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Learning and Teaching Quality and Standards - Teacher Qualifications and Competency Procedure (VET)

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Section 1 - Summary

(1) This Procedure outlines the requirements and processes for the maintenance of all required documentation relating to:

  1. teacher vocational competency and currency as required by the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth), specifically Clauses 1.13 – 1.16;
  2. additional qualification, experience and registration requirements relating to endorsed training packages, accredited curricula and/or teaching registration;
  3. the requirements of the Dual Sector VET Funding Contract with the Department of Education and Training, Victoria.
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Section 2 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment

(2) Standards for RTOs: Standard 1.

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Section 3 - Scope

(3) This Procedure applies to all program areas and teaching staff who deliver Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs at Victoria University, primarily within but not limited to Victoria University (VU) TAFE.

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Section 4 - Definitions

(4) Refer to relevant definitions provided within the National Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth).

(5) Certified copy – A certified copy is a duplicate (often a photocopy) of a primary document that has on it an endorsement or certificate that it is a true reproduction of the primary document. It does not certify that the primary document is genuine, only that it is a true copy of the primary document.

(6) Teacher – Synonymous with Trainer/Assessor. Teacher is the term used in employment contracts and position descriptions to describe a staff member employed in training and/or assessing roles.

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Section 5 - Policy/Regulation

(7) Learning and Teaching Quality and Standards Policy

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Section 6 - Procedures

Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

Role Responsibilities
Executive Director, General Manager or Education Manager 1. Oversee the recruitment and appointment of teachers to ensure requisite qualifications, experience and currency for compliance with the Standards for RTOs 2015 and alignment of salary classifications with current Enterprise Agreement.

2. Implement a systematic professional development program for teachers and assessors of VET programs.
People and Culture (P&C)  1. The human resources system of VU (VU People First) contains the position description which is reviewed by the education managers and edited within the system.
 
2. In the recruitment process and where requested, P&C will issue the position description to the applicant. Field questions and ensure EEO compliance for recruitment process.

3. Review alignment of proposed salary classification to current Enterprise Agreement prior to issuance of the employment contract.
 
4. Prepare an electronic confidential file for all teachers upon commencement of employment.
 
5. Receive the teacher qualifications and store in the teachers individual file.

6. Provide a Register of Trainers and Assessors each year for Department of Education and Training Contract compliance.
Education Managers
1. Review the position description for VET teaching roles to include accurate details of required qualifications and make the necessary updates in VU human resources system.

2. Manage the recruitment and appointment of teachers to ensure requisite qualifications, experience and vocational currency for compliance with the Standards for RTOs 2015 are met, as well as the requirements of the proposed training product. Check alignment of proposed salary classification to current Enterprise Agreement.

3. Undertake a quality assurance check of intended candidate’s supplied certified qualifications, evidence of experience and vocational currency.

4. Prior to a verbal or written job offer and after the interview undertake a minimum of two referee checks to confirm relevant industry experience, check qualifications against information from the candidate’s resume, verify qualifications required for the teaching position with the issuing organisation if issued prior to 2015, and for all overseas qualifications if not supported by evidence of recognition by an approved Australian assessing authority. If qualifications are issued post 2015 request a USI screenshot of qualifications including URL.Certify teacher qualifications and/or Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registration. Forward to P&C for storage in personnel file. 

5. Refer all employment and qualification documentation to P&C for upload to the individual teacher file.
 
6. Ensure teachers within delivery programs meet the competency and currency requirements as specified in this Procedure, the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth) and the training products they are required to deliver.

7. Facilitate professional development opportunities for teachers and assessors in knowledge and practice of vocational training, learning and assessment, including competency-based assessment, and online delivery and assessment, where relevant.

8. Ensure that all teachers in the delivery area update their CV records at least once annually and whenever there are additional qualifications gained or professional development completed.
Teachers (including ongoing or fixed-term, sessional or teaching contractors) 1. Update skills and knowledge as a trainer and/or assessor; as well as maintain currency and evidence of currency for identified areas.

