A training package is a set of nationally endorsed standards and qualifications for recognising and assessing people's skills in a specific industry, industry sector or enterprise.

Training packages describe the skills and knowledge that individuals need to perform effectively in the workplace. A training package does not describe how an individual should be trained. Teachers and trainers develop learning strategies—the 'how'—depending on learners' needs, abilities and circumstances. 

Training packages consist of a set of endorsed components and some have an associated collection of support materials.

1. Endorsed components:

Competency standards: these define the skills and knowledge, and how these are to be applied to operate effectively in employment;

Qualifications: groups of competency standards ranging from certificate I to advanced diploma;

Assessment guidelines: the industry's preferred approach to assessment, including the qualifications required by assessors, the design of assessment processes and how assessments should be conducted.

2. Support materials: 

Some training packages also have resources such as assessment materials, learning strategies and professional development materials, to support learning and assessment. Where these resources are not included in the training package, registered training organisations can access resources that have already been developed by training authorities and other training providers.

What is the role of the Registered Training Organisation?

The training package does not state how training is to be delivered, including mode of delivery and hours, or what the assessment methodology will be. These considerations are the responsibility of the registered training organisation. The training package provides guidance on assessment, but it is the responsibility of the registered training organisation to certify that the person has been assessed as competent against the standards.

On successful completion of a quality assurance process, training packages are endorsed by the National Training Quality Council, agreed to by State & Territory Ministers for Vocational Education and Training (VET) and  placed on the National Training Information Service at www.ntis.gov.au.

Each Training Package:
Provides an integrated set of nationally endorsed competency standards, assessment guidelines and qualifications for a specific industry, industry sector or enterprise,
Enables qualifications to be awarded through the direct assessment of competencies rather than against learning outcomes of a course,
Encourages the development and delivery of training which suits individual needs,
Encourages learning in a work environment (on-the-job, work experience, work simulation or by a combination of methods) which leads to verifiable workplace outcomes.

Training Packages are a key resource for the delivery of the structured training arrangements of Australian Apprenticeships and Traineeships.

Training meets the needs and requirements of industry to the standard set by industry;

Qualifications are consistent and nationally recognised, making it easier for students to move between States and Territories and for employers to hire people who have worked for other companies or moved from interstate;

Students have the flexibility to choose how, when and where the training is undertaken;

Individuals and businesses are assured of training and qualifications in areas that specifically suit the needs of the enterprise.

Implementation guides provide additional general and state-specific information to assist Registered Training Organisations, teachers, trainers and assessors in delivering training.  They define:

• Qualifications included in the training package;
• Registration processes and requirements for training organisations;
• How to correlate course information from older accredited courses or earlier versions of the Training Package with the latest endorsed qualifications (sometimes called mapping);
• Timelines for transferring students from old qualifications to new ones (sometimes called transitioning);
• Sample training programs;
• Industry licensing requirements;
• Contacts and resources;
• Apprenticeships and/or traineeships that include competencies or qualifications from the training package.

The Australian National Training Authority has funded the development of a central national implementation guide website at www.tpguides.gov.au which provides information from States and Territories about their requirements for implementing Training Packages.  National implementation guides are available on this website for several training packages.  Implementation guides are being added progressively as Training Packages are endorsed.

The review process is conducted in two phases:

Phase One: Feedback about the Training Package is collected from stakeholders over a period of six months.

Phase Two: The developer makes changes and additions based on the findings from the first phase.  Further extensive consultation and validation occurs during this phase, before the reviewed package is submitted for evaluation and re-endorsement.

How to get involved in the review process...

There are a number of ways to become involved in the review of a Training Package:

• Make contact with the developers and/or reviewers;
• Contact industry associations to be involved in their consultations;
• Talk to others who are involved in the review process;
• Read industry and VET literature;
• Participate in industry reference groups and surveys;
• Access industry websites.

More information

Contact Australian Training Products at www.atpl.net.au or visit the National Training Information Service website at www.nits.gov.au.  Up-to-date contact details for the Industry Skills Councils are available on the Department of Education, Science & Training  website at www.dest.gov.au