Government Skills Australia

Endorsement 

The result of the endorsement support process has been inconclusive, with several key stakeholders raising issues. Support for endorsement is conditional on the resolution or satisfactory addressing of these issues. Following negotiations with DEEWR, the project will have a final extension to 31 March 2010, when it is hoped that agreement on resolution strategies can be reached with key stakeholders.

Issues raised in the endorsement round of consultations

• The potential that the qualifications will be difficult to complete because of cost, length and difficulty, and that this will disadvantage candidates who will have to pay more if they have to repeat units of competency.  
• The separation of interpreting and translating in the qualifications which overlooks the current delivery by some training providers of joint qualifications.
• The need for clear descriptions of articulation between these VET qualifications and university qualifications.
• The need for a proscriptive level of language proficiency in the entry requirements for the qualifications.
• Guarantees that the introduction of these qualifications will not lower the standards and quality of training.

Strategies to address the issues 

1. Government Skills Australia, in collaboration with DEEWR and NAATI, will convene a working party to facilitate the resolution of the issues with membership from those agencies which have raised concerns and which have a direct interest in the skills of interpreting and translating. 

2.  Government Skills Australia will take advice from the working party on changes which can be made to accommodate a resolution, while remaining consistent with the integrity of the industry consultation outcomes.

3. Government Skills Australia will undertake to adopt post endorsement strategies which will address those issues which cannot be fully resolved without further consultation, or which are not in the mandate of the current development project.

We encourage you to:

Provide comments on the issues by registering on the GSA website and logging in to the Feedback Register (not essential for access to the site and material but very useful for our records and for your inclusion in the contact list for future information).

Read the Project Report Dec 09 to familiarise yourself with the background and outcomes of the project.

Download the final Qualifications Framework to get an overview of the packaging and coverage.

Download the final draft units of competency according to your areas of interest and examine them for their accuracy in representing the tasks, skills, knowledge and applications of translating and interpreting.

If you need any more information, contact the Project Manager, Prue Madsen:

prue.madsen@governmentskills.com.au  or phone 08 84103455.

Nationally endorsed competency standards are the basis for occupational training in over 85 per cent of Australian industry, and in several industries national industry standards also the basis for occupational classifications underpinning industrial awards, performance management programs and career pathways. The qualifications may result in beneficial industrial outcomes for people who work in translating and interpreting.

The Project is advised by a Project Steering Committee comprising representatives from professional associations, experienced practitioners, training providers and key stakeholders, with input from topic or sector-specific reference groups, representing a broad cross-section of the T&I industry and its stakeholders.

Click here for details of the members of the Project Steering Committee.

At the initial meeting of the Steering Committee in Adelaide in mid-May the project timelines were endosed and stakeholders and consultation objectives were confirmed. The consultations picked up from the recommendations of the Scoping Report  and its findings on the skills and knowledge required for competent performance in interpreting and translating, and in occupations which rely on bi-lingual communication.

A six-month process of consultation ran from June to July, facilitated by the industry consultant, Heather Glass. The first round of consultations developed a very rough summary of work functions and was used to confirm the findings of the Scoping Report. More targeted functional analysis workshops to develop more detail for the drafting of units of competency were conducted from September until December. The draft units will form the basis for futher consultations with a wider representation of practitioners and stakeholders in February and March 2009.

Click here for the calendar of workshops in February and March.

The project was intended to finalise the competencies and qualifications by April 2009, but the Project Steering Committee, in response to concerns about the length of time needed for adequate and reliable dissemination of drafts and return of feedback, has proposed an extension until June 2009 for completion of the project.

The project has significant implications for the T&I profession, its trainers and educators and its employers and contracting service providers. If you would like to register your interest in this project in order to receive updates, or if you wish to provide contacts or resources, please contact our administration officer:  naomi.clothier@governmentskills.com.au or Click here to download a registration of interest form.

THERE IS A T&I PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION ACTIVE IN YOUR REGION