The benefits of enabling electronic access to learner information for formal verification are addressed in a new positioning paper.

 

The Australian Flexible Learning Framework has released a research paper, Accessing VET Learner Attainment Data,  that investigates the ability of registered training organisations (RTOs) to provide learner-facilitated electronic access to their vocational education and training (VET) learner attainment data, such as qualifications and units of competency.

 

Electronic verification has the potential to help streamline employment applications, course admissions and RPL (recognition of prior learning) processes. 

 

Currently this information is managed by RTOs and, the paper argues, could potentially be made available to employers, licensing bodies, recruitment agencies and educational admissions centres through online spaces.

 

National VET data strategy initiatives, such as a unique student identifier (USI), could provide a means for learners to ‘facilitate’ access by third parties to the VET training records via their e-portfolio, either directly or via a learner record system, such as the proposed National Qualification Register.

 

The paper highlights the benefits of such an approach in terms of efficiency and service provision, as well as how it can be achieved.

 

Key stakeholders, including VET managers of learner information, VET system regulators and data collection managers, e-portfolio system implementers and developers and learners, were consulted for this paper.

 

The paper covers:

 

  • Stating the case – the benefits and business efficiencies that can be achieved through learner-facilitated electronic access to their VET attainment data.
  • Setting the scene – the current landscape for collecting VET learner attainment data in Australia. 
  • Issues in repurposing VET data collection – the possibilities for using the existing VET vertical reporting arrangements and issues around AVETMISS(Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard). 
  • Models for learner-facilitated access – the ways in which learners, RTOs and governments facilitate VET learner attainment data workflows.
  • Supporting government initiatives and the AQTF – an analysis of how learner facilitated access to their VET attainment data could meet government initiatives.
  • Attitudes and willingness – survey findings on the readiness of RTOs to provide learner-facilitated electronic access to their VET learner attainment data.  

 

One key recommendation is for the Framework to continue lobbying VET data collection agencies, such as NCVER and jurisdictional VET collection bodies, to ensure that any systems developed to improve their processes can also be used to enable learner-facilitated electronic access to their VET attainment data.

 

The paper builds on previous Framework research, Verifying VET Learner Attainment Data, and supports the ‘verification’ goal from the Framework’s VET E-portfolio Roadmap, a national strategic tool designed to support the introduction and use of e-portfolios to support lifelong learning in the VET sector.