2. Upon commencement with the University: 
(a) complete a TAFE Teacher Form;
(b) supply a current CV;
(c) complete a Vocational Competency and Currency Map;
(d) provide to P&C certified copies of both educational and vocational qualifications and transcripts to upload to the teachers individual file;
(e) supply other evidence to support the entries on any of the documents listed in (b) and (c) above. 

    At least annually:
(i) update the documents listed in (a) to (c) above including professional development undertaken or recently completed qualifications; 
(ii) update evidence of currency of skills and knowledge in training and assessment;
(iii) update evidence of currency in vocational area.

Part B - Overview of VET Teacher Competency Requirements

(8) Under the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth) , teachers must meet specific requirements relating to qualifications and competency prior to employment in a training and/or assessing role. These requirements are fully documented in Part D of this Procedure. In addition, the Standards require that teachers actively seek opportunities to build further skills and knowledge both as educators, and in their specialist vocational area.

(9) Prior to the commencement of teaching, and as required by The Standards for RTOs 2015 (clause 1.14-1.15), teaching staff must hold a:

  1. TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or its successor or
  2. TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment plus the following units:

    i. TAELLN411 (or its successor) or TAELLN401A, and

    ii.TAEASS502 (or its successor) or TAEASS502A or TAEASS502B.

(10) Standard 1.17 – 1.20 allows for individuals to provide training under the supervision of a qualified trainer, providing they hold the Skill Set itemised in Part E of this Procedure. Teachers who are under supervision cannot determine assessment outcomes. Approval for teaching under supervision must be obtained in writing (email will suffice) from the relevant College Executive Director prior to appointment and stored in teacher P&C file.

Part C - Teacher Files

(11) As standard practice P&C set up confidential personnel files for all teachers employed by the University. For those delivering VET programs or teaching within TAFE, as a dual professional, this includes certified copies of qualifications – vocational and educational; training and assessment competency and currency of the teacher upon commencement.
Files are maintained for:

  1. ongoing and fixed-term teachers;
  2. sessional teachers;
  3. supervised teachers;
  4. teaching contractors; and
  5. teachers delivering training or assessment on behalf of the TAFE of the University as part of a documented and approved third party arrangement.

(12) Teachers are responsible for providing the initial documentation and then annual maintenance of their TAFE Teacher Form and accompanying documentation. An individual teacher file must contain:

  1. A current CV. 
  2. VET Teacher Vocational Competency and Currency Mapping document.
  3. Certified copies and verified copies of qualifications, transcripts of results and other evidence to support the entries on any of the forms listed in (a) and (b) above.
  4. Renewal of registrations, licences and other associated documents.
  5. Sessional and Contract Teacher Professional Development Plan for those that do not have access to VU Develop.

    Teachers must individually maintain the above forms electronically so that they can be updated as required. It is the teacher’s responsibility to maintain these records electronically. At each update, relevant supporting evidence must be stored in a department Y drive and provided to P&C.

(13) The documentation on the teacher file must be updated as follows:

  1. VET Teacher, Vocational Competency and Currency Mapping is updated:
    1. whenever the teacher is required to teach a new unit, or if a training package or accredited course is updated resulting in changes to unit codes, titles and/or content (note – new or updated units are added to the bottom of the list without deleting any of the existing records. Records from this table can only be deleted on instruction from the teacher’s Manager).
    2. whenever the teacher undertakes activities that help to keep their vocational skills and knowledge current. At a minimum this should be done once annually and when a new unit is being delivered.
      All activities undertaken by the teacher to maintain current skills and knowledge in their vocational area or as teachers/assessors must be recorded, and supporting evidence uploaded to the appropriate area in VU Develop.
    3. TAFE Teacher Form (Training and Assessment Currency) is updated whenever the teacher undertakes activities that help to keep their training and assessment skills and knowledge current. At a minimum this should be done annually and when a unit is updated.
  2. Teachers must check and update their documentation:
    1. annually or when new courses or teaching responsibilities are added;
    2. prior to any internal or external audit; and
    3. as directed by their manager or supervisor.
  3. Education Managers and Senior Leaders must ensure that an annual review of teacher files is conducted to ensure the currency, completion and electronic accessibility of all required documentation.

