In Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) has long been a cornerstone of the system, providing a pathway for experienced workers to gain formal recognition for the skills and knowledge they have already acquired. This process allows individuals to fast-track their qualifications, bypassing unnecessary repetition of learning, and acknowledging their real-world experience. Yet, despite the clear benefits of RPL for learners and industry alike, many Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are increasingly sidestepping their obligations to offer RPL.
In some instances, RTOs are outright ignoring inquiries related to RPL, leaving potential learners in the dark. In other cases, when RPL is offered, the process is so complex and drawn out that many individuals abandon it altogether. To make matters worse, the revised standards for RTOs seem to offer a way for providers to opt-out of offering RPL under certain circumstances, potentially exacerbating the issue. This is a deeply troubling development in a sector that claims to support learner progression and skills recognition.
What Is Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)?
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is the formal process of assessing an individual’s existing skills, knowledge, and experience to determine whether they meet the requirements for a specific qualification or unit of competency. RPL allows individuals to achieve full or partial qualifications without the need to undertake training that covers areas where they are already competent.
The current standards for RTOs, as outlined in Clause 1.12, clearly state that RTOs must offer RPL to individual learners. This obligation is meant to ensure that those with relevant prior learning or experience are not subjected to unnecessary training, and that their skills are validated in a formal, industry-recognised manner. RPL has long been regarded as an essential element of the VET system, supporting both workforce development and learner progression.
However, in practice, many RTOs are ignoring this requirement, either by failing to respond to enquiries about RPL or by making the process so complicated that it becomes an insurmountable obstacle for learners.
The Shift in the Revised Standards
The revised standards (1.6) continue to highlight the importance of RPL, stating that VET students with prior skills, knowledge, and competencies should be supported to seek RPL. The RTO must demonstrate that learners are offered opportunities to pursue RPL and are informed of the RTO’s policies regarding this process. However, the revised standards introduce a new level of ambiguity, offering RTOs the option to opt-out of offering RPL in certain circumstances, potentially providing a loophole for providers to avoid the process altogether.
This shift is concerning for several reasons:
- Ambiguity in Standards: While the revised standards continue to require RTOs to offer RPL opportunities, the option to opt-out creates a gray area that RTOs may exploit. The lack of clear guidelines on when it is acceptable to opt-out of offering RPL could lead to inconsistent practices across the sector.
- Increased Complexity for Learners: The revised standards still require that decisions about RPL be based on evidence and conducted fairly, but if RTOs are given greater discretion to avoid offering RPL, learners could face an even more difficult process. For many, the lengthy and complex nature of RPL is already a barrier, and this change may further complicate their ability to obtain recognition for their prior experience.
- Reduced Access to RPL: If more RTOs choose to opt-out of offering RPL, deserving candidates may be left with no viable path to gain recognition for their skills. This could particularly impact individuals from industries where RTOs may deem it too burdensome or costly to conduct thorough RPL assessments.
The Problem with Ignoring RPL Inquiries
One of the most troubling trends in the sector is the failure of RTOs to respond to inquiries about RPL. Potential learners who reach out to RTOs for information on how to apply for RPL are often met with silence. This lack of engagement is not only a failure of service but also a breach of obligations under the current standards, which clearly state that learners must be informed of the RTO’s policies regarding RPL.
By ignoring inquiries, RTOs are effectively denying learners their right to seek recognition for prior learning, often forcing them into traditional training programs that may not be necessary. This practice flies in the face of the VET sector’s commitment to flexibility and learner-centered approaches.
The Overcomplication of RPL Processes
For those learners who do manage to navigate the RPL inquiry process, they often find themselves confronted with a tedious, bureaucratic, and lengthy process that seems designed to discourage participation. Many RTOs require learners to provide extensive documentation, including detailed workplace evidence, references, and even third-party verifications that can be difficult and time-consuming to obtain.
While rigorous assessment is necessary to ensure the validity and reliability of RPL decisions, the overcomplication of the process often leaves learners feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Some RTOs take months to process RPL applications, with little communication or support for the learner during the process. In many cases, this leads to high dropout rates for individuals pursuing RPL.
This situation raises serious concerns about whether RPL processes are being used as a genuine tool for skills recognition or simply as a tick-box exercise to fulfill regulatory requirements without truly benefiting learners.
The Danger of Opting Out: What Does It Mean for Learners?
The revised standards introduce the option for RTOs to opt-out of offering RPL in certain situations, which could have far-reaching implications for learners. By allowing this discretion, the standards create an environment where RTOs can justify not offering RPL based on internal criteria that may not be transparent to learners. This could lead to inconsistent practices across the sector, where some RTOs offer robust RPL pathways, while others effectively deny learners the opportunity.
For industries and individuals where RPL is crucial for career progression—such as mature-aged workers, migrants, and individuals with extensive work experience—this shift could create significant barriers. Learners who rely on RPL to transition into formal qualifications may be left with fewer options, ultimately slowing down their career progression or forcing them into unnecessary retraining.
Why RPL Should Remain a Central Tenet of the VET System
Recognition of Prior Learning is more than just an administrative requirement; it is a vital mechanism for acknowledging the skills and knowledge individuals have gained through work and life experience. RPL is particularly important for adult learners, career changers, and those from marginalised communities who may not have formal qualifications but possess valuable skills.
The benefits of a well-functioning RPL system include:
- Faster Qualification Pathways: RPL allows learners to fast-track their qualifications, enabling them to enter or advance in the workforce more quickly.
- Cost Efficiency: For both learners and training organisations, RPL can reduce the time and resources spent on unnecessary training.
- Workforce Flexibility: By recognising the skills individuals have gained in different contexts, RPL supports a flexible workforce that can adapt to changing industry needs.
- Increased Engagement: Offering RPL demonstrates an RTO’s commitment to supporting learner progression and ensuring that prior experience is valued.
Given these benefits, it is imperative that RTOs take their RPL obligations seriously. Ignoring enquiries, making the process overly complex, or opting out of offering RPL altogether threatens to undermine the credibility of the VET system and denies deserving learners the opportunity to have their skills recognised.
Conclusion: The Need for Clearer Accountability and Support for RPL
The trends emerging in the VET sector—from ignoring RPL enquiries to overcomplicating the process—are alarming, especially when viewed alongside the revised standards that seem to offer RTOs a way out of their obligations. This situation calls for greater accountability and clearer guidelines to ensure that RTOs cannot opt-out of offering RPL unjustifiably and that learners are provided with fair, transparent, and accessible pathways to recognition of their prior skills.
If the VET system is to maintain its integrity and continue to be a valuable pathway for learners of all backgrounds, RPL must be prioritised rather than sidelined. Government bodies, regulators, and RTOs must work together to streamline the RPL process, make it more accessible, and ensure that all learners are given the opportunity to have their skills recognised in a fair and timely manner.
