If the business you worked for has closed, you may no longer be able to get a letter on company letterhead or contact your old manager. That can make a recognition of prior learning (RPL) application feel difficult, but it does not mean your experience disappears. The practical approach is to gather records from several sources and show clearly what work you personally performed.
Start with what the assessor needs to establish
For RPL, a registered training organisation (RTO) assesses your existing skills and knowledge against the requirements of a particular qualification or unit. Its assessor needs evidence that is relevant, authentic, sufficient and current. A document showing that you were paid by a business may help establish employment, but it may not show the tasks you performed or the standard of your work. Requirements will depend on the qualification and the RTO’s assessment process.
You can look up the relevant qualification and units on the Australian Government’s training.gov.au register. The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) provides information about the regulation of vocational education and training. Ask your RTO which evidence it can consider before spending money obtaining old records.
What can replace a letter from a closed employer?
Records that help establish where and when you worked
- Employment contracts, offer letters, position descriptions and old rosters.
- Payslips, payment summaries or income statements, where available.
- Superannuation contribution records and relevant bank transactions.
- Work-related emails or messages that identify your role, dates or duties.
If you need to check tax records you can still access, start with the Australian Taxation Office. These records can support a timeline, but employment dates alone will rarely explain your competency in a particular task.
Records that show the work itself
- De-identified job sheets, service reports, project plans or completed work samples.
- Training records, site inductions and records of equipment or systems you used.
- Photographs of your work, if you have permission to use them and can explain your contribution.
- Licences, tickets or earlier qualifications relevant to the work, where applicable.
Explain the context of each item: what the job was, which parts you completed, what tools or procedures you used, and approximately when the work took place. Remove customer details, personal information and confidential business material unless you have permission to share them.
Can an old supervisor or colleague provide a reference?
Potentially. A former supervisor, team leader, colleague or client who directly observed your work may be able to provide a statement even if the business has since closed. Ask them to describe how they know you, when they worked with you, the tasks they saw you perform and how they can be contacted if the RTO seeks verification. An independent, specific account is generally more useful than a broad statement that you were “good at your job”.
Be upfront if the person’s current contact details differ from those they used while working with you. Do not recreate company letterhead, ask someone to backdate a document, or present a personal reference as an official statement from a business that no longer operates.
How do you put the evidence together?
- Write a work timeline. List the employer’s name, your role, approximate dates, locations and main duties. Mark any dates you cannot confirm exactly.
- Group records by task. Match examples of your work to the skills the RTO asks you to demonstrate, rather than sending an unsorted folder.
- Cross-check key details. For example, a payslip may support your dates, while a dated job sheet and a former supervisor’s statement help explain what you did.
- Note gaps honestly. Tell the RTO which records are unavailable because the employer closed and ask whether another assessment method is appropriate.
You may also use the Australian Government’s ABN Lookup to check publicly available details about a former business. A business listing can help identify the entity, but it does not prove that you worked there or performed particular tasks.
What if you have very little paperwork?
Contact the RTO before assuming you cannot apply. Depending on the qualification and its requirements, the assessor may be able to consider a combination of available records, a detailed conversation, a practical demonstration or other assessment activities. Some qualifications have specific evidence or workplace requirements, so alternatives are not always available.
RPL Access Australia can help you understand an RPL pathway and organise the evidence you have. The RTO—not RPL Access—assesses your competency and decides whether to issue a qualification. Any occupational licence is decided by the relevant licensing authority, and any visa or migration outcome is decided by the responsible government body. None of these outcomes is guaranteed by an RPL enquiry.
Editorial and SEO intent: This guide answers a specific evidence question, creating a search-ranking opportunity and contributing to topical authority on RPL. Its practical advice supports reader trust and may attract qualified organic visitors; a relevant next step can help interested readers decide whether to seek support. These are opportunities, not promised results.