Yes. Recognition of prior learning (RPL) can be used to assess your existing skills and knowledge against individual units of competency, including units that make up a skill set. It can also be used for the units in a full qualification. The important question is not simply whether you have worked in an industry, but whether your experience meets the requirements of the specific units being assessed.
What is the difference between a skill set and a qualification?
A full vocational qualification has packaging rules that specify which units must be completed. A skill set is a defined group of units intended to address a particular industry need or job function. Individual units may also be assessed separately. You can search for qualifications, skill sets and units on the Australian Government’s training.gov.au register.
A skill set is not the same thing as a full qualification. It generally covers a narrower collection of competencies, so it may suit someone who needs to document particular skills without seeking an entire certificate or diploma. The right option depends on your goal and, where relevant, the requirements of an employer, industry body or licensing authority.
How does RPL work for a skill set?
RPL is an assessment process. A registered training organisation (RTO) compares evidence of what you already know and can do with the requirements of each relevant unit of competency. That evidence might come from paid work, self-employment, previous training or other relevant experience.
The process is not an automatic exchange of years worked for units completed. An assessor may need to check your knowledge, observe practical skills, speak with you about your work or request further evidence. If you cannot yet demonstrate all the requirements of a unit, the RTO can explain what further training or assessment may be needed.
Evidence will vary by occupation, but useful examples may include:
The evidence must relate to the actual unit requirements. For example, a job title alone may tell an assessor very little about the tasks you performed or how recently you performed them.
What will you receive if you are assessed as competent?
If an RTO assesses you as competent in one or more nationally recognised units, it can issue a statement of attainment for those units, subject to applicable requirements. Completing the units in a skill set does not, by itself, mean you have earned a full qualification. A qualification is issued only when its requirements have been met and the RTO has made the relevant assessment and issuance decisions.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) regulates RTOs in its jurisdiction and provides information about nationally recognised training and assessment. Before proceeding, ask the RTO which units it will assess, whether they form the skill set you need and what documentation it may issue if you are successful.
Which option should you consider?
Start with the outcome you need. If a role calls for a particular group of competencies, a skill set may be worth exploring. If it requires a complete qualification, RPL towards selected units may help, but you would still need to satisfy every requirement of that qualification. If you only need one competency documented, assessment against an individual unit may be more relevant.
Check the exact requirements before relying on any training outcome for licensing, registration or migration purposes. An RTO decides assessment outcomes and issues training documents; the relevant licensing authority decides whether those documents meet its licensing rules. Migration and visa decisions are made by the responsible government authorities, not by an RTO or an RPL adviser.
Getting started
Find the skill set, qualification or units that match your goal, then gather examples of your recent, relevant work. RPL Access Australia can help you explore a suitable RPL pathway and prepare to discuss your experience and evidence. The RTO—not RPL Access—assesses your competency and decides whether to issue a statement of attainment or qualification. If you are unsure whether a skill set or a full qualification is the better fit, start by identifying exactly what your employer, industry or regulator requires.