Glossary

Glossary of Terms

Please note:Β The following information has been taken directly from the NSW Government Department of Industry website and is available HERE.

 

Accredited course: A group of modules established to meet an industry training need which is not covered by a qualification.

ACE: Adult and Community Education promotes community education, supports funded ACE Providers and provides information and advice on community education across the state.

AISC: Australian Industry and Skills Committee was established by the COAG Industry and Skills Council in May 2015 to give industry a formal, expanded role in policy direction and decision-making for the vocational education and training sector.

AITSL: Australian Institute for teaching and School Leadership Limited is the designated assessing authority for skilled occupations in teaching under the Skilled Migration Program; early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers, primary and secondary school teachers and special education and needs teachers.

AMEP: Adult Migrant English Program provides free English language courses to eligible applicants.

ANPs: Apprenticeship Network Providers play a key role in advising employers, workers and job seekers about opportunities through apprenticeships and traineeships.

ANZSCO: Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations is a classification system that provides for the standardised collection, analysis and dissemination of occupation data.

Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001: The Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001 regulates the establishment of apprenticeships and traineeships in New South Wales, which includes the requirement that a training plan be developed for every apprenticeship or traineeship established under the Act.

AQF: Australian Qualifications Framework: (AQF) The national system and guidelines which defines the qualification levels issued by schools, vocational education and training providers and higher education institutions.

ASQA: Australian Skills Quality Authority is the national regulator/approver of training organisations and training packages.

ATO: Australian Taxation Office

AVETMISS: Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard is the national data standard for the collection of participant and training information in the vocational education and training system that ensures consistent and accurate capture of Vocational Education and Training (VET) information about students.

Standards for Registered Training Organisations: (RTOs) National set of standards which assure consistent, high-quality training and assessment services for the clients of Australia’s vocational education and training system.

BVET: NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training. The NSW Skills Board was established in 2013 and replaces BVET.

CALD: Cultural and Linguistically Diverse means have a diverse workplace you can market your goods and services more effectively, both in Australia and overseas.

CAPS: Continuing Apprentices Placement Service provides a free job matching service for employers and apprentices/trainees on the National Skills Needs List (NSNL).

CBC: Competency Based Completion: determining a trainee’s success in completing a course based on competency only (rather than waiting for the full term of the training to finish).

CBT: Competency based training is an approach to vocational education and training that places emphasis on what a person can do in the workplace as a result of completing a program of training or based on workplace experience and learning. Ideally, progress within a competency based training program is not based on time.

CIB: Commissioner’s Information Bulletin contains information for the administration of apprenticeships and traineeships in NSW.

Commissioner for Vocational Training: A position appointed under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001 with overall authority to deal with all apprenticeship and traineeship matters in New South Wales.

Competency: Demonstrated capacity, knowledge and ability to perform a task or skill needed to satisfy the special demands or requirements of a particular situation.

CAPs: Continuing Apprentices Placement Service Assists at risk and out of work apprentices to connect with employers who are looking for an apprentice.

CoP: Certificate of proficiency Certificate issued by the Vocational Training Review Panel to an applicant for trade recognition who demonstrates at least 4 years industry experience and who holds relevant qualifications from a registered training organisation (RTO). Also issued to an apprentice or trainee who has completed the term of training and has been awarded a relevant qualification by their RTO, also see Craft Certificate.

Craft certificate: Certificate issued by the Vocational Training Review Panel (VTRP) to an applicant for trade recognition who demonstrates at least 4 years industry experience but has NOT been awarded a relevant qualification by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Also issued to an apprentice who has completed the training term, also see Certificate of Proficiency.

Credit transfer: Granting of credit by a training organisation to students units of competency completed at another training organisation or via another qualification.

DET: Australian Government Department of Education and Training

DHS: Australian Government Department of Human Services

DOE: Australian Government Department of Employment

DoE: NSW Department of Education

DoI: NSW Department of Industry

EEO: Equal Employment Opportunity and anti-discrimination national and state laws that cover equal opportunity and anti-discrimination in the workplace.

EW: Existing Worker is an employee who has a 3 month or more full-time equivalent employment relationship with their employer. The working relationship can be built up through full time, part time or casual employment or engagement as a seasonal or contract worker and includes periods of approved leave.

