $250 per application (GST exempt) is payable at the time you submit your ‘Application for Recognition of Prior Learning’ Form. This enables us to engage an Assessor to review your initial information and advise you on your chances of success if attaining RPL before you pay the full costs associated with assessing your application.
Risk Response + Rescue will provide a formal quotation following your initial discussion with your Assessor. This will confirm the specific details of your application, including units of competency for Direct Credit Transfer. Indicative costs range from:
- Individual UoC $250
- Skill Set $750
- Cert II $1,950 (inc. application fee) (GST exempt)
- Certificate III $2,800 (inc. application fee) (GST exempt)
- Cert IV POA.