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Trade skills assessmentGetting it right for international markets

Michele Lucas Manager, Skills Recognition International

Promoting skills recognition & labour mobility

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25 trade occupations in 12 countries340 professional occupations

Skilled trade workers needed

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Applicant profile:

• have 5 years in their trade

• are predominantly male, aged between 25-40

• have international experience

• may or may not have formal qualifications

• wish to migrate for economic reasons

Assessing international skilled workers

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Quality assurance

Skilled welders — Case study

• Australia has a shortage of skilled welders

• Welding qualification is Certificate III in Engineering

• Approximately 36 competency standards

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Overview─ Assessment process

Assessed against Australian industry standards

Two-stage process applied

Benchmarks ─ AQF qualifications and units of competency

Documentaryevidence check

Practical assessment

Formal skills recognition Qualification issued to

successful candidates

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Stage 1: Documentary evidence check

Candidate submits evidence

Assessor reviews evidence

Proves their skills & knowledge against the qualification

Does the applicant have: 5 years’ skilled employment in their occupation the current technical skills and knowledge to meet

the Australian qualification requirements?

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Building a picture of competence

Resume

National welding qualification

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Building a picture of competence

Welding Test Certificate

Welding Performance Record

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Building a picture of competence

Structural Fabricator Certificate

Subic Shipyard and Engineering Inc.employee reference

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Building a picture of competence

Stage 2. Practical assessment

• Both knowledge and practical performance assessment

• In-country assessment venues

• Takes 7-8 hours

• Conducted in English

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Safety briefing

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Practical assessment tasks

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• Job safety analysis

• MIG welding

• TIG welding

• Stick welding

• Interpreting engineering drawings

Performance criteria applied

Performance specifications are used to evaluate and document what an individual can do.

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Performance observations

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Produce a fillet weld using Flux core welding Yes/No

Selected and used correct welding tools & equipment

Used correct arc length

Used correct filler wires / electrodes

Adjusted amperage correctly

Welds completed within tolerances of + or – 1 mm (leg length)

Welds free of defects, E.g. slags & inclusions, contaminations

Assessment outcome

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Successful outcome

Unsuccessful outcome

Nationally recognised qualification

• Partial qualification• Advice about training & further employment

experience required

Challenges (1)

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Practical assessments resource-intensive & costly

Comparability of international qualifications

Culturally-specific assessment standards

Rapidly changing industries

Challenges (2)

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Breadth of Australian qualifications

Trade occupations differ across borders

Lack of English of applicants

Recruiting skilled assessors

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