Training plans and training records
Version 11 - 11/02/2013 (Uncontrolled document when printed)
Authority
Legislation
Vocational Education, training and Employment Regulation 2000 (PDF, 519KB) available on the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel website
Section 13 - What is a training plan
Section 70 - Definition of discipline
Section 79 - Employer to provide facilities
Section 80 - Employer to comply with training plan
Part 2 - Supervising registered training organisations
Part 3 - Training plans for apprentices or trainees
Section 304 - Existing decisions under former VETE Act
Section 312 - When training plan required
Regulation
Vocational Education, training and Employment Regulation 2000 (PDF, 519KB) available on the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel website
Section 17 - Changing training plan for an apprentice or trainee
Section 18 - Signing changed training plan for apprentice or trainee
Section 19 - Copies of signed changed training plan
Section 20 - Keeping training record
Section 21 - Falsifying training record
Associated documents:
Purpose
To ensure a consistent state wide approach to the development and use of training plans and training records.
Objectives
The objectives of this policy and procedure document are to:
- Support staff in providing advice on the requirements of training plans
- Support staff in providing advice on the intent of training records (books) including suggested best practice
- Ensure state wide consistency in these matters.
Operational procedure
1. Training plans
1.1 Parties and responsibilities
The parties to the training plan (s.97) are:
- The employer
- The apprentice or trainee
- The supervising registered training organisation (SRTO).
The parent or guardian is not a party to the training plan and so will not be required to sign or witness the training plan or changed training plan.
A SRTO must be a party to the training plan even if does not deliver any training under the plan (s.97).
There must be a training plan for every apprentice and trainee (s.96) and, if the person is under more than one training contract, there must be a training plan for each apprenticeship and traineeship.
The training plan must be negotiated and agreed by all the parties (s.98).
A person must not coerce or attempt to coerce a person to become a party to, or change, a training plan (s.99).
A person must not state anything in a training plan that the person knows is false or misleading (s.102).
The SRTO must take all reasonable steps to ensure the training plan is signed by all parties by the end of the apprentice's or trainee's probationary period (s.100).
The SRTO must ensure a copy of the signed plan is given to the apprentice or trainee and the employer within 7 days after the parties sign it (s.101).
The parties to the training plan must comply with the training requirements specified in the signed training plan (s.70; s.80; s.93).
1.2 Content of training plan
The training plan must contain information prescribed in Section 13 of the Act, as well as particulars approved by Skills Queensland under Guideline 10.
1.2.1 The training plan must contain the following prescribed information:
- The training to be delivered by the employer and (where it is agreed that training is to be delivered by an SRTO) by the SRTO
- Structured/off the job training must be conducted by a trainer who meets the requirements of the Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations. In the majority of cases this would be the SRTO, however in a small number of instances an employer may be suitably qualified, or the SRTO and employer might conduct the training in partnership. The column on the training plan example titled 'Responsibility for Structured Training' would indicate if it is the SRTO, employer, or a partnership arrangement against each unit of competency.
- On the job training would be conducted by the employer, however in instances where the employer does not have the necessary range of work or facilities for a particular unit of competency, either a temporary assignment needs to be arranged to place the apprentice or trainee with another employer or, provided the training package permits, the unit may be done in a simulated environment. The column on the training plan example titled 'Responsibility for on the job training / workplace tasks' would indicate if it is the employer, a simulated environment or a temporary assignment against each unit of competency.
- Where there is training delivered by an SRTO, the training plan will state the maximum period that the training will take
- Information provided would include the training contract start date, and the expected completion date (refer to Part 1.2 of the Training Details section of the training plan example). Where a qualification has an expected duration, this would be the information used to calculate the expected completion date. In instances where no expected duration exists, the nominal term would be used to calculate the expected completion date. Please note that irrespective of the expected duration or nominal term, competency based training still applies and apprentices/trainees may complete in a shorter or longer time frame than originally planned.
- The qualification or statement of attainment to be issued on completion of all the training in the training plan.
- Note - all apprentices and trainees would be issued a qualification on completion. The requirement to issue a statement of attainment on completion as per the VETE Act 2000 related to accredited courses which have now been superseded by training packages.