Part D - General and Specific VET Teacher Requirements

(14)  The Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth), (clause 1.14-1.15) state that teaching staff delivering VET programs must hold a:

  1. TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or its successor or
  2. TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment plus the following units:
    1. TAELLN411 (or its successor) or TAELLN401A, and
    2. TAEASS502 (or its successor) or TAEASS502A or TAEASS502B or
  3. diploma or higher level qualification in an approved adult education qualification.

    Note: The units completed within the diploma or higher level qualification need to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to train adults. An academic transcript, practicum report or certified statement of results for the qualification needs to be provided as evidence to demonstrate this. The qualification should be mapped by the Education Manager to ensure that it covers the content of the credentials listed in (a) and (b) above. Evidence of the mapping must be retained in the teacher’s P&C file.

(15) In addition to Part D, clause (14) above, The Standards for RTOs 2015, clause 1.13 require that all training and assessment must be delivered by those who have:

  1. vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered and assessed;
  2. current industry skills directly relevant to the training and assessment being provided;
  3. current knowledge and skills in vocational training and learning that informs their training and assessment;
  4. met any specific Training Package / licensing requirements;
  5. evidence of professional development activities to continuously develop and maintain currency of their vocational and teaching skills and knowledge;
  6. a current and satisfactory Employee Working With Children Check (WWCC) or be Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registered.

(16) Subject to Part E and Part F of this Procedure, as a condition of employment from 31 December 2019, TAFE requires all teachers, regardless of higher level qualifications, to hold the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or the TAE40110 qualification plus regulator required upgrade units – TAELLN411A or TAELLN411 and TASEASS502A or TAEASS502, or successor qualifications.

Part E - Teachers Working Under Supervision

(17) Under the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth), a VET teacher who does not hold the required training and assessment qualifications may work under the supervision of a qualified VET teacher if the requirements listed below are met. These requirements apply to the delivery of all training products except those from the TAE Training and Education Training Package (see Part F for requirements relating to the TAE training package). 

  1. Individuals working under supervision must have both:
    1. vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered;
    2. current relevant industry skills.
  2. These individuals must hold at least one of the following:
    1. TAESS00007 Enterprise Trainer—Presenting Skill Set;
    2. TAESS00014 Enterprise Trainer—Presenting Skill Set (or its successor);
    3. TAESS00008 Enterprise Trainer—Mentoring Skill Set;
    4. TAESS00013 Enterprise Trainer—Mentoring Skill Set (or its successor);
    5. TAESS00003 Enterprise Trainer and Assessor Skill Set;
    6. TAEASS00015 Enterprise Trainer and Assessor Skill Set (or its successor).

(18) The proposed supervised teacher must be formally supervised by an eligible teacher who has both the vocational competency and the required training and assessment qualifications as listed in Part D.

(19) The supervising teacher is responsible and accountable for the quality and compliance of the training conducted.

(20) The teacher being supervised must not conduct assessment. They may gather assessment evidence under an assessment process developed or approved by the supervising teacher, but may not make assessment judgements.

(21) The teacher being supervised and the supervising teacher must meet / communicate regularly throughout the training period and records of these meetings / communications must be documented on the TAFE VET Teacher Supervision agreement.

(22) At the conclusion of the training, the final version of the TAFE VET Teacher Supervision agreement must be printed and signed by both parties. This final copy must be placed on the supervised teacher’s file. 

Part F - Specialist Teaching Areas with Additional or Supplementary Qualifications or Experience Requirements

(23) Teachers delivering the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or any assessor skill set from the TAE Training Package are required to hold one of the following credentials, as listed in Schedule 1, item 7 of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth): 

  1. TAE50111 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training;
  2. TAE50116 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (or its successor);
  3. TAEA50211 Diploma of Training Design and Development;
  4. TAE50216 Diploma of Training Design and Development (or its successor);
  5. a higher level qualification in adult education.
or alternatively, a teacher can work under the supervision of a person that holds one of these credentials.  The requirements do not apply to delivery of TAE units of competency within qualifications or skill sets from other training packages or within accredited courses.

