Skills Recognition (RPL)

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Overview

The Registered Training Organisation (RTO) must recognise the AQF qualifications and Statements of Attainment issued by any other RTO. Under competency based training, the focus is with learners demonstrating competency by the physical 'doing' and/or by evidence that confirm the 'doing'. Evidence is anything that supports a claim by the candidate that they are competent, or a demonstration of competence based on a recognised standard, learning outcome and/or performance under certain conditions.

• Recognition of Prior Learning = Evidence of Certificates and/or Statement of Attainments of training undertaken at a Registered Training Organisation, School or TAFE.
• Recognition of Current Competencies = Evidence of workplace experience and/or sport and recreational activities and achievements.
• Best practice is a term used to describe how you, a master, manager or company views health, safety and risk management. To ensure we, and those around us, remain safe, we learn the basic boating skills, complete crew drills monthly, have local knowledge and keep abreast of changes to rules and regulations, this is called best practice. Skippers, management and owner's up-date; cross skill; or up-skill their knowledge regularly, this is called Recognition of Current Competency.
• Do not assume we can issue a certificate in the new training package (TDM07) when your previous training is in TDM01. In this case older units of training cannot be transferred, therefore we will only produce a statement of attainment for the elements and units booked and paid for.

• Identification
• Passport pictures
• Apply First Aid or still valid Senior First Aid
• Marine Radio Operators Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP)
• TDM07 (Transport & Distribution Maritime Operations or Marine Engine Driving 2007) Academic records of training )
• Certificates of Competency issued by Maritime Authority
• Fight and extinguish a fire (within 5 years)

• TDM01 units 2001-2007, and aged 816 TAFE units, or other evidence issued by a recognised training provider
• Training evidence issued by an internationally recognised training provider including STCW95.
• STCW95 issued locally. May not be recognised by Australian regulators, however partial or full recognition may be offered with date and origin of the evidence assessed
• Certificates of Competency issued by Maritime Authority, without the evidence of the required completed training units with a recognised training provider
• Yachmasters evidence, inshore, offshore RYA, YA, UKSA, MCA, other
• Government employees such as Maritime authorities staff , Navy/Armed forces, Fire Brigade, Police, Environmental, other

• Certificate I TDM10101 – General Purpose Hand
• Certificate II TDM20101 – Coxswain
• Certificate II TDM20201 – Marine Engine Driver Grade III
• Certificate III TDM30101 - Master V
• Senior First Aid

You will be entitled to 'credit transfer' for some units and a partial credit for others.

• Certificate I TDM10107 (Maritime Operations) – General Purpose Hand
• Certificate II TDM20307 (Coastal Maritime Operations – Coxswain)
• Certificate II TDM20207 (Marine Engine Driver – Grade 3)
• Certificate III TDM30407 (Coastal Maritime Operations – Master Class 5)
• Apply First Aid

• To explain, the nationally recognised maritime training course was updated in 2007, and implemented nationally in 2008. Today, the TDM07 Maritime Training Package is under review and soon to be updated again. Prior learning in the TDM01 Maritime Training Package even though successfully completed is not always recognised.
• The job skills and knowledge required for the industry must be updated and relevant. Professional crew must be retrained or up-skilled to the new safety and operational competencies. This can be done in 2 ways:
• If your previous training is aged, you will be required to show sound knowledge and practical skills by either
  1. Skills recognition: provide evidence of theoretical knowledge and practical skills
  2. Update your skills with revision training, and by doing so, SEA SCHOOL can issue a certificate for the full qualification in the new training package. You can attend a current course or part of the course within Deckhand, Coxswain, Marine Engine Driver or Master Class 5.
  3. Attend assessment only challenges for both theory and practical, during a current course schedule or 'private training' as an individual. You will be required to complete tests, tasks and challenges to update your knowledge from the TDM01 (2001) Maritime Training Package to the TDM07 (2007) Maritime Training Package
  4. Enrol in the full course, at SEA SCHOOL, workplace or private training
  5. If you do not update the units of training, SEA SCHOOL will provide only a statement of attainment for the units booked and paid for, often called bridging units successfully completed, without updating past skills learnt.

Sound Knowledge and Practical Skills

• Do you have experience?
• Is this experience nominal or vast?
• Can you prove it with documented evidence from a recognised training provider or employer?
• Can you prove it with competence?
• Can you demonstrate current knowledge of the subject or subjects and the practical skills to the assessor? If your recognition application is accepted you need to attend the 'bridging units' for the next course in your career pathway.

All crew must 'keep a sharp lookout' and have a situation awareness of risks such as collision, personal injury and safety of crew and passengers. The following competencies are either recommended and/or compulsory.