1.2.2 In addition a training plan shall identify:
- the purpose of the training plan,
- The purpose of a training plan is to document the negotiations regarding:
- the training to be undertaken (i.e. the units of competency required for the qualification including the unit code and unit name),
- the sequence the training will follow (taking into account when the on the job experiences will be occurring in the workplace, as well as pre-requisites and/or co-requisites if applicable),
- who provides the training (refer to dot point one above in 1.2.1),
- how training will be delivered (e.g. Delivery Modes as per AVETMISS reporting requirements),
- when training will be delivered(i.e. a training plan shall list planned start and end dates against each unit of competency. The start date must represent when structured training is expected to commence for each unit of competency, and the end date must represent when the student is expected to be deemed competent in each unit of competency. These details should be completed for at least the first 12 months of structured training. At any given time, the Training Plan should indicate unit start and end dates for structured training for a twelve month period, and
- where structured training will occur (providing training address details will inform the parties whether structured training will be occurring at the SRTO's premises, at the workplace, or at another venue).
- The purpose of a training plan is to document the negotiations regarding:
- the circumstances and process for changing the training plan,
- A training plan can be changed if all the parties to the training plan agree, and the qualification to be issued to the apprentice or trainee on completing the training under the changed plan is the same as would have been issued under the original training plan.
- When the parties to a training plan agree to change the training plan they must sign the changed training plan. The SRTO must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the changed training plan is signed within 14 days after agreeing to the change.
- The SRTO must ensure that a copy of the signed changed training plan is given to the apprentice or trainee and the employer within 7 days after the parties sign it.
- the training plan's role in the completion process for an apprenticeship or traineeship,
- When the structured training, on-the-job training and formal assessment has been completed for each of the units listed on the training plan and the apprentice/trainee deemed competent in each unit, the apprenticeship/traineeship is to be completed (note - school based apprentices/trainees must also have completed the necessary requirements as per the school based apprenticeships and traineeships policy).
- whether training delivery for individual competencies will be in the form of structured training and/or workplace tasks
- Note - all current apprenticeships and traineeships require both structured training and workplace tasks. In a small number of instances the employer may not be able to provide the workplace tasks for a specific unit of competency, in which case either a temporary assignment needs to be arranged to place the apprentice or trainee with another employer or, provided the training package permits, the unit may be done in a simulated environment.
- the responsibility of each party for the recording of the training undertaken in the apprentice's or trainee's training record.
- The employer and/or the SRTO must update the training record with the training that has been completed, at a minimum, every 3 months.
Will detail:
- the employer's name (including legal name) and contact details;
- the Apprentice's/Trainee's name and date of birth;
- the title of the Apprenticeship/Traineeship;
- the SRTO's name (including legal name) and contact details;
- the planned Commencement and Completion dates;
- training contract type: i.e. Full time, Part time, or School based;
- the Qualification/Statement of attainment title, including level and code;
- the name of each competency to be achieved, including its unit code.
Will have:
- provision for the parties to indicate which party is responsible for delivery of structured training and/or workplace tasks for each competency.
- Refer to dot point one in 1.2.1 above
Will provide:
- for each party to acknowledge and undertake their responsibility for participating in the negotiation, development and signing of the initial plan within the probationary period and subsequent plans within fourteen days and their obligations in respect of it; including:
- on the part of the apprentice or trainee - to undertake the training and to complete their training record;
- on the part of the employer - to provide workplace tasks, and where indicated, the structured training; as soon as possible, to support structured training by the SRTO, and to complete the training record;
- on the part of the SRTO - the provision of RPL or recognition of skills for the apprentice/trainee; to provide the structured training indicated as soon as possible; to give the apprentice/trainee a training record, and to complete the training record as required under the Regulation.
1.3 Format for training plans
An SRTO may use any format in a training plan provided the format covers, as a minimum, all the mandatory information under Section 13 of the Act and Guideline 10 approved by Skills Queensland (see sections 1.1 and 1.2 above.)
In addition, a best practice training plan would include:
- Assessment Details
- A training plan may list the range of assessment methods that will be used for each unit of competency. The training plan template example gives a range of assessment methods, however an SRTO should customise this information to suit its organisational processes.
