Property Training Qld
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Training and assessment

All training and assessment is competency based. Competency based systems assess students on the basis of their competency, that is, whether or not they can perform a task.

The emphasis is not on how well students can perform (whether they get 88/100 or 52/100) but on whether or not students can do the required task.
For all completed units a student's achievement will be graded as either Competent (J) in the learning outcomes, or Yet to be Achieved (M).
In the event of a student not obtaining competency in a module, the student may re-submit work for assessment, but it must be received by the date specified.

A student may re-submit work for assessment on a maximum of two occasions before a final grade is given.

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Access and equity

The implementation of education and assessment processes within Property Training Qld shall be guided by social justice principles related to access; participation; equity and equality. Directed by the consumers of Property Training Qld education, accredited training will be provided, as applicable, within the guidelines of the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF).

Access and Equity Guidelines

• Client-focused approach to ensure processes and education products and services meet the specific needs of our market segments.
• Provision of opportunities for individuals to participate in quality vocational education and training and in associated decisions that impact on their learning.
• Promotion of processes that ensure the right of equality of opportunity without discrimination.
• Fair allocation of resources to ensure access and equity for all individuals.

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Fees policy

Fees charged by Property Training Qld are reviewed annually to ensure that they are fair, competitive and realistic.

Clients can be guaranteed that their fees will be:

• kept in a separate account;
• accessed only when the service is rendered or when the fee becomes non-refundable.

The costing of training, as set by the CEO will be both fair and realistic. Rates will be informed by the principles of access and equity, while reflecting the costs of delivery and organisational priorities.

Negotiation may be necessary in some instances to ensure the effectiveness of this policy.

Goods and Services Tax: PTQ courses are GST free.

Refund policy

Property Training Qld has a refund process that is fair and equitable for all.

Classroom Training
If Property Training Qld has to cancel a training session, students will be notified and will be entitled to a full refund.

Fees paid in advance for classroom-based courses are refunded, less a $75.00 Administration Fee, provided a minimum of 24 hours notice is given before the commencement date.

Once a course has begun there are no refunds available.

Correspondence Training
For students studying by correspondence, a refund of the applicable course fee, less a $75.00 Administration Fee, is available where a written request for a refund is received within 7 days of payment, AND the relevant course materials are returned to the College unopened.

Once an assessment/assignment has been submitted to the College, there is no refund.

Online Training
Students studying online have six months from the date of initial logon to complete their course. For students studying a course online, refunds, less a $75 Administration Fee, are only available where they have not logged on to the website and commenced using the learning materials.

Students who have not logged into the course within six months of enrolment and/or who have not submitted any material or assessment within six months of the initial logon, will be deemed to be inactive and will have their enrolment terminated without refund.

General Information Regarding Refunds and Course Fees
Registration and course fees may be transferred to another person provided he/she meets the course entry requirements. Alternatively, registration and course fees can be transferred to a future course.

In all other cases where exceptional circumstances prevail, a written application for a refund of all or part of prepaid fees may be submitted to the CEO. The CEO will be the sole arbiter in all such decisions.

Records and privacy

Learner records will be stored in secure, lockable storage facilities to prevent unauthorised access, destruction, alteration or removal. Access will be limited to authorised staff and the individual learners to protect the confidentiality of learner information.

Learner records comprise all information relating to the individual learner including:

• Enrolment
• Course register
• Learner database
• Assessment report
• Storage facilities include:
• Locked filing cabinet
• Password protected database
• Backup

All data stored on Property Training Qld's network will be subject to a back up on a weekly basis to protect the loss of files. Back up data will be stored off site.

Security/Confidentiality
All Property Training Qld staff who have access to learner records have a responsibility to ensure that confidential information is not inappropriately released or taken from the centre.

Staff Access
Access to learners’ records will be limited to CEO and Administration Officer.

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Learner Access
A learner may apply, to the CEO, and gain access to their individual records. A copy may be held or given out on the request of the learner subject to their authorisation. Authorisation will be sought from learners to provide information for external reporting requirements eg. external audits, AVETMISS, external funding purposes.

