The NSW public sector has an active commitment to the implementation of National Training Packages to expand the vocational education and training options available to public sector employees.

Consultation with specialist human resource and training staff in agencies has reinforced the need to resource and support work place based assessment of competency as a fundamental strategy to underpin the implementation and uptake of the new Public Services National Training Package at the workplace level.

The NSW Public Service Industry Training Advisory Body has recently received Industry Skills Training Program (ISTP) funding to customise existing, and develop new assessment resources/templates to support the implementation of the Public Services National Training Package in NSW.

Agencies are now invited to express interest in participating in a pilot of these resources. Consideration will be given to selecting a range of agencies for the pilot including large and small agencies and those with a metropolitan and/or regional/rural presence.

I urge you to give serious consideration to nominating your agency to participate in this pilot project and further details regarding this opportunity are provided at Attachment A.

Any enquiries regarding the pilot program should be directed to Jan Weir on (02) 9228 5569or by email to [email protected].

Expressions of interest to participate in the pilot program should be forwarded to the NSW PS ITAB by email to [email protected] or fax 02 9440 7631 by 4 May 2001.

A briefing session for agencies that submit an expression of interest will be held at 2:00pm, 8 May 2001 at Premier's Department, Level 14 Bligh House 4-6 Bligh Street, Sydney NSW.

(Signed)

C. Gellatly
Director-General

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Not Current

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ATTACHMENT A

INFORMATION

IN RELATION TO THE PILOT STUDY OF WORKPLACE BASED ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY AGAINST THE PUBLIC SERVICES NATIONAL TRAINING PACKAGE

It is envisaged that agencies already involved in the delivery of competency based training would be well placed to expand their activities into workplace based assessment by becoming involved in this pilot project. It is also an opportunity for agencies that are not Registered Training Organisations to trial workplace based assessment of competency in their workplace.

The types of resources to be piloted include:

• applicant competency recognition kits,
• an assessor guide,
• record books and
• an employer handbook.

A Project Consultant will be appointed to develop the assessment resources and work with the four selected agencies to apply them in the workplace. A Project Management Team comprising of representatives from:

• NSW Public Service Industry Training Advisory Body
• NSW Department of Education and Training (ISTP)
• Unions
• Premier's Department
• Identified agencies will select the units of competency to be used in the pilot program.

Selection of pilot agencies will be made on the basis of:

1. Demonstrated interest in competency based training and assessment;
2. Identification of a specific group of employees to undertake workplace based competency assessment against agreed units of competency; and
3. Capacity to resource the involvement of agency employees in the Project

Any enquiries should be directed to Jan Weir (02) 9228 5569 or Melinda Brodie (02) 9228 4023.