The CSTC provides skills assessment for those who seek to have their work skills formally recognised either for the purposes of receiving a wages increase or career promotion or for acquiring a Building Services Authority (BSA) contractor or sub-contractor license.
The skills assessment process is based on what is called Recognition of Prior Learning, (RPL) and is the formal recognition of a person's existing skills and knowledge, no matter how, when or where the learning was acquired or occurred.
Skills Assessment is available to all skilled workers… even if you haven’t been formally trained (e.g. attended TAFE or another registered training organisation or attended a formal training course in a particular skill area).
You may have gained a lot of skills through your normal work practices and other related life experiences. A skills assessment recognises this and it could give you a trade qualification or at least put you on the right path to gaining certification for a trade qualification.
The great news is that thanks to funding provided by the Construction Skills Queensland the skills assessments are heavily subsidised for all workers who are not self-employed.
CSTC is registered with the Queensland Government to assess workers in gaining formal recognition in trades including the following:
When you contact CSTC, ask for the Assessee Kit that best suits your skills and experience and the qualification you are seeking to achieve. When you receive the kit you will notice that it asks you to provide things like supervisors reports, employer references, past courses you have attended, photographs of jobs completed or work on. This is your ‘evidence’ and is highly regarded so you are strongly urged to gather as much evidence as you can to prove to the assessor your levels of skill.
When you have all of that proof together, and you have completed the self assessment form that is part of your assessment kit, make copies of all of your paperwork and send that to CSTC. Do not send the originals at this stage but note; the assessor will need to sight the originals at a later date. You will then be ready for the next stage of the skills assessment which is called the “desk-top audit”.
As most trade certificates are only awarded when a certain number of competencies are achieved you will be advised of the outcome after the initial desk top audit is completed. The assessor will contact you to arrange an interview and an appointment to observe you at work.
If the assessor identifies areas where you need more training you will be advised of each of the competencies. If these competency gaps number less than six in total, the Construction Skills Queensland will heavily subsidise this “gap training”.
If you are interested in having your skills assessed and gaining formal recognition for your years of work and related life experiences then give the CSTC a call and ask for the assessment kit that best suits your trade. CSTC staff will be more than happy to assist you in any way including advising you of any funding that may be available to you.
So give us a call, it could be the best career choice you’ve made.
Funding provided by:
Version 1.3 24 August 2006