The TAELLN421 Integrate core skills support into training and assessment unit of competency can be difficult to read and understand because of the jargon it uses.

This unit has four elements:

Identify core skill demands
Identify learner and candidate core skill needs
Integrate core skill support
Review effectiveness of integrated core skill support.

Just looking at the elements of competency, there are a few questions raised:

What is a core skill?
What are core skill demands?
What is the difference between a learner and candidate?
What is core skills support?
What is meant by integrated core skill support?

What is a core skill?

There are five core skills in the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF):

Learning
Reading
Writing
Oral communication
Numeracy.

What are core skill demands?

I will use the word ‘requirement’ instead of the word ‘demand’. The following is an example of questions we can ask to help us determine the reading skill requirements:

What level of reading skill is required to perform a work task?
What level of reading skill is required to participate in the training and assessment?
What level of reading skill is required to use the training and assessment materials?

And ask the same questions for the other four core skills.

We use the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) to determine the level of skill required.

What is the difference between a learner and candidate?

A learner is a person we provide training to. A candidate is a person we assess. Often, the learner and the candidate are the same person.

What is core skills support?

We can support the development of a person’s core skills by using training strategies and learning resources designed. For example:

We could allow more time for the person to learn the content
We could provide support sessions for the individual learner
We could use learning resources based on images and diagrams to help the person learn the content.

Also, we can use assessment strategies appropriate for the person being assessed. For example, we could use oral questioning instead of written questioning to gather knowledge evidence if the person has low level of reading and writing skills.

What is meant by integrated core skill support?

We need to address the development of the core skill at the same time as helping the person learn how to perform the work skills. For example, we can help a person develop their reading skill by helping them learn to read a relevant workplace procedure.

Also, ‘integrated core skill support’ means incorporating strategies and resources when we deliver training and conduct assessment. In other words, no doing something separately.

How do we integrate core skills support into training and assessment?

I have unpacked the elements, performance criteria and performance evidence to create the following 4-part process that gives greater clarity to the TAE Student about what they need to do.

Assessment requirements for the TAELLN421 unit

Knowledge evidence

An assessment task will be required to gather the specified Knowledge Evidence. A TAE Student must demonstrate they have the following knowledge:

Core skill levels of the Australian adult population, and of VET learners
Australian Core Skills Framework and Digital Literacy Skills Framework
Impact of core skills on a person’s capability to participate in work and in training and assessment, and the implications for design and delivery of vocational training and assessment
Overview of core skill demands in the workplace that relate to the nationally recognised training products
VET regulatory requirements relating to integrating core skills support into training and assessment
RTO procedures relating to integrating core skills support into training and assessment
Benefits of integrating vocational and core skill training for all individuals
How to identify core skills in nationally recognised training products, workplace tasks and texts, etc.
Responsibilities and limitations of own job and practice in relation to providing core skills support in training and assessment.

Performance evidence

The Performance Evidence for the TAELLN421 Integrate core skills support into training and assessment unit of competency is reasonably complex. This complexity may mean that the assessment task or tasks will be complex.

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