Student Handbook

FiT is committed to delivering high-quality training and assessment services that exceed the expectations of their students. To ensure this, FiT has implemented processes for data collection and analysis within its operations that ensure the continuous improvement of training and assessment. Continuous improvement measures in this area respond to the results of data analysis and involve all internal and external stakeholder groups.

The quality and continuous improvement policy and procedure defines the methods of data collection and analysis. In order to provide high-quality outcomes to their clients and students, FiT ensures that strategies for training and assessment are developed with effective consultation with industry and stakeholders.

Training and assessment strategies developed by FiT will adhere to the following principles:

• Training and assessment strategies are developed for each qualification/unit of competency that will be delivered and
• All training programs will require the development of a training and assessment strategy for full and partial completion of a
• Each training and assessment strategy will be developed in consultation with industry representatives, trainers, assessors and key
• Training and assessment strategies will reflect the requirements of the relevant training package and will identify target
• Training and assessment strategies will be validated annually through the internal review

Quality training and assessment principles

FiT will apply the principles of assessment and the rules of evidence.

Principles of assessment

To ensure quality outcomes, assessment should be:

• Fair
• Flexible
• Valid
• Reliable

Fair

Fairness in assessment requires consideration of the individual student’s needs and characteristics, and any reasonable adjustments that need to be applied to take account of them. It requires clear communication between the assessor and the student to ensure that the student is fully informed about, understands and is able to participate in the assessment process, and agrees that the process is appropriate. It also includes an opportunity for the person being assessed to challenge the result of the assessment and to be re-assessed if necessary.

Flexible

To be flexible, assessment should reflect the student’s needs; provide for recognition of competencies no matter how, where or when they have been acquired; draw on a range of methods appropriate to the context, competency and the student; and support continuous competency development.

Valid

Assessment is valid when the process is sound and assesses what it claims to assess. Validity requires that:

• Assessment against the units of competency must cover the broad range of skills.
• Knowledge that are essential to competent performance.
• Assessment of knowledge and skills must be integrated with their practical application.
• Judgement of competence must be based on sufficient evidence (that is, evidence gathered on several occasions and in a range of contexts using different assessment methods). The specific evidence requirements of each unit of competency provide advice on sufficiency.

Reliable

Reliability refers to the degree to which evidence presented for assessment is consistently interpreted and results in consistent assessment outcomes. Reliability requires the assessor to have the essential competencies in assessment and relevant vocational competencies. It can only be achieved when assessors share a common interpretation of the assessment requirements of the unit(s) being assessed.

Rules of evidence

These are closely related to the principles of assessment and provide guidance on the collection of evidence to ensure that it is:

• Valid
• Sufficient
• Authentic
• Current

Valid

Assessment is valid when the process is sound and assesses what it claims to assess. Validity requires that:

• Assessment against the units of competency must cover the broad range of skills.
• Knowledge that are essential to competent performance.
• Assessment of knowledge and skills must be integrated with their practical application.
• Judgement of competence must be based on sufficient evidence (that is, evidence gathered on several occasions and in a range of contexts using different assessment methods). The specific evidence requirements of each unit of competency provide advice on sufficiency.

Sufficient

Sufficiency relates to the quality and quantity of evidence assessed. It requires collection of enough appropriate evidence to ensure that all aspects of competency have been satisfied and that competency can be demonstrated repeatedly.

Supplementary sources of evidence may be necessary. The specific evidence requirements of each unit of competency provide advice on sufficiency.

Authentic

To accept evidence as authentic, an assessor must be assured that the evidence presented for assessment is the student’s own work.

Current

In assessment, currency relates to the age of the evidence presented by a student to demonstrate that they are still competent. Competency requires demonstration of current performance, so the evidence collected must be from either the present or the very recent past.

To maximise the outcomes for students, FiT ensures that every opportunity to connect training and assessment with the workplace is utilised. Opportunities will be developed in consultation with the relevant workplace personnel and responsibilities clearly communicated to all involved.

To identify a range of delivery and assessment methods that meet a variety of needs, an ongoing schedule of industry liaison and consultation will be adhered to. These consultations will be documented with meetings and memorandums acknowledged by those industry and enterprise representatives involved in consultation relative to the development of assessment strategies.

Students enrolled in a traineeship program will normally be working for an employer within the industry. Employers are charged a contribution fee towards the cost of training and assessment, which is in-line with the User Choice contract guidelines.

