1. Berwyn Clayton Victoria university
Expanding apprentice responsibility in the assessment process: the competency progression challenge
Berwyn Clayton
Victoria university

2. Overview NVETR funded project
Research team – Hugh Guthrie, Pam Every and Regan Harding
Focus: to examine the impact of competency progression policy on the assessment of commercial cookery, metal fabrication and carpentry apprentices
Informants: 26 TAFE teachers and 21 workplace supervisors

3. COAG’s 2006 policy
All governments to set in place arrangements that allowed: ‘…apprentices and trainees to work as qualified tradespeople as soon as they demonstrated competency standards, without having to wait out a set period or make special application’

4. Policy intent
…to accelerate training for those who had the capacity to pick up skills and knowledge quickly, while acknowledging that competency- based progression would still allow the essential support for those that needed additional time to complete an apprenticeship.

5. Findings little change in the assessment of knowledge
a shift by the majority to more holistic assessment of practical tasks often undertaken collaboratively
some excellent instances of fully integrated training and assessment
technology critical in supporting the increased flexibility needed
considerable stress on apprentices as evidence-gatherers, but often with little understanding of how and what

6. Findings
apprentice understanding of quality evidence even more critical in a competency progression environment
apprentices were not necessarily made ready to gather evidence of own workplace performance
‘some of the guys do not have the skill sets and struggle. Others, the good ones, go over the top in collecting evidence’

7. Research beyond VET (Sadler 1989, McMillan & Hearn, 2008) stress:
importance of learners being given the opportunity and skills to evaluate their own performance
learners need to understand what high quality performance looks like
learners need to be able to compare in an objective way their own work against the standards required

8. Research beyond VET (cont’d)
integral to this are early feedback that informs improved practice and ready advice on how to proceed
involving learners in self and peer assessment enhances their engagement in the learning process
improved engagement means enhanced motivation which potentially leads to greater numbers progressing and completing

9. Conclusions
implementation of competency progression has expanded apprentice responsibility in the assessment process
requires even greater involvement of apprentices if policy goals are to be achieved
demands a more sophisticated understanding by apprentices and employers of options and opportunities
better information, guidance and support required to help in assessment decision-making

10. Conclusions
For apprentices to determine their readiness to move on they need:
more specific guidance and protocols for gathering evidence of their own performance in the workplace
to engage in ongoing conversations about performance benchmarks for competent performance particularly with regard to their workplace
teachers and supervisors to work together to build apprentice skills in self- and peer assessment so that they can realistically and confidently assess their readiness to progress