CFMEU :: Forestry Division

CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY POLICY ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY POLICY This document sets out the Policy of the CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION on Assessment of Competency for the information of Members, Representatives and Officials. Included with the Policy is an Introduction which provides a background for the reading and application of the Policy. This Policy is binding on all CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION Members, Representatives and Officials. Any queries about the Policy should be directed to either the Branch or Divisional Offices. 1. INTRODUCTION The CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING DIVISION developed and implements a progressive program of workplace reform in the Forest and Furnishing Products Industry. This reform is aimed at developing the industry towards becoming technologically advanced, high value added, competitive and export/import replacement oriented. This type of industry will support, and indeed require a highly skilled, well organised and motivated workforce receiving good conditions and high wages. The CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION has widely promoted and endeavored to develop proper skills development mechanisms for this industry. The CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION Policy on Skill Development addresses these issues, many of which are in place, or are being developed by industry through the National Forest Industries Training Council (NFITC). The CFMEU FORESTRY AND FOREST PRODUCTS DIVISION Skill Development Policy briefly covers assessment, while this document covers the issue in some detail, and should be read in conjunction with the Skill Development Policy. For more information on how assessment should be carried out and why, read the CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION DOCUMENT, ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY IN THE FOREST AND FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY. 2. AIMS OF THE POLICY ARE TO ENSURE All Union Members have access to fair and non threatening processes in which their competency can be formally recognised; That Union Members achieve the benefits resulting from formal assessment; That the assessment process is not abused and used in a method detrimental to our Union Members' interests; That assessment is carried out whenever possible in the workplace and is controlled by industry and not training providers or educational institutions. 3. POLICY DETAILS 3.1 The purpose of Assessment of Competency To provide a fair and equitable process by which Union Members can have their competency formally recognised regardless of how their competency was gained. 3.2. Uses and Benefits of Assessment Assessment can be used to: Issue credential that gives industry wide recognition to the person who is assessed as competent; Determine what skill development needs a person requires to become competent in a particular area; Identify what functions or range of functions a person can carry out to an industry standard; Assist regulatory authorities to determine who to license for use of regulated machinery or work processes; Ensure that training does actually allow a person to become competent in the desired area; Planning skill development needs at a work group, enterprise or industry level; Assist in decisions relating to employment. 3.3 Assessment should not be used: As a basis for disciplinary purposes; As a basis for sacking or redundancy; As the ONLY factor in determining employment or promotion through the career path. 3.4 ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY DOES NOT GIVE AUTOMATIC RIGHTS TO HIGHER PAID WORK AND CAREER PATH PROGRESSION. 3.5 ASSESSMENT IS NOT AN AWARD REQUIREMENT FOR CAREER PATH PROGRESSION OR FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE INDUSTRY. 3.6 The CFMEU FOREST AND FOREST PRODUCTS DIVISION believes that providing access for its members it will be assisting its members to: Have a higher regard for their abilities and the full range of competencies they have; Be more confident and assured in their value to the industry and their value to other non related industries; Understand and the plan for their own skill development and to increase employability and wage earning capacity; Actively pursue their right for skill development as a important part of their working life; Derive more satisfaction from their work and their achievements at work. 3.7 Assessment if used properly will also provide for industry a greater capacity to: Fully utilise the skills of the workforce; Plan for and predict future skill needs; Ensure that training meets industry needs and delivers a measurable outcome; Employ people with recognised competencies for the work functions required; Invest a proper amount of time, effort and finance into skill development with confidence of a known outcome. 