About 4 years ago I published an article titled, Technology and training: a case study in how to use training packages to meet learning needs of trainer.

I said in that I article:

“The world of work has an ever-increasing reliance on technology. And registered training organisations (RTOs) operating within Australia’s training system are not exempt from the impact of the digitised workplace.

The TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification covers the roles of individuals delivering training and assessment services in the vocational education and training (VET) sector. It is the entry-level and mandatory requirement for people seeking to work for an RTO.

From my experience, some people who aspire to become a trainer do not have the digital literacy skill to perform effectively at an RTO. This article is a case study in how a training package qualification can be used to deliver a structured approach for technology training for trainers.“

In that article, I went onto address:

• What technology skills do trainers need?
• How to develop the technology skills for an RTO trainer?

It has come the time to revise and update that article. I had proposed that the BSB30115 Certificate III in Business qualification could be customised to develop the required technology skills for trainers and assessors. This qualification is no longer available.

What qualification could be used?

The ICT20120 Certificate II in Applied Digital Technologies qualification was released during January 2021. It could be used to deliver structured and nationally recognised training to develop the required technology skills for trainers and assessors.

Qualification packaging rules

The following are the packaging rules for the ICT20120 Certificate II in Applied Digital Technologies qualification.

Total number of units = 12

6 core units  plus

6 elective units , of which:

• at least 3 must be from Group A
• of the remaining electives:
  • all may be from the electives listed below
  • up to 2 may be from elsewhere in this or any other currently endorsed training package qualification or accredited course at AQF Level 1, 2 or 3.

Elective units must be relevant to the work environment and the qualification, maintain the overall integrity of the AQF alignment, not duplicate the outcome of another unit chosen for the qualification, and contribute to a valid industry-supported vocational outcome.

Selection of elective units

The following is an example of a ICT20120 Certificate II in Applied Digital Technologies qualification that can be used to develop the required technology skills for trainers and assessors. Only electives from the ‘Group A’ list have been selected.

The following matrix shows the connection between units of competency and technology (hardware and software).

And the following matrix show the connection between the ICT20120 and TAE40116 qualifications (core units only).

The ICT20120 Certificate II in Applied Digital Technologies qualification can be delivered before or alongside the delivery of the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification.

In conclusion

Trainers and assessors need technology skills to perform their work effectively and efficiently. And some people starting their TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification do not have the necessary technology skills to be assessed as a competent trainer or assessor.

In this article, I have shown how to use training packages to meet a particular learning need of trainers and assessors. I have used the ICT20120 Certificate II in Applied Digital Technologies qualification to address the development of the required technology skills for trainers and assessors.

If a full qualification is too much, then a select set of units could be considered. For example:

• BSBTEC301 Design and produce business documents
• BSBTEC303 Create electronic presentations

And a pre-training review of a person’s technology skills should be conducted prior to their enrolment. The aim to to identify learners who have insufficient technology skills and consequently will struggle throughout the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment training program. It may be best for them to develop their technology skills first.