Every deckhand should complete a 'basic boating' course, such as a BOAT LICENCE course where you receive step by step instruction on the rules and learn how to drive a boat. So too, a General Purpose Hand must have a boat licence to operate a tender or tinny to transport goods or guests to shore. NSW Maritime requires three (3) steps to achieve a boat licence. At SEA SCHOOL these three steps will cost $210, and include

• compulsory safe boating course $70,
• a review of what we have just learnt, and the compulsory knowledge test $30,
• practical boat handling and experience, in a small group $110.

You must have sound knowledge of line handling and throwing, several knots, splicing, and name the parts of a vessel. Any student who has not attended a recent SEA SCHOOL GPH course will need to successfully complete a number of practical tasks to ensure you have the skills to tie knots and handle lines on practical manoeuvre days. This can be achieved by attending Day 2 of the GPH training course, $220

Did you know the distance off rules changed in March 2009? Are you aware of the channels for water taxis to enter Circular Quay? Do you know the domestic regulations in regard to Survey requirements and plying limits? Every Coxswain and Master 5 must have sound knowledge of IALA, Collision Regulations, Lights, Sounds, Shapes and Domestic Regulations to successfully pass the NSW Maritime oral assessment, and ensure you have the competence to operate a commercial vessel on practical manoeuvre days on busy Sydney Harbour. Any student who has not attended a recent SEA SCHOOL Coxswain course must provide:

• recognition evidence and/or demonstrate sound knowledge of IALA, collision regulations, buoyage, lights, sounds shapes and domestic regulations, or
• attend 2 days of IALA and domestic regulations within Coxswain course (Week 2) $440

You must have sound knowledge of Navigation, Variation, Deviation, Bearings, Set and Drift to successfully pass the SEA SCHOOL and NSW Maritime oral assessment. Any student who has not attended a recent SEA SCHOOL Coxswain Navigation Course must provide:

• recognition evidence and/or demonstrate sound knowledge of Navigation, Voyage Planning, Variation, Deviation, Calculations, Bearings, Set, or
• attend 3 days of Navigation and Assessment within Coxswain course $660 (Week 2) before attending the Master 5 course, or if some knowledge provided/demonstrated attend 2 days $440.

• If you are seeking Recognition and intend participating in an upcoming face-to-face course then you should submit your RPL evidence at least five (5) working days prior to the commencement of that course.
• It is also recommended that you photocopy your entire RPL application before mailing it to us in case it is not received by SEA SCHOOL; or visit the Training Centre and we can photocopy your documents to your file. Be aware that your submission and any inclusions cannot be returned to you. Consequently, please send verified copies of originals rather than any original documents.
• The cost of recognition is usually 50% of the course or bridging course cost.

1. Required reading of this RPL document
2. Work on providing evidence of previous training (formal)
3. Work on preparing a resume of your work experience (informal)
4. Prepare the enrolment form, and Skills Recognition RPL application form
5. Arrange and appointment with a Training Officer to submit
   1. Enrolment form
   2. RPL form
   3. Evidence and resume
   or submit these documents by mail to SEA SCHOOL, PO Box 1570 Rozelle NSW 2039
6. Sea School assessor is notified of your application and makes contact with you and discuss the progress of your application, and answer any questions you may have
7. Cost is discussed with candidate, usually 50% of the full course cost, and includes:
8. cost of assessing the submitted Skills Recognition (RPL) documents
9. cost of issuing the Qualification/s or Statements of Attainment
10. Further evidence is requested, and this additional evidence is validated and documents approved
11. After the assessment, the Training Officer will give you information about the skills that have or have not been recognised for a course credit.

Further evidence is requested, and if this additional evidence is not approved, or supplied, or available you have skill gaps, these can be addressed through flexible SEA SCHOOL options, including face-to-face study in a classroom or individual challenges and tests.

12. Options for remaining gaps in evidence discussed, as follows
    1. Attend assessment day or days (part of a normal course schedule, in a group)
    2. Attend practical assessment day or days (part of a normal course schedule, in a group)
    3. Attend a competency interview as an individual. Complete challenge tests in the form of written assessments, worksheets to be completed and multiple choice question papers. This may also include the assessment of your practical skills and knowledge and competencies demonstrated to the assessor.
13. To discuss are the various options, issues and costs to complete the gaps in your training, and may include
    1. Your Recognition application
    2. Issue of the Qualifications or Statements of Attainment/s
    3. SEA SCHOOL handbooks and/or reference books required
    4. Attending a course on specific training day/s to suit your individual gaps in training
    5. Attending the full course, at a discounted rate so that both your individual gaps in training are completed and attend the rest of the full course as a 'revision'.
    6. Cost of attending the full course, should your evidence not be sufficient

Skills Recognition Application (RPL Form)

If you have prior learning or work experience and are enrolling in a SEA SCHOOL course, we recommend you also lodge a skills recognition form to formally apply for course credits where eligible. For example: Marine Radio, First Aid and units within the Maritime Training Package.

