The Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification has become a monotonous carousel. Every six years, it undergoes an overhaul, spinning around the same curriculum, offering the same familiar content with minor tweaks. The changes have been fundamentally superficial. Trainers and assessors have felt trapped in a cycle of endless repetition, unable to break free from the real or implied compliance requirements to upgrade. The journey has become devoid of meaningful growth and development, reduced to a mere formality that trainers must endure rather than embrace.
Background
2004
The first Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification was released in 2004. This TAA40104 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification superseded the BSZ40198 Assessment and Workplace Training qualification.
2010
Six years later in 2010, the TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification superseded the TAA40104 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. The TAE40110 qualification required a total of 10 units:
- 7 core units, plus
- 3 elective units.
2016
And six years later in 2016, the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification superseded the TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. The TAE40116 qualification required a total of 10 units:
- 9 core units, plus
- 1 elective units.
Several strategic audits conducted by the national VET regulator prior to 2016 had identified that trainers and assessors lacked assessment related capability. Also, it had become apparent that many VET students had low level language, literacy and numeracy skills. The national VET regulator had demanded two units that were previously elective units to become core units for the TAE40116 qualification: TAEASS502 Design and develop assessment tools and TAELLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills.
2022
And again, six years later in 2022, the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification superseded the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. The TAE40122 qualification requires a total of 12 units:
- 6 core units, plus
- 6 elective units.
The developers of the TAE40122 qualification said that the previous TAE40116 qualification needed to have greater flexibility to meet the different needs within the VET sector. Two years after the release of the TAE40122 qualification, it has become apparent that this need for greater flexibility was untrue or overstated. Most RTOs delivering the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification have selected very similar elective units. There is a trend towards a fairly standardised TAE40122 training program.
You may ask yourself, did we really need to change the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualifications every six years over the past 20 years?
What has changed?
The following shows sample training programs for the previous two and the current Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualifications.
The TAE40122 qualification has two differences from its predecessors:
- Assessment capability, and
- Online learning and assessment capability.
Assessment capability
There is a reduced emphasis on developing assessment related capability. The unit relating to the design and development of assessment tools has been re-categorised as an elective unit. Most RTOs delivering the TAE40122 qualification are not selecting this elective unit because many TAE40116 participants found it difficult and time-consuming.
Also, the competency to plan assessment activities and processes has been integrated into the TAEASS412 Assess competence unit of competency.
Online learning and assessment capability
The capability to delivery online learning and conduct online assessment has been emphasised. Initially, this was because the Australian Government felt there was need to respond to the shift to online delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. The technology to deliver online training and conduct online assessment is relatively easy to learn and easy to use. And each RTO can use different technology.
A person who can deliver training should have the capability to deliver online training. Likewise, a person who can conduct assessment should have the capability to conduct online assessment. It is not that difficult to learn and use the technology.
Changes to the units
There has been changes to the units for the TAE40122 qualification relating to:
- Professional development plan
- Training capability
- Pre-assessment validation
- Unreal and duplicated content.
Professional development plan
The TAEPDD401 Work effectively in the VET sector unit has introduced the need to develop a professional development plan. Every trainer and assessor working for an RTO will need to develop a professional development plan. RTOs will have a template to be completed, usually on an annual basis. This is not a difficult administrative task to perform, and it didn’t warrant inclusion into a unit.
Training capability
The duration of training sessions to a group has been reduced from 40 minutes to 30 minutes. And the group size has been reduced from ‘at least 8 learners’ to ‘at least 4 learners’. This change is significantly more unrealistic compared to the actual competencies required as a trainer working for an RTO. This means that the TAE40122 graduate will have less proven training capability compared with their predecessors.
Pre-assessment validation
The TAEASS413 Participate in assessment validation unit has introduced the need to participate in pre-assessment valuations as well as participate in assessment valuations. This is unnecessary since a person who is competent at participating in assessment valuations will have the ability to participate in pre-assessment valuations. Also, participating in pre-assessment valuations is one of many unrealistic requirements that have been added to the TAE40122 qualification. It is highly unlikely that a trainer or assessor will be involved with pre-assessment valuations. It is much more likely that trainers or assessors will be given assessment tools to use, and they will not be expected to question if the assessment tools are valid.
Unreal and duplicated content
Content that is unrealistic has been added to the TAE40122 qualification. Also, content has been duplicated across many units making the training course unnecessarily repetitive for the TAE40122 participant. Awkward and complicated language has been created and used throughout many units. All these things are making the training far more complex and difficult to understand than it needs to be.
In conclusion
In this article, I have argued that the never-ending overhaul to the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification have been generally unnecessary. I have also raised some of the consequences associated with the creation of the TAE40122 qualification, such as:
- Training capability of the TAE40122 graduate is decreased compared with their predecessors
- Assessment capability of the TAE40122 graduate is decreased compared with their predecessors
- Poorly-written units that include unnecessary, unrealistic and duplicated content that has made training more complex and confusing for TAE40122 participants.
Is the solution another overhaul to the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification?
On Target Work Skills 