GTO: Group Training Organisation is an organisation which employs apprentices and trainees and places them with host employers. The host employers provide the on-the-job training and experience, while the group training organisation organises off-the-job training, handles recruitment, job rotation and pay.

GTO National Standards: quality arrangements for group training organisations in each State or Territory.

GTOs registered in NSW: alphabetical list of GTOs registered in NSW providing details of industries in which they offer employment and regions/areas they operate in.

Host Employer: A host employer hosts an apprentice or trainee employed at that time by a Group Training Organisation and provides the on-the-job training. The Group Training Organisation is the legal employer and is responsible for all the associated administrative functions including workers compensation, payroll tax.

ITABs – Industry Training Advisory Body: Industry based bodies that advise on training and related matters on behalf of their industry sectors.

Industry Training Officer: Training Services NSW staff who provide advice, assistance and support to apprentices, trainees and their employers.

ITO: Industry Training Officer.

iworkforNSW: NSW Government public sector employment portal

jobactive: find jobs, employment and career opportunities

MRC: Migrant Resource Centre

NE: New entrant trainee is someone employed for less than three months full-time or 12 months part-time or casually, or any combination of the above, prior to commencing a traineeship, also see existing worker trainee.

Nominal Term: refers to the standard time allocated to complete an apprenticeship or traineeship on a full time basis. The nominal term is specified in the Vocational Training Order for each apprenticeship or traineeship.

NSW Skills Board: advises the NSW Government on how best to meet the skills and training needs of NSW individuals, regions and the economy.

NSW Skills Priority List: guides the purchasing of training by setting out the qualifications from which training can be purchased by priority industry, target group and region. This priority list addresses both the current and emerging needs of the NSW economy.

Qualification: a nationally endorsed group of units of competency to meet the training requirements of industry workforce roles.

Recipient Created Tax Invoice: (RCTI) Receipt given to organisations so that they do not have to invoice the Department.

Recognition of Current Competence (RCC): means that the qualifications and work skills including work experience in your trade area gained in your country or in Australia may count towards an Australian trade qualification.

Recognition of prior learning: (RPL) Process of assessment of knowledge, skills and previous experiences in regards to those required to meet a qualification.

Registered Training Organisation: (RTO) Organisations registered by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to deliver training, conduct assessments and issue nationally recognised qualifications in accordance with the Australian Quality Training (AQF).

RPL: Recognition of prior learning.

RTO: Registered training organisation.

Scope of Registration: The list of qualifications a Registered Training Organisation has been approved to deliver by ASQA.

Skills Sets: are single units of competency or combinations of units of competnecy from a nationally endorsed Training Package, which link to a licence or regulatory requirement or a defined industry need.

Smart and Skilled: a reform of the New South Wales Vocational Education and Training System. It will give people the chance to gain the skills they need to get a job and advance their careers. This will expand the skills of our workforce to meet future demand for jobs.

Senior Pathways: supports the NSW public education system, through vocational education, to better prepare school students toparticipat in further education, training, employment and lifelong learning.

TAFE NSW: Technical and Further Education – the largest vocational education and training provider in Australia.

TGA: Training.gov.au is the national register for training in Australia and contains the authoritative information about Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), Nationally Recognised Training (TNR) and the approved scope of each RTO to deliver NRT as required in national jurisdictional legislation within Australia.

Training packages: Training packages are nationally endorsed manuals developed by industry that establish the vocational education and training qualifications and units of competency for occupations within each industry sector. The packages define the guidelines and standards surrounding delivery of training and assessment against these qualifications. They provide flexibility to enable training organisations to meet an individual’s training need and guidelines on how to customise training to meet this need

TSR: Trade Skills Recognition number is the file number given to each person applying for trade recognition.

Unit of Competency: The nationally recognised guidelines and standards against which a participant receives training and assessment to meet industry workforce requirements. Guidelines include performance standards and customisation rules.

VET: Vocational education and training.

VTOs: Vocational Training Orders specify the qualifications that need to be achieved by apprentices or trainees, the terms of training and the probationary periods.

VTRP: Vocational Training Review Panel the New South Wales body responsible for trade skills recognition, resolving complaints and disputes and considering applications for the transfer, suspension, cancellation and variation of apprenticeships and traineeships and appeals against the decisions of the Commissioner for Vocational Training.