RPL stands for Recognition of Prior Learning which is essentially an assessment process that uses your already existing skills, knowledge and experience to achieve a formal qualification or units of competency in place of study.
RPL is a method of assessment that makes formal qualifications more accessible to people already in the workforce and building their careers.
How RPL Works
RPL works by using your existing knowledge to achieve the required credits in a formal qualification awarded by a Registered Training Organisation, or RTO (yes, more acronyms!).
Say for example you wanted to do a Certificate III in Carpentry – CPC30211 through an RTO but you didn’t have time to study plus you’re already working as a carpenter.
With RPL you gather evidence of your carpentry skills and then an assessor from the Registered Training Organisation assesses your evidence against the units of competency within the qualification.
Evidence of your skills and knowledge can be from previous formal learning or non-formal learning from on-the-job experience. The types of evidence you can use for RPL vary widely depending on the relevant qualification.
Some examples of evidence include photos of work, videos of you doing work, portfolios, samples of workplace documents, references from previous employers or managers, your resume and much more.
RPL can be used as an assessment process to qualify you for advanced standing to reduce the number of credits you have to study. If your evidence is sufficient and shows you have the skills and knowledge to satisfy to demonstrate your competency, you can achieve certification without having to take time off work.
What RPL means for your career
When it comes to your career RPL means you could get the qualifications you need to progress your career without having to take time out to study.
RPL can be particularly helpful if you need formal qualifications to take the next step in your existing workplace, get a new, higher-paying job or make a career change.
While having formal qualifications isn’t always necessary to enter the workforce they can play an essential role in helping you stand out from the competition and access job opportunities that require certification.
How to complete RPL
Skills Certified Australia provide expert RPL services in partnership with a range of Australia’s leading RTO’s. Our RPL facilitators support you every step of the way to understand the process, build your portfolio of evidence, submit your evidence and manage the liaison with your RTO assessor.
Does RPL sound like a good option for you and your career? Talk to our team at Skills Certified Australia on 13 17 75 or contact us online to get started.
