Recognition of Prior learning (RPL)

What is RPL
Why You Should Apply for RPL
Who is Involved in the RPL Process
The Steps in the RPL Process
Some Terms You Need to Know
Supporting Information

What is RPL

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) recognises what you have already learnt from:

• work experience;
• life experience.

Credit transfer for previous learning is also available for:

• other training courses, whether provided at work, or by an education agency like TAFE.

RPL focuses on what you can do, not where you learnt to do it.

RPL matches what you can do or what you have already studied with what is to be learnt in the course.

If there is a match you gain recognition or credit transfer for those parts of the course.

If what you know, or have studied previously matches all the parts of the course you can gain recognition or credit transfer for the whole course.

Why you should apply for RPL

You should apply for RPL if you can answer yes to any one of the following:

• you are working in local government, and have done so for a considerable period of time;
• you have recently worked in local government, and did so for a considerable period of time;
• you have had on -the-job training;
• you feel that you already have some experience relevant to the course.

Applying for RPL is to your advantage:

• you receive recognition for the skills you already have;
• if you gain recognition or credit for parts of a course you may be able to complete the course in a shorter time span;
• you may gain recognition or credit transfer for a whole course.

Who is involved in the RPL process?

• you;
• an RPL Team.

The RPL Team

The RPL Team are the people who work together to assess your application. The people in the team usually include:

RPL Advisor:

This is your supervisor or another person in the workplace who can assist you. He or she will help you complete the application and advise you on collecting supporting information. The advisor is also a member of the panel which assesses your application.

RPL Assessor:

The assessor is from the organisation providing the training. He or she will assess your application and carry out any interview which may be needed. This person is skilled in the RPL process, as well as being a qualified workplace assessor.

Course Expert:

This is some one who knows the content of the course and can help the advisor and the assessor to decide to grant the recognition.

Sometimes the Course Expert and the RPL Assessor are the same person.

Every panel must be made up of at last two people.

The steps in the RPL process

What you have to do if you think that RPL is for you.

1. Talk to your supervisor or your course co-ordinator. These people can help and advise you about the RPL process and the information you will need to support your application.
2. Obtain an RPL application kit.
3. Fill in the application kit.
4. Collect the required information to support your claim. This may take a few weeks, so give yourself plenty of time and don’t give up.
5. When you collect the information and fill out the application kit and put it together in the application folder you have your evidence portfolio.
6. Review the portfolio with your supervisor.
7. Send your portfolio to the RPL team.
8. The RPL team will review your application for some or all the course on the strength of your evidence portfolio. If there are some areas that are not clear you may be asked to attend an interview with the RPL team or supply more evidence. You may take your supervisor or another person with you to this interview.
9. The RPL team will advise you of the outcome of your application.
10. If your application is successful you will receive official credit from the course provider for the areas in the course that apply to the RPL. If your application is unsuccessful you may appeal the process through the process established by the course provider. This may involve collecting more information or demonstrating your skills to another panel.

Some terms that you need to know

Application package

This is the package that you receive from either your employer or the training organisation when you apply for RPL. The package is in two parts:

Part 1: Provides information about the course in which you are seeking RPL and information about the RPL process;

Part 2: Contains the Application Kit which outlines the evidence required and provides a framework or map to assist you to match your experiences to the course.

Competencies

The skills and knowledge needed to do a job to the standard required by industry.

Learning Outcomes

These describe the competencies achieved in a course.

Supporting Information

Many pieces of information may support a claim for RPL. Please note that all copies of documents must be legally certified as being true copies:

• copies of any statements, references, letters or articles about employment or community involvement;
• copies of school reports, certificates or statements about education and training. Include records or statements of attendance or attainment from on-the-job training courses, hobby or other courses;
• relevant work samples such as memos, reports, completed work products from employment or activities;
• outlines of any courses which have been completed;
• contact details of employers, supervisors, community members who could be contacted to speak in support of the RPL request;
• any other information which might aid in the assessment of the request.

Some modules/courses require different kinds of information to support an RPL claim. These are highlighted in the experience maps in the Application Kit.