Training Packages

This webpage has been written for people who are new to the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system. There is so many terms and acronyms to learn. It is like learning a new language.

You should be fluent at ‘VET speak’ by the time you have completed your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. However, it is best to avoid using this language when speaking to the people that you train and assess. You need to learn ‘VET speak’, but they don’t. When speaking with our students and learners, it is important for us to use plain English. We need to be a translator.

This webpage covers:

What is a Training Package?
Where do we find Training Packages?
How many Training Packages are there?
How big is a Training Package?

What is a Training Package?

Training Packages are a key feature of Australia’s national vocational education and training (VET) system.

Some people who are new to the Australian VET system can get confused by the term, Training Packages, because it is a misnomer. Training Packages do not provide information about how a learner should be trained, rather, they specify the skills and knowledge required to safely and effectively perform work.

Training Packages do not specify or describe training. Training Packages are a specification of the expected knowledge, skills and performance after training has occurred.

Each Training Package is made up of endorsed and non-endorsed components. The four endorsed components are:

Units of competency
Assessment requirements
Qualifications framework
Credit arrangements.

For more information, refer to the following articles:

What are the endorsed components of a Training Package?
What are the non-endorsed components of a Training Package?

Where do we find Training Packages?

Training Packages are publicly and freely available from the National Register of VET (training.gov.au website).

How many Training Packages are there?

A search on the training.gov.au website on the 18th of August 2023 provided a list of 54 current Training Packages. Each Training Package covers the requirements for an industry sector.

How big is a Training Package?

Many Training Packages are documents that have 4000 or more pages. The number of pages is determined by the number of qualifications, skill sets and units of competency.

There are some small Training Packages and there are some big Training Packages.

The following table shows the number of qualifications for three different sized Training Packages.

Training Package qualifications are occupational skills standards against which training delivery and assessment of competency can take place. They are developed through a process of national consultation with industry.

Who develops Training Packages?

As from the 1 st of January 2023, Training Packages are developed by Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) to meet the training needs of industry.

Between 2016 and 2022, the Training Packages were developed by Service Skills Organisations (SSOs), between 2003 and 2016 the Training Packages were developed by Industry Skills Councils, and between 1997 and 2002 the Training Packages were developed by National Industry Training. [1]

If you want more information about Training Package development, I have written an article that describes how Training Packages are developed and endorsed.

Reference

[1] https://www.voced.edu.au/vet-knowledge-bank-history-vet-milestones accessed 17 August 2023

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 TAE40116 or TAE40122 studies?