(24) Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) teachers are required to hold VIT registration:

  1. To obtain and maintain VIT registration a teacher must provide evidence of:
    1. relevant qualification, both in study area and in education;
    2. currency of knowledge in study area through structured professional development; and
    3. English language requirements.
  2. Where a teacher holds provisional VIT registration because they do not yet have sufficient teaching hours experience to meet VIT requirements, they are permitted to teach until they achieve the required hours for full registration. Provisionally registered teachers should apply for full registration as soon as they have met the eligibility requirements.
  3. Where a teacher has applied for VIT re-registration / registration, they may only teach if they are listed on the VIT Register of Teachers.
  4. In addition to the above, teachers must also hold a credential as listed in clause (9) of this Procedure.

(25) Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) teachers are required to hold:

  1. Teachers must hold a credential as listed in clause (9) of this Procedure
  2. For those VCAL teachers teaching VET units in the Industry Skills or Work Skills Strands, qualifications as described in Part D of this Procedure for VET teachers must also be met.

(26) Teachers engaged in teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL) Framework courses must hold:

  1. A recognised undergraduate degree and a post graduate TESOL qualification which includes a practicum* or
  2. A Bachelor of Education with a TESOL major or equivalent which includes a practicum*;

    *The practicum (included in Clauses 26 (a) and 26 (b) above) must include a minimum of 22 days supervised teaching practice with at least 60 hours of class observation and classroom teaching in TESOL.
  3. In addition to the above, teachers must hold a credential as listed in clause (9) of this Procedure as well as vocational competency and currency (as described in Part D of this Procedure) when delivering any units imported from a training package or accredited course.

(27) Those teaching in the Certificates in General Education for Adults framework must meet the following requirements:

  1. In the context of the delivery and assessment of the Core Skills Reading and Writing units, relevant vocational competencies refers to demonstrable expertise in teaching literacy. This can include holding an AQF level 7 or above teaching qualification with a relevant method. Where a teacher / assessor does not hold a formal relevant qualification they would need to demonstrate relevant knowledge of the theory of literacy development and its application. This can include adult literacy pedagogy and the socio-cultural factors affecting literacy learning, including language as a social and cultural phenomenon and the importance of context.
  2. In the context of the delivery and assessment of the Core Skills Numeracy and Mathematics units, relevant vocational competencies refer to demonstrable expertise in teaching numeracy. This can include holding an AQF level 7 or above teaching qualification with a relevant method. Where a teacher / assessor does not hold a formal relevant qualification, they would need to demonstrate knowledge of the theory of numeracy development and its application. This can include adult numeracy pedagogy and the importance of context.
  3. Teachers working within the Certificates in General Education for Adults, must also hold vocational competency (as described in Part D of this Procedure) when delivering any units imported from a training package or accredited course.
  4. Adult literacy and / or numeracy teachers must also hold a credential as listed in clause (9) of this Procedure.

(28) 22566VIC Certificate I in Work Education, 22481VIC Certificate II in Work Education and 22567VIC Certificate I in Transition Education (and their successors) teachers must have:

  1. demonstrable expertise in teaching in the special education field.

    This expertise can be demonstrated by either holding a formal qualification such as:
    1. Bachelor of Education with a Special Education specialisation area;
    2. Graduate Diploma in Special Education;
    3. Master’s degree which includes a Special Education specialisation such as:
      1. Master of Special Education;
      2. Master of Education (Special Education needs); OR
    4. Evidence of relevant knowledge of theories, methods and practices in teaching learners with a range of intellectual disabilities through a combination of activities such as:
      1. ongoing relevant professional development;
      2. engagement with disability teacher networks;
      3. peer review of teaching / third party report detailing performance;
      4. documented relevant teaching experience.
  2. Must hold a credential as listed in clause (9) of this Procedure; and
  3. Vocational competency (as described in Part D of this Procedure) when delivering any units imported from a training package or accredited course.