3.8 The Assessment Process For successful industry arrangements some key principles must be met. Assessment Principles: Assessment should take the place under realistic normal workplace conditions. This will allow for a demonstration of competency based on what is actually required, in order to carry out a work function successfully. Assessment methods should be non threatening in order to meet the above point. This will ensure that other factors (such as stress) do not affect the competency being assessed. � Assessment should be readily available to all who request it. Assessment will need to be regulated by the NFITC in conjunction with the state training councils to ensure consistency. Successful assessment should lead to a certificate at the unit of competence level. Assessment should be conducted by suitably qualified people both in assessment techniques and in the skills they are assessing. Assessment can be carried out by Union Members, Supervisors and Training Providers. Assessment should not be dominated by management. Assessors and the Certificates they issue must be registered nationally with the NFITC to ensure the validity of competence. There is no single method for assessment. Rather, a range of techniques should be used as observation, demonstration, questions, examining work situations and results. The method of Assessment must follow the Assessment procedures outlined by the NFITC for each Unit of Competency. The assessment process should match as closely as possible the type of skill used and the actual working conditions. All evidence of a person's competence should be gathered in order to make an accurate assessment rather than trying to get people to 'pass a test'. All evidence that gives an indication of a persons competence can be used ie, past experience, certificates, internal training etc. It must relate to a person's ability to perform a function that is an industry requirement. Assessment should not disadvantage anyone who is different from the "norm". People must be assessed on their abilities and not on other criteria. 3.9 The CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION insists that ASSESSMENT IS NOT: To be used to provide a basis for demotion or disciplinary action; A process confined to training institutions or the domain of management; As the sole determinate for order of career path progression; As a tool to emphasis differences between workers and create division. 3.10 ASSESSMENT RESULTS The CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION firmly maintains that the basis of the Competency Based Skill Development approach that we support is assessment results as being recorded as either COMPETENT or NOT YET COMPETENT. This is an ESSENTIAL feature of the system for the following reasons: Allows for simplicity and ease of assessment and recording of competencies; It focuses on performance related to competence and not other factors; Provides the least threatening approach for our members; It promotes efficiency in skill development � when competency is reached in one area to a standard, new standards and competencies can be aimed for; The straight forward approach of competent/not yet competent is less threatening for assessors and will generate a much higher voluntary participation rate than graded assessment. 3.11 The CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION is COMPLETELY OPPOSED to the concept of Graded Assessment which would if implemented destroy the objectives of, and our support for competency based skill development. Graded Assessment will result in: A strong demotivation for the majority of workers who do not score highly but are still competent; Excessive complications and bureaucracy in recording levels of competency; The real potential for creation of, or the apparent creation of levels within levels of the award grade structures, increasing their complexity as different levels of competency are established for the same unit; Introducing an element of competition and thus reducing cooperation between learners; Increasing causes for disagreement with the assessment outcome and for subjectivity to be introduced; The potential for assessment to become a "test" to pass with high grades, rather than a demonstration of competence to the standard expressed in competency standards; The potential for wage claims based on higher graded outcomes compared with others being paid the same for lower outcomes; A deterioration of unity amongst workers who would be able to identify those who passed worse or better than themselves and the potential for opportunities for management to manipulate those differences; The real threat that with the increase of complexity and the difficulties in acceptance of results, assessment will end up solely in the hands of training or educational institutions (perhaps a prime motivation behind the push for graded assessment). Employers will begin to use competency assessment and its grades to determine order of promotion, a use that is contrary to the CFMEU FORESTRY AND FURNISHING PRODUCTS DIVISION Policy. 4. IMPLEMENTATION 4.1 National Divisional Office The National Divisional Office is responsible for: Overviewing the development and implementation of a National Industry Framework for Assessment through the NFITC; Overviewing the development and implementation of Assessing procedures for workplace assessors to use; Overviewing the development of Competency Standards as the basis of assessment (this includes Competency Standards for Assessors). Consulting with Branches and keeping them informed about assessment issues; Ensuring the availability of suitable training for workplace assessors. 4.2 Branches Branches are responsible for: Ensuring enterprises contribute to the consultation process during the development of assessment mechanisms; Ensuring that enterprises implement the agreed national framework for assessment through the ECC, when it has been developed; Ensuring that assessment in industry achieves the outcomes of this policy and is not to the detriment of our members; Assisting in the arrangements for training for assessors.