FEATURE ARTICLE (Issue 6)

Des Caulfield, the Executive Officer of the National Mining ITAB to the 10th General Meeting, presented the following address.

The purpose of this paper is to provide you with an outline of the extractive Industries Training Package, the current review process it is undergoing, and to help you identify how your organisation can participate in that review process.

BACKGROUND

What is a Training Package ?

Industry Training Packages consist of three nationally endorsed components, these being:

• Competency Standards
• Assessment Guidelines
• Qualifications

These three components are the essential components and there can also be support materials, including: training resources, assessment resources and professional development guidance.

History of the Extractive Industries Training Package?

The Extractive Industries Training Package was developed in consultation with the industry in 1997 and 1998 and endorsed by the Australian National Training Authority in mid 1998.  All Training Packages are endorsed for a period of three (3)years, after which they have to be reviewed and re-endorsed. Phase 1 of the review of The Extractive Industries Training Package was carried out in 2001 and we are now undertaking Phase 2, which is the revision of the three endorsed components.

COMPETENCY STANDARDS

What are Competency Standards?

Competency standards document the knowledge and skills and the application of that knowledge and skill to the standard required to perform a specific job function in the workplace.  They include:

• Elements  (these describe the outcomes that contribute to the unit);
• Performance Criteria (these specify the required level of performance of each element);
• Range Statement [this outlines the range of contexts and conditions to which the performance criteria apply]; and
• Evidence Guidelines  [these assist with interpretation and assessment of the unit and includes: critical aspects of evidence, underpinning knowledge and skill].

What are Competency Standards used for?

They can be used to describe the requirements for a specific job function, [for example, in an enterprise agreement]; provide guidance for the training of individuals; but most importantly, they prescribe what should be assessed to ensure a persons competence in that job function.

What did the Phase 1 of the review find?

The first phase of this review found that the Extractive Industries Competency Standards:

• Lack of plain English;
• Lack of language, literacy and numeracy requirements;
• Have poor evidence guides and range of variables;
• That new units are required, and that:
• There is overlap of some units.

What are we doing about these recommendations?

The consultant team is redrafting the existing units, drawing new units and identifying units that could be imported.  Industry and training providers will then be consulted to develop and validate the redrafted and new units and validate the proposed imported units.

How can your organisation participate?

Your organisation can participate in the development and validation of the competency standards by providing individuals to review a single competency, or more. Participants could include :

• Subject matter experts
• Assessors
• Training Co-ordinators
• Union Representatives

ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES

What are Assessment Guidelines?

The Assessment Guidelines set out the requirements for the conduct and management of assessment to ensure that assessment activities are consistent with the Australian Quality Training Framework Standards.  They are the quality assurance guidelines for assessment.

What do they contain ?

The Extractive Industries Assessment Guidelines contain the following:

• An overview of the assessment system,
• The qualification and experience requirements for assessors in the Mining Industry;
• Guidance on the designing assessment resources,
• Guidance on the conducting of assessment, and
• A listing of further sources of guidance on assessment

Why are we reviewing them?

The Australian National Training Authority has made a number of changes to the assessment system and industry has expressed concerns about the consistency of assessment.

What are we doing to the Assessment Guidelines?

The consultant team is drafting new Assessment Guidelines incorporating the new ANTA requirements, while retaining the mining industry context for assessment.  These draft guidelines will be validated and amended in consultation with industry and training providers.  The key areas requiring industry and training provider input are the :

• Assessors’ requirements,
• Designing assessment resources, and
• Conducting of assessment.

How can you organisation participate?

Your organisation can participate in the development and validation of the Assessment Guidelines by providing individuals to review the draft Assessment Guidelines.  These participants could include:

• Senior Managers
• HR or IR Managers
• Senior training personnel
• Regulatory representatives
• Union representatives
• Supervisors
• Plant and Machinery Operators

QUALIFICATIONS

What qualifications does the Training Package include?

The Extractive Industries Training Package includes the following qualifications:

• Certificate II in Extractive Industries (Operator)
• Certificate III in Extractive Industries (Operator)
• Certificate IV in Extractive Industries Operations
• Diploma of Extractive Industries Management
• Advanced Diploma of Extractive Industries Management

How are they structured?

The Extractive Industries qualifications all have core [or mandatory] units and elective units, with the Certificate II nested in Certificate III, [that is the certificate II units form part of the Certificate III] and the Diploma is a prerequisite for the Advanced Diploma.

What are they used for?

The Extractive Industries qualifications serve the following purposes :

• In some states, the Certificate IV and Diploma are the basis of licensing of site managers,
• They are used as the basis for state funding of training,
• They provide individuals with a recognition of achievement, and
• They should reflect worksite needs.

What did Phase 1 of the review find?

The first phase of the review of the Extractive Industries Training Package found that its qualifications:

• Lack of flexibility, and
• Lack the opportunity to import units

What are we doing about it?

The consultant team is redrafting the qualification structures, incorporating addressing these recommendations.   These draft qualification structures will then be validated and amended in consultation with industry.

How can you participate?

Your organisation can participate in the development and validation of the Qualifications by providing individuals to review the redrafted structures.  These could include:

• Senior Managers
• HR or IR Managers
• Senior training personnel.
• Regulatory representatives
• Union representatives
• Supervisors
• Plant and Machinery Operators

CONCLUSION

This is the industry’s Training Package, it should reflect industry’s’ needs.  Your participation in the review process will ensure your needs are considered.   You may have concerns that have not already been identified.  They can be raised and addressed during this phase of the review.

You are invited to register your interest in participating in this review by completing and forwarding a ‘Request for Training Materials.’ Both this request and a list of ‘Units of Competency are available for your reference from the CMPA Secretary.’

Other Forum Speakers included:

Paul Kennett (Engineering Skills Training Board [Vic.] Inc) representing the Victorian ITAB, explained that the Board’s role is to identify needs for training in this state, and provides the State Government with advice in this regard. Based on this advice, the government allocates funds for the Board to negotiate with the TAFE Colleges for the provision of suitable training. Paul advised that the Government allocates around $400 million per annum in total for training, of which $3-4 million is allocated to the mining, engineering and manufacturing sectors. In the last financial year $230,000 was allocated to subsidise training for the quarrying sector through Box Hill Institute TAFE.

Kevin Bannan representing the private training provider BisIsUs Pty Ltd, advised that training goals could be achieved through the CMPA becoming a registered training organisation, which then engages a private provider.

David Gaulke was introduced as the new manager for the Extractive Industry Department at Box Hill TAFE. David replaces the long serving Larry Arnost who has decided to retire later in the year. As an aside we offer sincere thanks to Larry for his enormous contribution to our industry sector, and wish him well as his time for retirement approaches.

David advised that he was present to meet and discuss all aspects of the proposed training package with those present. He hoped to learn of specific areas in which the present course may not meet current industry needs, and also to improve his understanding from one on one discussion on how a future course could be improved.

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