FiT will:

• Involve workplace personnel in planning workplace programs, where they are relevant to the training and assessment program.
• Ensure that the training and assessment program makes full use of opportunities at the workplace.
• Monitor each student’s progress and the support provided to them by workplace personnel.
• Consult with workplace personnel in the development of workplace training and assessment processes.
• Inform workplace personnel of their training and assessment roles and responsibilities, and accept these responsibilities, where relevant to the training and assessment program.
• Monitor support provided to each student by workplace personnel.
• Monitor the student’s progress.

Information from workplace personnel is used to continuously improve training and assessment. Several programs that engage employers or other parties who contribute to each learner’s training, assessment and support services to meet their individual needs are available.

FiT acknowledges the critical role that assessment plays in determining the competency of students. In developing the assessment (including RPL) for each qualification and unit of competence, the CEO will ensure:

• Compliance with the assessment guidelines from the relevant training package, qualification and unit of competence of accredited course.
• Assessment leads to a qualification or statement of attainment under the AQF.
• Assessment complies with the principles of competency-based assessment and informs the student of the purpose and context of the assessment.
• The rules of evidence guide the collection of evidence to support the principles of validity and reliability.
• The application of knowledge and skills is relevant to the standard expected in the workplace, including skills for managing work tasks, contingencies and the job environment.
• Timely and appropriate feedback is given to students.
• Assessment complies with FIT’s access and equity policy.
• All students have access to re-assessment on appeal.

FiT implements an assessment system that ensures that assessment (including RPL) complies with the assessment requirements of the relevant training package or VET accredited course. FiT recognises that each unit of competency contains assessment requirements relating to: performance evidence, knowledge evidence and assessment conditions.

It is the intention of the CEO that all students will receive the full training services paid for at all times, including but not limited to training and assessment, assessment only, RPL or short courses. The corporate structure, governance and financial management systems and processes guarantee the training for students enrolled with FiT. Specifically, the integrity, business experience and training expertise of the CEO ensure continuity of training and completion of training is guaranteed for all students. The continuous improvement and quality management practices employed by FiT’s CEO and staff are designed to pro-actively identify any anomaly that might cause a business interruption or training failure, and address this situation before any students are affected.

Training continuity and completion is also guaranteed by the quality management and operational framework procedure developed by FiT. For example; the recruitment, induction and staff professional development policies and procedures ensure best practice and minimise the potential for business interruption or training failure.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) means recognition of competencies currently held, regardless of how, when or where the learning occurred. These competencies may be attained through any combination of formal or informal training and education, work experience or general life experience. In order to grant RPL, the assessor must be confident that the student is currently competent against the endorsed industry or enterprise competency standards or outcomes specified in AQF accredited courses. The evidence may take a variety of forms and could include certification, references from past employers, testimonials from clients and work samples. The assessor must ensure that the evidence is authentic, valid, reliable, current and sufficient.

FiT appreciates the value of workplace and industry experience and recognises that students will acquire vocational skills and knowledge from a variety of sources other than formal training. These skills are legitimate irrespective of how they were acquired and the RPL process is designed to provide validation of such relevant skills.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an assessment process that assesses an individual’s formal, non-formal and informal learning to determine the extent to which that individual has achieved the required learning outcomes, competency outcomes, or standards for entry to, and/or partial or total completion of a VET qualification.

The recognition of prior learning (RPL) process will be offered to and explained to all relevant students. All students will have access to FiT’s RPL policy which is contained in the FiT student handbook and is available on request.

Students who believe they have already obtained current skills and knowledge that would otherwise be covered in the qualification/unit of competence for which they intend to attain should apply for RPL at the time of enrolment. The student’s skills and knowledge will be assessed and validated, and where appropriate, units of competency acknowledged and face-to-face training reduced.

As part of the FiT enrolment policy, trainers will advise students of the availability of RPL policy, explain what the process involves and how it relates to the attainment of the qualification in some circumstances. Trainers will remind students of this option progressively throughout their time in training, in order to provide multiple opportunities for students to engage in the RPL process.

When approached by a student seeking RPL, trainers will:

• Provide the students with copies of an RPL Kit
• Provide the students with information about the types of evidence that can be used to support an RPL application
• Assess the student’s information and notify students of the outcome of the RPL process

Recognition of prior learning fee

The student will be charged an upfront application fee of the scheduled course fee is required, please enquire within. This includes the initial application, consultation either in person or via phone with the suitably qualified assessor, the RPL assessment and (if successful) certification. If the student is deemed competent in all units of competency for the qualification they have enrolled in then the below fees are required to be paid on completion:

SIS30315 Certificate III in Fitness $960.00

SIS40215 Certificate IV in Fitness $1200.00

Where the student is not able to achieve the full qualification through RPL and gap training is required, a training plan and costing structure will be mutually agreed upon. The basis of the cost structure will be pro-rata on a unit by unit basis based on the scheduled course fee.