RPL, or Recognition of Prior Learning, is a process for getting formal recognition for the skills and knowledge you’ve already picked up in your past, like:
- Life experiences
- Previous formal learning
- Employment
- Recreational or personal interests
If you’re a legend and have picked up heaps of knowledge and skills already, you could be in for some RPL credits for some or all of your planned studies.
Steps in the RPL Process
As with all government regulations, it has to be done right, so we’ll give you the steps in the process.
- As the student, you need to let us know you want to use your RPL when you enrol, later is too late.
- Got a certificate for it? Make sure to send us a copy, any qualification or competencies need to be presented for assessment at enrolment, later is too late.
- Our crew will send you a list of the evidence that is required. You’ll be given the full curriculum so you can check what you need to learn and what you want to apply to have assessed under RPL.
- You’ll get 2 weeks before starting a course to gather all the information for the RPL assessment. This information and proof/evidence is sent to Zero Harm Safety & Training’s Principal Consultant along with an RPL Application Form (ZHST-RTO-0085).
- Zero Harm Safety & Training Principal Consultant and Training Consultant will then check out your experience and qualifications and how they stack up against the learning outcomes/competencies of the course.
- If your claims match the learning outcomes/competencies then full recognition is granted, good as gold.
- If the claim does not match learning outcomes/competencies then we’ll have another chat and get more evidence. We might have to catch up for an interview where you can tell us about your experience. You’ll have two weeks to get this done.
- If that information is not sufficient then your claim will be rejected, and you’ll get a letter letting you know of the decision either way. If you are not happy with that outcome and want to appeal it, you need to let Zero Harm Safety & Training know, in writing, within 1 week of the rejection letter.
- You can appeal a decision and ask for a Subject Matter Expert to make a recommendation. There is a cost with this process, which will be shared equally by you and Zero Harm Safety and Training.
- The postie will deliver a letter of advice with the costs for this further process. Once you have paid your share of the cost (which must be received within 1 week of payment request), the Subject Matter Expert will be engaged and his recommendation will be heard.
- Within 2 weeks, the postie visits again with a letter of advice of outcome, which is the final decision.
- The completed RPL Application Form with attachments will be placed on your file.
- Details of the Application are recorded on the RPL Assessment Register (ZHST-RTO-0086).