Skills Recognition in the Australian Context

 Oversees skills recognition and RPL
So many people have not had the opportunity to studySkills recognition and RPL is a great way to obtain an
fulltime due to a broad variety of reasons.Australian nationally recognised qualification if you are
Having not had the opportunity to study should notwere living oversees for most of your life.  It is
keep an individual from obtaining an accredited,irrelevant how or where you acquired your skills and
nationally recognized qualification, which can stimulateexperience as long as you can demonstrate that you
future employment opportunities, open globalhave them, and that they apply to the subjects in the
recognition or give the individual credits towards furtherqualification you want.
study opportunities. 
The Australian government has acknowledged theWhat are the benefits of formal recognition?
need for Skills Recognition for people actively involvedIf skills recognition and/or RPL is done before you enroll
in their industries.for a qualification it makes obtaining your qualification
 more time and cost efficient, and a lot more rewarding.
But what exactly is Skills Recognition?Getting a qualification by skills recognition and RPL cost
Skills recognition refers to skills and knowledge youless because you're not paying to learn things you are
have already gained through on-the-job experiencealready competent in.
(a.k.a. informal learning).  Skills recognition may countFurthermore (according to the South Australian
towards an Australian nationally recognizedGovernment publication ‘Skilled?  Need the Paper
qualification.to prove it?") formal recognition of your skills could help
 you with:
What is RPL?• improved job security
RPL stands for ‘recognition of prior learning'. • re-entry to the workplace
Some international educational institutions refer to RPL• job promotion
as ‘credit transfer'.  If you have previously done• career change
some formal studies you may get credit (RPL) for it in• moving from volunteer work to paid employment
your new qualification.  In other words:  RPL means• moving on from redundancy or unemployment
if you have already completed a subject then you• reduced study load
don't have to do that subject again.• improved career development
Both Skills Recognition as well as RPL is endorsed by• better planning of future training
the Australian Government.• entry into a training course.
There are organizations like the Continental Education 
Consultancy Group that provide a user-friendly SkillsIt is good to know that there are alternative,
Recognition processes to enable individuals togovernment endorsed methods to obtain formal
maximize their qualification outcomes.recognition for work experience by way of nationally
 recognized qualifications.