range of variables (also called range statement) the part of a competency standard which specifies the range of contexts and conditions to which the performance criteria apply.
RATE (in full Register of Australian Tertiary Education) the qualifications system used in the higher education sector before the introduction of the Australian Qualifications Framework.
RCC see recognition of current competencies
RCVET see Research Centre for Vocational Education and Training
reciprocal recognition authority (or RRA) the recognition authority of the state or territory in which a registered training organisation operates through mutual recognition, while registered in a different state or territory. See also mutual recognition and primary recognition authority
recognition the formal approval of training organisations, products and services operating within the vocational education and training sector (as defined by state and territory legislation).
recognition authority see state recognition authority.
recognition of current competencies (or RCC) the acknowledgement of competencies currently held by a person, acquired through training, work or life experience. More commonly known as recognition of prior learning
recognition of prior learning (or RPL) the acknowledgement of a person’s skills and knowledge acquired through previous training, work or life experience, which may be used to grant status or credit in a subject or module.
Reframing The Future a staff development project aimed at helping trainers, teachers, and people in industry to understand and use training packages, the Australian Quality Training Framework, New Apprenticeships, user choice and other major vocational education and training initiatives.
refresher course a course which revises or updates previously acquired knowledge and skills.
registered training organisation (or RTO) an organisation registered by a state or territory recognition authority to deliver training and/or conduct assessments and issue nationally recognised qualifications in accordance with the Australian Quality Training Framework.
Registered training organisations include TAFE colleges and institutes, adult and community education providers, private providers, community organisations, schools, higher education institutions, commercial and enterprise training providers, industry bodies and other organisations meeting the registration requirements.
registration the authorisation of training organisations under the Australian Quality Training Framework to deliver training and/or conduct assessments and issue nationally recognised qualifications.
reliability (in assessment) the consistency of an assessment outcome; for example, different assessors using the same evidence making the same judgement, or the same assessor making the same judgement about the same evidence on different occasions.
renewal of registration - in relation to RTOs means the subsequent registration of a training organisation following an audit and evaluation, conducted prior to the expiry of the initial registration period, of a registered training organisation against the requirements of the Australian Recognition Framework Standards for Registered Training Organisation.
Research Centre for Vocational Education and Training (or RCVET) a research centre at the University of Technology, Sydney, an ANTA key research centre for 2000 –2002 under the Key Vocational Education and Training Research Centres National Project.
research centres for vocational education and training see ANTA key research centres
research partners are funded by ANTA to carry out a major research project over three years (2000-2002). The Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia, University of Tasmania is working on the role of VET in regional Australia. The National Research Centre for Post-Compulsory Education and Training, University of Melbourne/RMIT University is researching the experiences of young people in VET and higher education and those who leave school early and do not participate in education and training.
restructuring see award restructuring industry restructuring
retention rate the proportion of a group of students or participants starting who continue to a particular level, e.g.the proportion of school students who complete Year 12.
retraining training to facilitate entry to a new occupation.
risk management the systematic application of management policies, procedures and practices to the tasks of identifying, analysing, evaluating, treating and monitoring risk.
RPL see recognition of prior learning
RRA see reciprocal recognition authority
RTCA Rural Training Council of Australia Inc., a national industry training advisory body.
RTO see registered training organisation SAA Standards Association of Australia, now called Standards Australia.
SACE South Australian Certificate of Education. See also Senior Secondary Certificate of Education
sanctions means any action imposed for non-compliance with one or more of the Australian Quality Training Framework Standards for Registered Training Organisations, including: a. the imposition of specific conditions on registration; b. amendment of registration (including a reduction in the scope of registration); c. suspension or cancellation of registration; and d. the imposition of fines.
SATAC see South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre
SCC see Standards and Curriculum Council
scheduled hours the hours of teaching activity (including examination time) that the provider schedules for a module or unit of competency enrolment. Compare curriculum hours and nominal hours
school–industry program a program for Year 11 and 12 students which combines school learning with workplace learning. Many programs lead to advanced standing in an apprenticeship or traineeship or credit towards a vocational education and training course.
School to Work Program a government program aimed at developing partnerships between schools and industry, business and the vocational education and training sector in order to establish accredited vocational education and training.
school to work transition the process of transferring from school to the workforce or further study.
scope of registration the range of operations for which a training organisation is registered, including whether it may deliver training as well as assessment, the fields or industries in which it may deliver training or assessment, and the maximum level of qualifications it may issue.
scope of registration in relation to a training organisation means the identification of the particular services that the registered training organisation can provide. The scope of operation of a registered training organisation is also defined by specific Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications or competencies within Training Package/s and/or accredited courses.