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Learners with support needs

Property Training Qld will aim to provide, based upon resources and organisational priorities, appropriate arrangements for learners with:

• Hearing Impairment
• Visual Impairment
• Physical Impairment
• Intellectual Impairment
• Learning Disability
• Psychiatric Difficulty

To ensure fair and equitable access to educational opportunities so that no learner is at a disadvantage.

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Recognition of prior learning and surrent competence

Applicants who consider they already possess the competencies developed through some or all of the modules shall be granted credit upon substation of that claim. The recognition of prior learning process (RPL) or recognition of current competence(RCC) process acknowledges that such skill and knowledge gained through:

• formal training conducted by industry or educational agencies in Australia or overseas;
• work experience (informal training) and/or
• life experience

Definition:
Recognition of prior learning is the process by which individuals can have their prior qualifications and informal learning recognised formally through assessment. Recognition of current competence is the term used when individuals want the skills and knowledge that they are currently using for a particular job/role recognised. (Adapted from ANTA 1999)

Procedure:
Accredited assessors with industry experience will be available to provide guidance and support to learners seeking RPL/RCC.

Learners seeking to gain credit through RPL/RCC should do a thorough self-assessment against the competency standards for which they wish to gain recognition and collect evidence to support their application. Types of evidence may include:

• products of work;
• witness testimony;
• qualifications;
• courses completed;
• evidence of work achievements

They should then contact the Assessment Coordinator to discuss the specific requirements and processes for RPL/RCC.

Methods of assessment may include:

• Practical demonstrations/simulations
• Workplace performance
• Oral questioning
• Reports or projects
• Short written answers

RPL/RCC assessment will be documented as either:

• full RPL/RCC for the Certificate
• partial recognition (by unit)
  in which case Statements of Attainment will be issued
• further evidence/assessment required
• RPL/RCC evidence supplied did not meet the performance criteria.

Applicants will have the opportunity to appeal assessment decisions (See Grievance/appeals policy and procedure).

Principles
The key principles governing the recognition of prior learning (RPL) for Queensland ’s Vocational Education and Training Systems are those specified in Principle 12 of the national Assessment Principles which states:

12. Assessment processes shall provide for the recognition of current competencies regardless of where they may have been acquired.

12.1 Recognition of prior learning focuses on identifying the endorsed industry/enterprise competency standards currently held by individuals as a result of informal and informal training, not how, when or where the learning occurred.

12.2 Recognition of prior learning underpins any system of competency based training. It is essential that the Registered Training Organisation has a demonstrable commitment to recognising the prior learning of individuals.

12.3 Recognition of prior learning shall be available to all potential applicants.

12.4 Recognition of prior learning shall involve a process that is fair to all parties involved.

12.5 Recognition of prior learning shall involve the provision of adequate support for potential applicants.

The Key Principles of Assessment in RPL/RCC
The RPL and RCC assessment process for Queensland ’s education and training system are those specified in the National Assessment Principle 8 which includes the following:

1. Validity
   Assessments should cover the range of skills and knowledge needed to demonstrate competency. Assessment of competency should be a process that integrates knowledge and skills with their practical application. Assessment of a learner’s competency should be judged on evidence gathered on a number of occasions and in a variety of contexts of situations. The evidence should be collected from activities and tasks that can be clearly related to the unit of competency or learning outcomes specified and demonstrate that the performance criteria have been met. (Note: Assessments are valid when they assess what they claim to assess)

2. Reliability
   Assessment practices should be monitored and reviewed to ensure that there is consistency in the interpretation of evidence. Assessors should be competent in terms of the national competency standards for assessors. Assessors should have adequate knowledge of the area of competency they are assessing. (Note: Without reliable assessments there can be no comparability of credentials)

3. Flexibility
   Assessment should cover both the on and off-the-job components of training. Assessment procedures should provide for the recognition of competencies no matter how, where or when they have been acquired. Assessment procedures should be made accessible to learners so that they can proceed readily from one competency standard to another.

4. Fairness
   Assessment practices and methods should be equitable to all groups of learners. Assessment procedures and the criteria for judging performance should be made clear to all learners seeking assessment.
   
   Assessment should be participatory. The process of assessment should be jointly developed/ agreed between the assessor and the assessee.
   
