About RPL

RPL – Recognition of Prior Learning – Building and Construction courses

RPL means Recognition of Prior Learning. Sometimes people refer to it as Trade Assessment
It is a process where we can assess your current Skills, Knowledge and Experience against the requirements of a Qualification, or Units of Competency (Subjects) from a Qualification, regardless of how or where you gained that experience.
Recognition of Prior Learning is a proven, Industry accepted method of achieving your Qualification, and Qualifications awarded by Australian School of Finishing Trades are Nationally Recognised in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Get Involved

In order for your skills to be formally recognised as part of a national qualification, ASFT Assessors must make sure that you (the candidate) have the required skills and knowledge to meet the industry standard as specified in the relevant Training Package.
You must be involved in the RPL process so that all the Skills, Knowledge and Experience you have gained over time can be correctly identified and suitably demonstrated. This evidence is gathered and used in recognition of all or some of the units for the qualification you wish to gain.

What do I need?

To gain a Qualification through the RPL process, you must be able to demonstrate Skills, Knowledge and Experience in your field. You can use a combination of different types of Evidence to do this, but remember, you must be able to prove that You have been doing the work.

All assessment requirements will be discussed with you in advance and you will be given the opportunity to ask questions and clarify requirements. Being prepared for the assessment process and knowing what you need to provide can save you valuable time and ensure that the RPL assessment is as simple and stress-free as possible.

How do I start?

You can send your initial enquiry via our Contact Form.

List the Qualification you wish to gain, and your contact details. It also helps if you can tell us a little about yourself and your work history etc

An ASFT Assessor will then contact you, and send you a free Skills Assessment pack and Student Information.

Getting Enrolled

Eligible Students will be sent our ASFT Enrolment Forms and Application Forms.

You should complete and return these Forms as soon as possible. We are happy to work with you at your pace, however some parts of the process cannot proceed until we have the paperwork.

Where do I send my Evidence?

There are a couple of ways we can do this. You can collect all of your Evidence and submit to us in one go, or you can email your evidence as you collect it, and our Assessor will collate the Evidence to the Units of Competency, and keep you advised on what else you should collect.

Our Assessor will discuss this with you and arrange a method that suits your requirements.

When will I have enough Evidence?

Our Assessor will keep you informed along the way, and guide you in areas where we need more information.

Remember, we need to gather SUFFICIENT Evidence to meet the requirements of all of the Units of Competency in the Qualification.

This Evidence may be a combination of Documentation, Questioning and Discussions, and Observation of you conducting work tasks.

Once our Assessor has collected sufficient Evidence for all the Units, we will advise you and finalise your Assessment.

When will I receive my Qualification?

Your completed Assessment for Recognition of Prior Learning will be reviewed for completeness by our Training Manager.

Our Training Manager will check that all the Units have been addressed correctly, that we have sufficient Student ID, and that the Student Fees have been paid.

We will then forward to you your Nationally Recognised Training Qualification and Record of Results, or if you are only doing part of a Qualification, we will send you your Statement of Attainment.

So what am I waiting for?

The Management and Assessment Team at Australian School of Finishing Trades are Construction Industry veterans. We fully understand the time constraints with work, family, running a business, and having a meaningful Social life.

Our systems are designed to make the RPL process as seamless and efficient as possible. We work at your pace, so if you’re ready, and have your Evidence available, we can get you started straight away. If you need a little time to collect your information, we are here to help, and provide any guidance we can.

So lets get to it!!!