SEAMEO VOCTECH Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education. secondary education education following primary education, comprising years 7 –12 (or 8 –12 in some states).
sector a division of a field of activity, e.g. the vocational education and training (VET) sector of further education, public and private VET sectors.
self-assessment a process in which learners or organisations assess their own performance against particular standards or criteria; (in competency-based training) a process in which learners assess their own performance against competency standards; (in quality endorsement) a process in which an organisation assesses the extent to which it satisfies the criteria for quality endorsement, identifying opportunities for improvement.
self-directed learning learning in which the learner is the principal driving force, deciding how, when, and at what pace learning takes place.
self-paced learning learning undertaken at a student ’s own pace.
Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (or SSCE) a national title for senior secondary school qualifications recognised by the Australian Qualifications Framework and issued by the state and territory governments. The Senior Secondary Certificate of Education may include vocational education and training units leading to a relevant Certificate I –IV qualification. Each state and territory has its own Senior Secondary Certificate of Education.
SES socio-economic status.
SFEU Scottish Further Education Unit.
short course a course of vocational education and training which stands alone and does not usually lead to a full qualification. A statement of attainment may be issued on successful completion.
simulator a device used especially in training to reproduce the conditions of the working situation, enabling tasks to be learned and practised safely and economically.
skill an ability to perform a particular mental or physical activity which may be developed by training or practice. See also basic skill generic skill
skill formation the development of skills or competencies which are relevant to the workforce.
skill recognition the recognition or acknowledgement of the validity of skills and qualifications by educational institutions, professional bodies, employers, registration authorities and other organisations.
skills analysis an identification of the skills or competencies needed for each job.
skills audit an identification of the skills required and held by the workforce.
skills centre an industry or enterprise-based training facility offering a range of accredited training to enterprise employees,industry groups and individuals. Skills centres may be in-plant or standalone, or may be linked with a college or group training company.
SkillShare a not-for-profit community-based organisation assisting unemployed people to obtain and retain work. See also Jobs Australia Ltd
SkillShare Program an education, training or employment- related program organised by a SkillShare centre or agency.
skills passport a record of the competencies possessed by a person and recognised through formal assessment. Proposed but not formally implemented in Australia.
skills recognition agency an organisation that provides an assessment service and issues qualifications and statements of attainment, but does not deliver training.
skills transfer the transfer of skills or competencies from one work context to another.
small business a business conducted on a small scale. The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines small businesses in the following way: In this publication small business refers to management units with less than 20 employees in all industries except manufacturing where they have less than 100 employees, and agriculture where they have an estimated value of agricultural operations of between $22 500 and $400 000. Source: ABS cat.no.1321.0, Small business in Australia, 1997, p.211
South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) receives and processes applications for the eight Institutes of TAFE and the three universities in SA.
special entry (also called alternative entry or alternative category entry) entry to a course by special arrangement where a student does not meet the standard entry requirements (usually Year 12 or equivalent).
SQA Scottish Qualifications Authority.
SRA state/territory recognition authority;see state recognition authority
SSCE see Senior Secondary Certificate of Education
STA state/territory training authority;see state training authority
stakeholder a person or organisation with an interest or concern in something. In vocational education and training, the stakeholders include governments, purchasers of training, providers of training, industry, industry training advisory bodies, clients and the community.
standard a level or measure of achievement; a statement of performance or outcome criteria. See also competency standard
Standards and Curriculum Council (or SCC) a body formed by an amalgamation of the National Training Board (NTB)and Australian Committee for Training Curriculum (ACTRAC) to enable a close link between standards and curriculum. The SCC was replaced by ANTA ’s National Training Framework Committee.
statement of attainment certification issued to a student for partial completion of a qualification, including, where relevant, the units of competency achieved under nationally endorsed standards. Achievements recognised by statements of attainment can accumulate towards a qualification within the Australian Qualifications Framework.
state or territory accrediting body means the body responsible under the state or territory vocational education and training legislation and decision making framework for all decisions relating to the administration of the accreditation of courses.
state recognition authority (or SRA); also called state/ territory recognition authority the body in each state or territory responsible for the registration of training organisations and the accreditation of courses where no relevant training package exists.
state training authority (or STA) also called state/territory training authority the body in each state or territory responsible for the operation of the vocational education and training system within that jurisdiction. Each state or territory training authority participates in the formulation of national policy, planning and objectives, and promotes and implements the agreed policies and priorities within the state or territory.
state training profile (also called state/territory training profile) a report which outlines the planned or actual provision of publicly-funded vocational education and training in a state or territory. Plans are also sent to the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) and are used in determining Australian Government funding to states and territories for vocational education and training.
status see credit
strategic industry audit the compliance audit of registered training organisations operating in a specific industry or industry sector targeted on the basis of identified risks relating to that industry or sector.
stream of study a classification which describes a course in terms of the level and type of its intended vocational outcome.
stream 1000 programs where the primary intention is recreation, leisure or personal enrichment and not the development of vocational knowledge or skills.
structured workplace learning (also called workplace learning and work placement) the on-the-job component of a VET in Schools program. The skills or ‘learning outcomes’ commonly reflect nationally recognised, industry-defined competency standards. The student is not paid by the employer.
student attrition see attrition
student contact hours the total nominal hours (supervised)for the modules undertaken.
student load (also called study load) the total student contact hours for the program(s) being undertaken, e.g.540 or more hours per year is considered a full-time student load.
