TAEDEL311 Provide work skill instruction

The TAEDEL311 Provide work skill instruction unit of competency is an elective unit for the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. And it is highly likely that this unit will be selected as an elective unit.

This article outlines and clarifies the TAEDEL311 unit.

Please remember to comment or give feedback after you have read this article.

Understanding the terminology

I have found that the TAEDEL311 Provide work skill instruction unit of competency has used clumsy terminology. It uses terminology that wouldn’t be used in the workplace. I have never heard someone in the workplace say that they are going to ‘provide work skill instruction’. It would be common for someone to say that they are going to ‘deliver training’.

Therefore, the very first thing we need to do is understand the terminology used in the TAEDEL311 Provide work skill instruction unit.

• What is instruction?
• What is a work skills?

What is instruction?

To understand the TAEDEL311 unit of competency, we need to understand what is meant by ‘instruction’. Instruction and training are often used interchangeably. Therefore, we can replace the word ‘instruction’ with ‘training’.

The application statement for the TAEDEL311 unit infers that it is about conducting training for an individual and small groups. The size of the small group could be two or three learners. I would suggest that a small group is no more than four learners. The group dynamics tend to change with five or more learners, and it increases the opportunity for individuals to avoid participating.

The TAEDEL411 Provide vocational training unit of competency covers the delivery of training to groups of at least four learners. This is a relatively small group size for most TAFE teachers and trainers who work for an RTO.

What is a work skill?

A skill is the ability to do something. Therefore, a work skill is the ability to do something at work.

In the Australian VET system, there are two prime domains of learning: knowledge and skills. The title of the TAEDEL311 unit focuses us on conducting skills training, rather than knowledge training. In others words, the training is to help a person learn how to perform a work skill or work task. It is not about helping someone learn some knowledge.

The following illustrates the relationship between knowledge, skill, and the performance of a work task.

What is the difference between a work skill and a work task?

A work skill is a specific ability that is required to perform a particular job or task effectively. It can be a technical skill or a foundation skill, such as:

• Use a chainsaw
• Speak with others.

A work task, on the other hand, refers to a specific activity that needs to be completed as part of a job or project. It can be a one-time task or a recurring responsibility, and it may require the use of one or more work skills to accomplish it. Here are some examples of a work task:

• Cut down a tree (using a chainsaw)
• Present product features and benefits to a customer.

In summary, work skills are the abilities that are needed to perform work tasks effectively, while work tasks are the specific activities that need to be completed as part of a job or project.

Translating the TAEDEL311 unit

Also, the elements and performance criteria for TAEDEL311 Provide work skill instruction unit of competency uses terminology that require translating in a way that reflects how people speak in the real workplace.

The following table shows the elements of competency compared with my description of the task relating to training to an individual or a small group.

My description of the task uses simple and common language that would typically be used in a workplace. It should be noted that the context for ‘training’ is about helping people to learn to perform work skills or work tasks, and this training is likely to be short duration (one or a small number of training sessions).

The following flowchart illustrates the description of the training process or task.

And the following matrix shows how my description of the training process can be mapped to the performance criteria for the TAEDEL311 unit.

Unpacking the TAEDEL311 unit

The required knowledge for the TAEDEL311 unit is specified by the Knowledge Evidence. And the required skills for the TAEDEL311 unit are specified by the Foundation Skills. If you are studying for your TAE40122 qualification, and you don’t yet know what Knowledge Evidence and Foundation Skills are, you will find out about these things later in your studies.

Required knowledge for the TAEDEL311 unit

The following required knowledge is specified by the TAEDEL311 unit:

• Organisational procedures for gathering feedback from learners on work skill instruction [KE1]
• Learner characteristics and needs [KE2]
• Information included in a plan for work skill instruction: [KE3]
  • Session plan, consisting of session objectives, content to be covered, and delivery approach to be used
  • Task breakdown
  • Timing
• Sources, availability and content of suitable support materials [KE4]
• Training facilitation and coaching techniques to support adult learning relevant to work skill instruction, and when to use them [KE5]
• Overview of adult learning principles and their application to work skill instruction [KE6]
• Key steps for practising self-reflection on own work skill instruction to identify opportunities for improvement [KE7]
• Sources of assistance relating to contextualising support materials to the workplace [KE8]
• Work health and safety (WHS) issues in the learning environment, including: [KE9]
  • Roles and responsibilities of key personnel
  • Responsibilities of learners
  • WHS policies and procedures, including those relating to hazard and risk identification, and safe use of equipment and emergency procedures
  • Risk controls for the specific learning environment.

Required skills for the TAEDEL311 unit

The following required skills are specified by the TAEDEL311 unit:

• Reading: Sources and interprets processes and procedures, support materials, and information relevant to providing work instruction [FS1]
• Writing: Completes required workplace documentation using appropriate language and format [FS2]
• Oral communication: Uses communication techniques to build rapport, monitor progress and provide feedback to learners [FS3]
• Numeracy: Interprets and uses scheduling and sequencing information, and estimates time [FS4]
• Initiative and enterprise: Asks questions to clarify understanding, and to provide and seek feedback [FS5]
• Initiative and enterprise: Identifies and responds to potential risks, problems and opportunities for improvement and considers options for different approaches [FS6]
• Planning and organising: Organises and completes work according to defined requirements, taking responsibility for some decisions and sequencing tasks to achieve efficient outcomes [FS7]
• Teamwork: Builds rapport and establishes productive working relationships to achieve learning outcomes [FS8]

Deconstruction followed by reconstruction

Units of competency deconstruct the knowledge and skills required to perform a work task. We are given two separate lists:

• Required knowledge are listed as Knowledge Evidence
• Required skills are listed as Foundation Skills.

But, we need a way to reconstruct the separated parts to have a complete and coherent understanding of the unit of competency.

The following tables shows how the required knowledge and skills can be mapped to each performance criteria for the TAEDEL311 unit.

And the following table shows how the required knowledge and skills can be mapped against my description of task to help people to learn to perform work skills or work tasks.

In conclusion

The TAEDEL311 Provide work skill instruction unit of competency can be described as a 4-step training process:

• Step 1. Plan the training
• Step 2. Organise the training
• Step 3. Deliver the training
• Step 4. Evaluate the training.

Keep coming back to this article if the provision of work-based training is of interest to you because I will be linking more information relating to each of the four steps, the required knowledge and the required skills. At the time of the initial publication of this article, I have only linked information about ‘Task breakdown‘. More links will be added.

Do you need help with your TAE studies?

Are you a doing the TAE40116 or TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and are you struggling with your studies? Do you want help with your TAE studies?

Ring Alan Maguire on 0493 065 396 to discuss.

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