   Opportunities should be provided to allow learners to challenge assessments and provision should be made for reassessment.

5. Risk Management and Quality Assurance
   The extent of recognition sought may be up to one hundred per cent.
   It is acknowledged that there is a higher risk associated with this degree of recognition. The amount of risk in RPL/RCC process is directly related to the amount of evidence to be collected; the degree of rigor required; the number of assessors to be used; and the costs of implementing RPL/RCC processes. The general principle to be observed in that:
   
   As the level of risk increases there should be a corresponding increase in the ragout of the RPL/RCC processes. The increased ragout can be achieved through requiring more evidence of higher quality and the involvement of more assessors to review the evidence and make the final assessment decision.

6. Fees and Charges for RPL Services
   In determining fees and charges for Recognition of Prior Learning/Recognition of Current Competence services the principles of access and fairness should be applied.

7. Stages of the RPL Process
   The RPL process will include the following stages:

   • Inquiry
   • Information
   • Initial Support and Counselling;
   • Application;
   • Learner Support
   • Assessment;
   • Post-assessment guidance;
   • Certification.

8. Implementation
   The Quality Improvement processes of PTQ will guide the implementation and development of this policy.

9. References
   Administrative and Procedural Manual for the Recognition of Prior Learning, Department of Employment, Vocational Education, Training and Industrial Relations: Queensland , 1993

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Grievances and appeals

Clients have the right to express grievances, concerns or dissatisfaction with any element of Property Training Qld's training/assessment without adverse consequence. Property Training Qld is committed to providing a fair and equitable process for dealing with learner grievances/appeals. In the event that grievances cannot be resolved internally, Property Training Qld will advise learners of the appropriate authorities where they can seek further assistance.

Principles of fairness & equity underpin the procedures outlined in this policy. Such principles are in line with Property Training Qld's Access and Equity Policy that states:

"... the implementation of training and development processes within Property Training Qld shall be guided by social justice principles related to access; participation; equity and equality".

Grievance procedure
Clients will firstly attempt to resolve the grievance with the individual staff member responsible for the issue. All grievances/complaints and their actions will be recorded in the Systems Improvement Request (SIR) log. If the grievance is not resolved at this point, the dispute or claim shall be presented to the CEO for settlement.

Where these attempts at settlement have failed, or where the dispute or claim is of such a nature that direct discussion between the learner and the Educator would be inappropriate, the learner may go directly to the Chief Executive Officer, who shall arrange a meeting between the parties in dispute, and/or their representatives, within seven working days of notification of the dispute.

At such a meeting, the client and the staff member and or their representative(s) shall outline their concerns. Where it is agreed that a serious problem exists, the meeting shall attempt to reach agreement on action to resolve the problem and where appropriate, a timetable for review of the action resolved to be taken shall be formulated.

Whilst this conciliatory procedure is being followed, the client shall continue to participate in the education services offered by Property Training Qld and if necessary the client shall be given alternative means to continue such participation to ensure that they are not unduly disadvantaged.

Unless it is agreed that a serious problem does not exist, the parties shall separately or jointly prepare (as soon as possible afterwards) a record of the relevant facts and the outcome of the meeting, to be placed on the clients/learners records. This record shall remain strictly confidential between the parties attending the meeting, except by agreement between the parties. The client's/learners record/file shall be kept in a secure place and shall be accessible to all parties present at the meeting.

Where the parties agree that there is no longer cause for serious concern or that no further action is warranted, this shall be jointly stated on the learner's records as soon as possible afterwards. Unless the same problem arises within one month thereafter, all references to the problem shall then be deleted from the records.

If the resolution of the dispute fails then the matter can be taken up with an independent mediation and conciliation service that will seek a meeting of all parties.

The agreements reached at this meeting will be faithfully adhered to by PTQ. If this cannot be achieved then the learner will be notified to contact the Training Recognition Council. Where the concerns relate to allegations of harassment or intimidation on the basis of gender, race, sexuality or physical disability then the assistance of the Anti-discrimination Commission of Queensland will be sought.

If the issue pertains to assessment learners have a maximum period of six weeks in which they can appeal against their results.