2. Changing and preparing a new training plan
2.1 Changed training plan with the same SRTO
The parties to a training plan (original training plan) may change the training plan only if all parties agree and the qualification to be issued under the changed training plan is the same as would have been delivered and issued under the original training plan (refer to Section 17 of the regulation.)
The SRTO must take all reasonable steps to have the parties sign the changed training plan within 14 days after the parties agree to the change.
The SRTO must ensure that a copy of the signed, changed training plan is given to the apprentice or trainee and the employer within 7 days after the parties sign it.
2.2 New training plan with same SRTO
The parties to a training contract may agree to an amendment to the contract that, upon approval, would require a new training plan. For example: a change to the qualification.
2.3 New training plan required with a new SRTO
The parties to a training contract (including the guardian) may agree to replace an SRTO with another SRTO, using the process in Section 94 of the Act.
The training contract does not become void if the SRTO is replaced. The department must be advised in order to update the DELTA record.
The replaced SRTO must give the apprentice or trainee a statement of attainment stating the training completed under the training plan up to the "replacement day" (the day stated in the notice when the replacement becomes effective) (s.95).
When there is a change of SRTO, a new training plan must be drawn up and signed by the parties within 14 days of the effective "replacement day" (s.100).
3. Training record
The SRTO is responsible for providing each apprentice and trainee with an appropriate training record which must be issued within 14 days of the parties signing the training plan (s.20 of the Regulation).
The training record may be kept in any way the SRTO considers appropriate. For example, the training record may be a printed booklet or may be provided electronically.
Under an apprenticeship or traineeship the SRTO has an obligation to provide any necessary structured/off-the-job training, and the employer has an obligation to provide the necessary training in the workplace (on-the-job/workplace tasks). The purpose of a training record is to record this training.
Once the apprentice or trainee has undertaken structured/off-the-job training in the underpinning knowledge and skills relevant to a unit of competency, the SRTO must, at reasonable intervals of not more than 3 months, update the training record.
Once the employer supports that the apprentice or trainee has consistently demonstrated competent performance in the workplace tasks relevant to a unit of competency (i.e. the on-the-job training component), at reasonable intervals of not more than 3 months, the employer must update the training record.
- The SRTO must provide training to the apprentice or trainee of the underpinning knowledge and skills to enable the apprentice or trainee to apply that knowledge and skills to the workplace tasks associated with the unit of competency.
- The employer must ensure that the apprentice or trainee has learnt and practiced the workplace tasks associated with the unit of competency to industry and company standards.
A best practice training record would not only record the relevant information from the training package for the qualification such as the units of competency and elements, but also record the required workplace tasks expected of the apprentice or trainee.
A training record would include signatures and dates for each unit of competency.
- Employer's signature - supports that the apprentice or trainee is competent in the workplace for the unit of competency to industry and company standards. On the occasional instance that a workplace cannot offer the full range of work required for the qualification it is possible for the employer and SRTO to agree that a unit of competency can be undertaken either through a temporary assignment or, provided the training package permits, in a simulated environment that effectively mirrors the workplace requirements. In instances where the unit is simulated, the SRTO would sign the training record.
- Apprentice's or Trainee's signature - supports that he/she agrees he/she has the ability to competently perform the workplace tasks for the unit of competency.
- SRTO's signature - supports that structured/off the job training in the underpinning knowledge and skills has been completed.
The apprentice or trainee must keep the training record in their possession except when it is required for inspection or updating.
The SRTO and employer must give reasonable notice to the apprentice or trainee of the requirement to produce the training record.
The apprentice or trainee must produce the training record when required.
Once the apprentice or trainee has acquired the underpinning knowledge and skills (i.e. completed the structured/off-the-job component), and the employer is satisfied of the apprentice's or trainee's competence to industry and company standards (i.e. completed the on the job component/workplace tasks), the SRTO is responsible for making a judgement on whether competency has been achieved by undertaking an assessment process.
An SRTO must not award competence or, for those under a pre qualified supplier agreement, report a 20 or 30 AVETMISS Outcome Identifier Code, until the structured/off the job training has been delivered, the on the job component has been achieved, and assessment has occurred.
Authorisation
The information in this document accurately reflects the policy and procedures that apply to the obligations of the parties to the training plan and training records.
Original signed by Director, Training Services on 01/07/2006.
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Director
Queensland Apprenticeship and Traineeship Office