To do so, you may use our Interactive Skills Recognition Form. Alternatively you may contact us to discuss your application or to arrange an appointment with a training officer.

Skills Recognition FAQ

Aged or old units of training, even successfully completed, will not or may not be suitable. New maritime training requirements were implemented nationally in 2007. You will be required to lodge a Skills Recognition Application form. If not successful, either (1) re-sit the course (2) attend a revision course (3) complete a number of challenges to update your training to the new maritime training package TDM07 (Transport & Distribution Maritime 2007).

Well done, you may be able to fast-track your training and the certificates required, or there may be a requirement to up-skill to the current maritime training requirements. You can talk to a SEA SCHOOL Training Officer by phone or email, or visit the Training Centre by appointment. Please provide your contact phone number on your email query, so that your questions can be quickly answered, rather than multiple return emails.

You're ahead of the rest! You can fast-track your training and the certificates required, or up-skill to the current maritime training requirements. A Coxswain requires added fire and engineering units; and a Master Class 5 requires domestic regulations, stability and operational training. You can talk to a SEA SCHOOL Training Officer by phone or email, or visit the Training Centre by appointment. Please provide your contact phone number on your email query, so that your questions can be quickly answered, rather than multiple return emails.

If you are applying for a new Certificate of the same grade, and it is within 12 months of the date of cancellation of the previous Certificate, you do not need to complete an approved course or pass a NSW Maritime assessment. In addition you are only required to meet the sea service required for revalidation of that grade of Certificate.

Evidence needs to be provided in a range of ways to ensure that it is valid, authentic and sufficient. Because of these reasons, evidence needs to be provided in both documented and observed (by either the assessor or other qualified third parties) forms and included in your submission. This is why Skills Recognition (RPL) cannot be granted from a phone conversation alone.

• Evidence that is authentic, genuine and current
• Evidence that will align to the specific requirements of each unit of competency
• Essential skills and essential knowledge mapped to the performance criteria

Some clients are able to provide all of the evidence required. Others may need to provide different forms of evidence and in some instances undergo updated or gap training. SEA SCHOOL recommends that only people with relevant industry experience in the competency fields apply for RPL. If you decide that it will not be possible or time-efficient for you to submit the evidence required to support Skills Recognition then please contact SEA SCHOOL on 1300 666 416 and we will make arrangements for you to enrol and complete a course.

Payment is not required until after the assessor finalises your RPL assessment. After payment is received we may suggest you update your skills which would incur a 50% of the course cost. Statements of Attainment indicating partial completion, or the full qualification and Certificate will be mailed to you.

Yes, and at the same time the following will be the basis for your Maritime application for a certificate of competency:

• Skills Recognition pathway
  A "skills recognition" pathway is based on compilation of evidence. The process is designed for experienced crew. You may be eligible for some, but not all, of the units that make up the qualification. You may also demonstrate a mix of practical competence with the requirements of in-class learning.
• Document Evidence
  Gather evidence of past training and courses particularly in the maritime or associated industries. We are looking for a sound knowledge of shipboard operations, safety and emergency response. Collect TAFE records, formal training or in-house training, records of service books, letters from employers, crew manifests, logs, diaries, and letters from clients in related industries or government agencies, pay slips or other relevant documents.
• Preparation takes time
  We appreciate that evidence gathering takes some time. However, it is in your interests to get things organised as quickly as possible. Look for academic records and workplace training documents that meet the requirements for multiple units of competency.
• Authenticity
  Is the evidence you are submitting your work? Third party letters may be needed to support your application.
• Recent evidence is preferred
  The assessor is looking for currency of competence so use recent academic records. Today TAFE is required to download and make this information quickly available to the student. You can also offer work experience or voyages as evidence. As a rule of thumb, evidence from the last two years is preferable. Do not go back more than five years. The training and experience must cover the 'current' content (TDM07) of all unit/s or qualification/s you can be recognised for.
• Work Experience
  In addition, you may have other maritime skills that can be used to get skills recognition and partial certificate: such as helm duties, watch-keeping, boat building, shipwright or an owner of a commercial or recreational vessel.
• Be prepared to talk about the vessels you have worked on. Write down your work history, job roles and experiences as a professional crew member. A resume or notes about where you have worked, paid or unpaid.
• Are you in a workplace that is supporting your goal to get qualified? Would you feel comfortable to have the assessor contact your workplace or previous workplaces so your skills can be validated?
• Think about who can confirm your skill level. Think about current or recent vessel owners or senior crew who have seen you work in the past 18 months and will be able to confirm your skills. The assessor may need to contact them. You may also have community contacts or even clients themselves who can vouch for your skill level.