Benefits of competency based training 

What are the benefits of competency-based training for RTOs?

• Extend their design and delivery capabilities allowing them to deliver more flexible training through competency-based training, recognition of prior learning and closer industry/employer partnering;
• Build better relationships with industry and employers;
• Reinvigorated some apprenticeships where participant numbers were low; and
• Develop skills in relation to the provision of more consistent high-quality training and administration across all parts of apprenticeships, including school-based, on-the-job and off-the-job components.

Benefits for employers include:

• An increased pool of qualified tradespersons;
• More on the job training and associated productivity gains;
• Effective response to the need to develop specialist skill sets levels; and
• Increased productivity and morale of employees - apprentices work at a higher level and qualify more quickly and have better career path options.

Benefits for employees include: 

• Achieving a qualification in a shorter time period, and so quicker access to higher wages;
• Assisting experienced but not formally qualified people to gain a formal qualification;
• Attracting older workers to a trade as a shorter time period reduces financial and other costs to mature apprentices and their families; and
• Recognition of prior learning and competency-based training allows earlier completion of training and the recognition of prior experience;
• Recognition of prior learning is the recognition of competencies currently held, regardless of how, when or where the learning occurred, and this learning is counted towards the achievement of a qualification;
• Competency-based training enables an apprenticeship to be completed once all parties have determined competence has been reached - regardless of time served.