Abstract




Skills Recognition for the Rural Sector – Coming to a Screen Near You

Charlie Bell
Tocal College
(charlie.bell@dpi.nsw.gov.au)

Julie White
Tocal College
(julie.white@dpi.nsw.gov.au)


Abstract:
Tocal College, as part of New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI), provides training in agriculture and related disciplines across NSW and Australia. Tocal College delivers a wide range of full time, short course, and distance education courses, along with publications and study support materials. The rural and related industries in Australia operate in a complex environment and have many features which make training delivery unique and challenging. A particular challenge is servicing a clientele who are thinly dispersed over a very large part of Australia and providing relevant services to clients who have high levels of skills and knowledge acquired on the job through informal learning. As a consequence of these needs, external delivery of training and Skills Recognition (i.e., Recognition of Prior Learning [RPL]) have emerged as a key services delivered by the College. This paper will outline the development of the Tocal College Skills Recognition system from a paper-based to fully electronic system while maintaining a commitment to assessment by personal interview, client support, empowerment and respect, and active case management. The process of “going electronic” is evaluated from both the client and college perspective. The ePortfolio approach is proving to be a better way of delivering services, but it does still present some challenges to clients in regional and remote areas of Australia.