SVQ Scottish Vocational Qualification.
syllabus an outline of a course or subject (module) which lists what is to be taught or learnt.
TAFE a publicly funded post-secondary organisation which provides a range of technical and vocational education and training courses and other programs,e.g.entry and bridging courses,language and literacy courses,adult basic education courses,Senior Secondary Certificate of Education courses,personal enrichment courses,and small business courses.Each state and territory has its own TAFE system.
2 an institution offering TAFE courses;a college or institute.
TAP Training for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders Program.
TAReC Tasmanian Accreditation and Recognition Committee.
task analysis a process of identifying the elements or steps which make up a task or activity, e.g. listing the elements and evidence required for a unit of competency.
TASTA Tasmanian State Training Authority.
TCE Tasmanian Certificate of Education.See also Senior Secondary Certificate of Education
TDCA Training Development Council of Australia.
TDT Transport and Distribution Training Australia,a national industry training advisory body.
teaching load a teacher ’s normal number of teaching lessons or class contact hours per week.
Technical and Further Education see TAFE
TEFL teaching English as a foreign language.
TER see tertiary entrance rank
tertiary admissions centre a central admissions office in some states for people applying for entry to undergraduate or other post-secondary courses. It administers a selection system on behalf of universities and, in some states, TAFE institutes and selected registered private providers. The Northern Territory and Tasmania do not have a central admissions office.
tertiary education formal education beyond secondary education, including higher education, vocational education and training, or other specialist post-secondary education or training; sometimes used to refer only to higher education. Also called post-secondary education or further education
tertiary entrance rank (or TER) a ranking of students (usually based on results in the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education) used by universities and some providers of vocational education and training courses when selecting the students who will be offered places in particular courses.
Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) is an incorporated body established in 1975 by Curtin University of Technology, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia. It processes applications for admission to undergraduate courses in WA and conducts the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT).
TESDA (in the Philippines) Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
TESL teaching English as a second language.
TESOL teaching English to speakers of other languages.
TISC see Tertiary Institutions Service Centre.
TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language.
total quality management (or TQM) a management system with a focus on customer satisfaction, involving a systematic approach to ensuring that products and services always meet defined standards and are subject to continuous improvement.
TQM see total quality management
TRAC Training for Retail and Commerce, a program involving school students in skills-based learning in the workplace, supplemented with off-the-job training.
trade course a course offered by a vocational education and training provider which covers the off-the-job requirements of an apprenticeship and supplements the on-the-job training, now being replaced by training package qualifications. See also apprenticeship
TRAIN Australian Training Information Network ,a national vocational education and training information service which has been discontinued.
trainee a person receiving training or undertaking a traineeship. See also New Apprenticeships apprentice
traineeship a system of vocational training combining off-the-job training at an approved training provider with on-the-job training and practical work experience. Traineeships generally take one to two years and are now a part of the New Apprenticeships system.
training the development of skills, knowledge, attitudes, competencies, etc.through instruction or practice.
training agreement see contract of training
training authority see state training authority and Australian National Training Authority
training awards see Australian Training Awards
training contract see contract of training
training culture an environment in which training is seen as important and is closely linked with business strategy, particularly in creating competitive advantage for an enterprise. Opportunities are given to all employees to participate in training to develop their skills and competencies.
training plan a program of training and assessment which forms part of a New Apprenticeship Training Contract and is registered with the relevant state or territory training authority.
Training Guarantee Scheme a former Australian Government initiative to encourage businesses to take responsibility for and provide training to their employees.
training market see open training market
training organisation an organisation which provides vocational education, training and/or assessment services. See also registered training organisation
training package an integrated set of nationally endorsed standards, guidelines and qualifications for training, assessing and recognising people ’s skills, developed by industry to meet the training needs of an industry or group of industries. Training packages consist of core endorsed components of competency standards, assessment guidelines and qualifications, and optional non-endorsed components of support materials such as learning strategies, assessment resources and professional development materials.
training program a set of education and training activities designed to achieve a specific vocational outcome, e.g.a course, module (subject), on-the-job training, etc.
training provider see vocational education and training provider
training reform agenda see national training reform agenda
transition program a program, class or course designed to prepare people for the transfer from one level of education to the next, or from education to the workforce. See also school to work transition
Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement (or TTMRA) an arrangement developed under the Australia and New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (ANZCERTA), providing for mutual recognition of registered occupations by the two countries.
TTA Tourism Training Australia, a national industry training advisory body.
TTMRA see Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement
TVE technical and vocational education, used as an equivalent term for vocational education and training (VET) in some overseas countries.
TVET technical and vocational education and training, used as an equivalent term for vocational education and training (VET) especially in the Asia-Pacific region. This is the term now used by UNESCO.