What is RPL?
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is the formal acknowledgment of knowledge and skills obtained through previous studies or experience. You may be eligible for full or partial Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), depending on your existing relevant qualifications and years of general information, digital media and technology experience. This includes activities such as:
In general, RPL will not apply unless you have existing qualifications in information, digital media and technology OR have documentation to support significant and successful past experience.
You can apply for as much RPL as you want, providing that you can supply suitable evidence for it. If you submit appropriate evidence for all of the Units, and an assessor deems that the evidence meets the requirements, then RPL can be granted for the full Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology.
If you are not able to receive full RPL because a limited number of areas are not addressed you will be advised of what ‘gap’ training and assessment is needed in order for you to receive the full Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology. If you are granted RPL for just a few Units, then you will be advised to complete the Course without the need to do the Units for which RPL applies. In some circumstances, RPL might be granted for parts of Units, or, some requirements of the Course may be waived or reduced.
- Formal courses and training programs (e.g. at University or other institutions)
- Informal courses or training (e.g. a non-accredited program completed in preparation for volunteer work)
- Private study (e.g. done for enjoyment via internet)
- Employment (e.g. skills and knowledge gained through employment)
- Volunteer work (e.g. skills and knowledge gained through volunteer work)
In general, RPL will not apply unless you have existing qualifications in information, digital media and technology OR have documentation to support significant and successful past experience.
You can apply for as much RPL as you want, providing that you can supply suitable evidence for it. If you submit appropriate evidence for all of the Units, and an assessor deems that the evidence meets the requirements, then RPL can be granted for the full Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology.
If you are not able to receive full RPL because a limited number of areas are not addressed you will be advised of what ‘gap’ training and assessment is needed in order for you to receive the full Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology. If you are granted RPL for just a few Units, then you will be advised to complete the Course without the need to do the Units for which RPL applies. In some circumstances, RPL might be granted for parts of Units, or, some requirements of the Course may be waived or reduced.
What sort of Evidence do I need?
Some examples of evidence include:
RPL can only be given to a person where they have evidence that is:
- Past Studies
- copies of qualifications you have received and academic transcripts showing exact subjects or topics and results
- actual work you completed for past studies (e.g. essays or assignments)
- Workplace Documents produced by you (in paid or voluntary capacity)
- training session plans and work programs
- learning materials
- assessment tools
- Audio/Video Recordings
- e.g. of you teaching or assessing
- Third Party Reports
- references from your employers
- supervisors reports
- student testimonials
- peer/colleague testimonials
- Any Other Evidence
- e.g. Documents from workshops, seminars and conferences
RPL can only be given to a person where they have evidence that is:
- Valid – the evidence represents and matches the unit’s requirements (this will be checked by your Trainer)
- Sufficient – the evidence is enough to show that you are competent in all of the requirements of the unit
- Authentic – it can be verified that the evidence you have submitted is genuinely your own work, qualifications, experience, etc.
- Current – the evidence shows your current ability and how it meets current industry standards
What is the RPL Process?
The process for obtaining RPL is:
- Enrol in the course (indicate on the enrolment form that you wish to apply for RPL).
- Your Trainer will contact you to discuss your previous qualifications or experience, then ask you to complete a formal RPL application form
- You will need to complete the RPL application form and submit any relevant evidence
- A UNET representative will do an initial assessment of your submission.
- You will be given feedback about your submission.
- You may be asked to provide more documentation or information.
- You may be invited to participate in a “competency conversation” in which you may be asked to provide information that is specific to the Units of the Course. This may help confirm that you do have the knowledge and skills necessary for RPL to be granted.
- You may be asked to complete some tasks from the standard Course assessment to fill the gaps identified in your RPL assessment.
- Once you have been assessed as competent in all of the units either by RPL or the standard assessment, you will be sent your Australian Government accredited Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology.
Generally, the time it takes to complete the RPL process will depend on how long it takes for you to gather and provide the evidence, and how easy it is for the assessor to confirm that the evidence meets the requirements.
The more thoroughly you complete the relevant sections of the RPL application, and the more clearly you link the evidence to the relevant Units, the quicker the process. The trainer will endeavor to complete the process as quickly as possible, however, this may take several weeks or longer.
How much does RPL cost?
Receiving RPL will not reduce the cost of completing the Course, but RPL may save you time. RPL is charged at $100 per unit that you are seeking RPL for. This is payable at time of submitting your completed RPL application. Where your RPL application is not successful the unit fee will go towards your course costs. Following receipt of your RPL application, all other supporting evidence and receipt of your RPL fee, your Trainer will begin the RPL assessment process.
