In today’s vocational education and training (VET) landscape, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is more than just a fast-track to a qualification. It’s a critical process that supports both regulatory compliance and the ethical delivery of education. For experienced professionals, RPL provides a way to have existing skills recognised formally. But the process must be handled with care, precision, and integrity.
RPL and Compliance: Getting It Right Matters
With tighter regulation across the VET sector, compliance has never been more important. The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) continues to crack down on RTOs whose RPL practices do not meet the requirements of the Standards for RTOs. Qualifications have been revoked, providers have faced penalties, and learners have been left with invalid credentials, all due to non-compliant or poorly–executed RPL processes.
RPL must be supported by robust, mapped, and authentic evidence. It’s not about simply recognising that someone has been doing “a version” of the role; it’s about proving that the person meets every element of every performance and knowledge requirement of a nationally recognised unit of competency. This is especially critical in qualifications like the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, where the responsibility of assessing others is at the core of the role.
When Should Alarm Bells Start Ringing: Not All Experience Equals RPL
If a provider offers you an RPL pathway despite you having little or no experience training and assessing against nationally recognised units of competency, that should raise serious red flags.
If you’ve only ever delivered informal or non-accredited workplace training, even if you’ve done it for years, your experience alone may not be enough for a full RPL outcome. Ethical and compliant RTOs will tell you this upfront and may recommend a blended approach that includes both RPL and gap training. Providers who promise a quick, easy RPL outcome without truly assessing your eligibility may be placing you, your qualification, and your future students, at risk.
The Ethical Obligation: Your Career, Your Students
As a trainer or assessor, your qualification is more than a piece of paper; it’s a commitment to delivering safe, fair, and effective learning experiences. If an RPL process fails to properly assess your capabilities, you may find yourself in a classroom unprepared to deliver or assess to standard.
This not only undermines your professional confidence but also affects the outcomes of your learners. Ethical practice in the VET sector means ensuring you’re truly competent, not just credentialed, and that you’re passing on accurate, industry-aligned knowledge to those who rely on you.
A Future-Proof Approach
With the rollout of the updated TAE40122 and broader reforms in the sector, it’s essential now more than ever to choose a provider who takes RPL seriously. A compliant RPL process should be thorough, mapped to current training package requirements, and supported by experienced assessors. It should never be a checkbox exercise or a “quick win.”
Ask the tough questions. Be honest about your experience. And if you’re told you can be RPL’d without having delivered or assessed nationally-recognised training, seek a second opinion; it could protect your future.
RPL can be a powerful and legitimate pathway to formal recognition, but only when approached with rigour and respect for the standards. As professionals in VET, we have an obligation to ensure our qualifications are earned, not just awarded. By choosing an ethical and compliant provider, and engaging honestly in the RPL process, you’re investing in your future and the future of the students who will rely on you.