Diploma of Business BSB50207 - Skills Recognition Questionnaire

What is Skills Recognition?

Skills Recognition – or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) - is a process of assessment which acknowledges a person’s skills and experience, regardless of how, when or where the skills or experience were gained. Such skills and experiences may have been gained through:

• formal or informal training and education;
• work experience;
• general life experience; or
• any combination of the above.

RPL can result in the awarding of a full qualification or a Statement of Attainment for partial completion of a qualification.

In reviewing your evidence, the Assessor must ensure that it is:

• Authentic - the information and evidence provided is genuine and trustworthy;
• Valid - the information and evidence is well-founded, relevant to the qualification or competency being applied for and adds weight to the RPL application;
• Reliable - the evidence can withstand scrutiny, has integrity and reasonably indicates that the applicant is able to perform a task to a specified standard with regularity and consistency;
• Sufficient - an adequate amount of evidence must be provided. An ‘adequate’ amount is to an extent a matter of judgment and will depend on the type of evidence provided; if an application for RPL is compelling, then the evidence provided is adequate.

There are two ways in which such evidence of competence can be provided:

• Individual competency conversation
• Portfolio

Benefits for individuals

• RPL gives you credit for your life skills – skills and knowledge you have learnt at home or school or through your involvement in groups, clubs, hobbies, work and the like.
• RPL allows you to complete formal education in a shorter period of time and usually at less cost;
• RPL means that you do not have to repeat or waste time learning what you have already learned and regularly put into practice;
• RPL increases your career and education options through recognising skills and knowledge that you have already gained;
• RPL recognises your contribution as a volunteer and may help lead towards paid employment.

Benefits for volunteer-involving organisations

A volunteer-involving organisation which encourages and supports volunteers and staff to attain relevant qualifications through RPL, directly contributes to its viability, is in line with best practice, and has an edge over funding competitors.

Involvement can also:

• Enhance the performance of a volunteering organisation by recognising, valuing and better drawing on skills and knowledge of its volunteers.
• Foster a strong and vibrant organisational culture by improving morale.
• Encourage the standardisation of training and development of volunteers.
• Increase the attractiveness of the organisation to prospective volunteers.

Considering your own RPL

It is important that you reflect on your own skills and experience and determine if you have sufficient evidence which will clearly demonstrate your competence in the relevant area.

To assist you to do this, there are a number of steps you need to work through.

• Step 1: Complete the Self Assessment Questionnaire

If, after working through the Questionnaire, you are confident to proceed with this application for RPL, you will then need to:

• Step 2: Complete the Candidate Details and Checklist.
• Step 3: Return the completed documents to the School of Volunteer Management by return email