RPL and National Recognition Policy 

Saltera Group makes an undertaking that all students, potential or current, are provided with full recognition of their current skills and knowledge no matter how, why, where and when they were gained, providing they meet the requirements of the qualifications or units on offer. Saltera Group will ensure that Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is offered to all applicants on enrolment and that the process is structured to minimise time to applicants and provides adequate information and support to enable applicants to gather reliable evidence to support their claim for recognition of competencies currently held, regardless of how, when or where the learning occurred.

RPL Process

Applicants who consider that they have completed appropriate training or have skills gained through prior learning and experience stipulated for the unit of the course may be granted RPL upon substantiation of that claim. The RPL application process identifies what a person has learned from life experience and work experience and measures these experiences against the learning outcomes of the course the student is doing or wants to do.

The assessment will be professionally conducted and will be valid, reliable, flexible, and fair. Evidence of prior learning may include:

• Evidence of current competence

• Performance, demonstration, or skill test

• Portfolio, logbook, task book, projects, or assignments

• Written presentation

• Interview

• Case studies

• In house training courses RPL is available for all units of competency.

The performance criteria of each unit provide the RPL benchmarks. If there is sufficient evidence in the application and supporting documentation, no further assessment may be necessary. If sufficient evidence is not provided an assessment may be negotiated with the student and may consist of interview, written assignment, exam or other assessment conducted by a qualified assessor. Successful students are notified promptly of the RPL outcome. The assessor advises unsuccessful students of the reason for nonrecognition and steps they can take to have a successful RPL claim, including appeal mechanisms.

RPL Procedure

If a candidate is applying for RPL the candidate must complete an RPL application form and submit evidence such as statements of attainment, certificates, work experience and/or academic transcripts of competence against the unit's performance criteria. This can be done either during the enrolment phase or in the initial stages of training.

Attending an Interview

Candidates may be asked to attend an interview, which is an opportunity to talk through the application. If he/she does not understand something in the interview, they should ask the person to explain more clearly. If they have any other concerns, they are welcome to raise them with the reviewer. Candidates should bring to the interview anything which they believe could assist their claim, for example:

• Copies of any statements, reference or articles about employment or community involvement.

• Copies of college reports, certificates or statements about education and training

• Relevant work samples such as memos, essays, completed work products and outlines of any courses undertaken.

• Any other information which might aid the assessment of the request.

Evidence Checklist

Listed below is a range of evidence that may be used in support of an application for RPL. This list should be used as a guide only.

• Certificate of achievement

• Reference/letter of support –work/social

• Demonstration of skill

• Record of academic results

• Video/Audio/photos

• Duty statement/job specifications

• Letter/memos at work

• Curriculum vitae

• Portfolio

National Recognition

National recognition is the process that recognises Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Qualifications and Statements of Attainment issued by other Registered Training Organisations (RTO’s) enabling individuals to receive national recognition of their achievements. To receive credit for previous study, students need to be enrolled in the program and provide original, or certified copies, of previously obtained qualifications, statements of attainment or statement of results to Saltera Group. Students must also provide evidence that this previous training is still current; this can be achieved by submitting a resume supporting your experience in these learning outcomes.