Can I use RPL if my previous employer has closed down? Potentially, yes. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an assessment of skills and knowledge you have already gained, including through work. Your former employer does not have to be operating for you to ask a registered training organisation (RTO) about RPL. What matters is whether you can provide enough suitable evidence for an assessor to evaluate your skills against the requirements of the qualification.
A closed workplace can make evidence harder to find, but it does not erase the experience you gained there. Start with what you still have, then ask the RTO what other evidence it may accept and whether a practical assessment could help fill any gaps.
What evidence can I use if the business has closed?
Look for records that show what you personally did, when you did it and the level of responsibility you held. Depending on your occupation, useful evidence might include:
- Payslips, income statements, employment contracts or position descriptions that help establish where and when you worked.
- Work you kept lawfully, such as de-identified plans, reports, job sheets, project records or photographs of completed work.
- Training records, licences or other documents relevant to the skills being assessed.
- Written accounts from former supervisors, managers, co-workers, clients or contractors who directly observed your work.
- Records from later jobs or self-employment that show you have continued to use the same skills.
A payslip can help confirm employment, but it usually says little about the tasks you performed or how well you performed them. A stronger application combines records of employment with specific examples of your work. Do not share confidential business information, client details or material you are not entitled to disclose; remove identifying details where appropriate and check with the RTO if you are unsure.
Can a former manager or co-worker provide a reference?
Yes, a person who worked with you may still be able to describe your skills even though the business has shut. They do not necessarily need to speak on behalf of the former company. Ask them to explain their relationship to you, the work they saw you perform, the approximate dates and specific examples of your responsibilities. Current contact details may help the assessor follow up.
Be open about any limits to their knowledge. A former colleague who worked beside you on one project, for example, should not be asked to verify work they did not see. The RTO decides how much weight to give a reference and whether it needs other evidence.
What if I have few or no old records?
Tell the RTO early. Depending on the qualification and your circumstances, its assessor may use an interview, questions, a practical demonstration, a workplace observation or other assessment methods to check what you currently know and can do. These are options to discuss, not substitutes that every RTO will accept in every case.
Requirements depend on the units of competency involved. You can look up a qualification and its units on training.gov.au, the national register for vocational education and training. Reading the units can help you identify examples of work that address the required skills. The RTO will explain its assessment process and determine whether your evidence meets the requirements; ASQA is the national regulator for vocational education and training.
How should I prepare before contacting an RTO?
- Write a timeline of your roles, dates and main tasks, including work completed after the business closed.
- Collect records you still hold and note what each item shows about your own work.
- List people who can provide first-hand accounts and ask their permission before sharing their details.
- Identify missing evidence and ask the RTO how those gaps might be assessed.
You do not need to assemble a perfect folder before asking questions. RPL Access Australia can help you understand the RPL process and organise potential evidence for discussion with an RTO. The RTO—not RPL Access—conducts the assessment and decides whether to award the relevant qualification or units. If your goal also involves an occupational licence or a visa, the relevant licensing or migration authority makes those separate decisions.
A former employer’s closure may change how you document your experience, but it need not stop you from exploring RPL. Start with the work you can describe and substantiate, and ask an RTO what further evidence or assessment it requires.