Image Source: Catarina Sousa, via Pexels.com
Within Australia, post-compulsory education can be offered by a number of institutions, including senior secondary schools, universities, higher education providers, and Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers known as Registered Training Organizations (RTOs). There are four organizations authorized to accredit qualifications in the vocational education and training sector in Australia: the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASA), the National Skills Standards Council (NSSC), the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), and the Western Australia Training Accreditation Council (TAC).
Because of the breadth and complexity of post-compulsory education, the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) was established in 1995. The Framework sets out the level at which a qualification can be recognized in higher education, vocational education and training, and schools.
To best understand the applicant's credentials, we have provided a very short list of the 10 levels of the Australian Qualifications Framework. This short list, which is not all inclusive, includes both Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications and other non-university credentials and their comparisons to degrees and diplomas awarded in the university sector to make it easier to see how all of the credentials complement one another.
Level 1: Certificate I
Level 2: Certificate II
Level 3: Certificate III (previously the TAFE Certificate)
Level 4: Certificate IV (formerly known as Advanced Certificate)
Level 5: Diploma
Level 6: Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree
Level 7: Bachelor Degree
Level 8: Bachelor Honours Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma
Level 9: Masters Degree (Research), Masters Degree (Coursework), Masters Degree (Extended)
Level 10: Doctoral Degree
Post-compulsory education in Australia is organized according to Australian Qualifications Framework levels; higher education qualifications begin with Level 5. However, Level 4 is considered post-secondary, pre-tertiary vocational education. The Certificate IV was formerly known as the Advanced Certificate and usually lasted for 2-3 years of part-time education or 1-2 years of full-time study. It is typically treated as completion of post-secondary vocational training even though some programs require only grade 10 for admissions.
At Level 5, the Diploma is comparable to the first year of a Bachelor degree. Level 6's Advanced Diploma and Associate Degree represents the first two years of a Bachelor degree. A 3-year Ordinary/Pass Bachelor's degree is at Level 7 on the AQF. Level 8 includes the 4-year Honours Bachelor degree, the Graduate Certificate, and the Graduate Diploma. Level 9 consists of the Master's degree, while the Doctoral Degree is offered at Level 10.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) credentials are oriented towards vocational education and training, though increasingly in recent years, VET institutes are also offering qualifications that can be used for employment and further education purposes. VET qualifications are pursued by a variety of groups: university graduates seeking technical skills, secondary leavers who want employment and need a technical qualification, adults pursuing personal enrichment courses, and even those pursuing an unorthodox avenue to higher education.
VET qualifications are offered at AQF levels 1 to 6 and level 8. VET qualifications are outcomes-based and focus on the occupational skills and competencies gained. Accredited courses provided by RTO's lead to the following AQF qualifications: Certificate I, Certificate II, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Vocational Graduate Certificate, and Vocational Graduate Diploma.
TAFE Certificate and Diplomas are offered at institutes or colleges affiliated with the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Commission of that particular state or territory. TAFE institutes offer programs that straddle the secondary and tertiary levels of education in Australia. Entrance qualifications to some TAFE programs require only completion of Grade 10 while others require advanced undergraduate studies for admissions. TAFE institutes offer programs ranging from work-based learning purely for employment purposes to university preparation certificates to sub-degree programs similar to those offered at universities that lead to advanced standing in degree programs.
TAFE credentials are oriented towards vocational education and training, though increasingly in recent years, TAFE institutes are also offering higher education qualifications.
TAFE qualifications are pursued by a variety of groups: university graduates seeking technical skills, secondary leavers who want employment and need a technical qualification, adults pursuing personal enrichment courses, and even those pursuing an unorthodox avenue to higher education. Because TAFE's primary responsibility is to prepare its graduates for licensing and employment, it enjoys a strong relationship with private industry and trade boards.
Within the frameworks of VET qualifications, a Registered Training Organization (RTO) might offer vocational training at one of four certificate levels. Certificates I and II do not have minimum admissions, while Certificates III and IV require completion of the Year 10 lower secondary school certificate. These Certificates I-IV are trade, vocational, or apprenticeship training programs that grant access to employment or further vocational training.
Certificate I is a preparatory qualification which covers basic employment-related skills and does not have any other minimum entry requirements. The training is offered at the vocational high school level for employment purposes and represents completion of some vocational high school coursework.
Certificate II is a low-to-intermediate qualification showing competency at a range of routine functions and some more complex activities; this level also does not have a minimum entry requirement. Many traineeships and some apprenticeships culminate in a Certificate II. The training is offered at the vocational high school level for employment purposes and represents completion of some vocational high school coursework.
Certificate III is an intermediate qualification showing some theoretical knowledge as well as applied skills, including routines and procedures, as well as some independent judgment and responsibility of others. Certificate III represents the culmination of a large number of apprenticeships; this level typically requires completion of 10th grade for enrollment. The training is offered at the vocational high school level for employment purposes and represents completion of a vocational high school diploma. Some TAFE Certificate III qualifications grant direct access to a post-secondary 1-to-2-year TAFE Diploma program.
Certificate IV is an intermediate qualification that incorporates broad knowledge and theoretical concepts in skilled labor, allowing graduates to evaluate and provide feedback on current business practices and leadership. Certificate IV may lead to a post-secondary vocational Diploma from a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institution or other further education college.
The Certificate IV qualification is considered a post-secondary, pre-tertiary program. The Certificate IV program may last from six months to two years of full-time study, depending on the program and entry requirement, which may be a Grade 10 or 11 qualification, a lower-level TAFE Certificate, or a Grade 12 secondary school diploma.
TAFE Certificate IV programs are typically offered part-time and may represent completion of a total of 11-13 years of pre-tertiary education. Most commonly, they represent a total of 12 years of full-time study. The TAFE Certificate IV is often used as an admissions credential to degree programs and may be eligible for advanced standing into non-degree post-secondary programs such as TAFE Diplomas. Some TAFE Diploma programs will admit TAFE Certificate IV graduates directly into the second year of the post-secondary TAFE Diploma.
It was designed to grant access to employment or further education at a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institute or other vocational/technical post-secondary study. However, increasing numbers of higher education institutions accept the TAFE Certificate IV as post-secondary study in related fields when vocational training provides adequate preparation.
Because of the vocational nature of the program, part-time status, and varied admissions criteria, the TAFE Certificate IV may be considered comparable to lower division undergraduate study in a vocational/technical field from a recognized vocational training institution.
Resources:
The Articulation of TAFE Middle-Level and Higher Education Courses in Australia. TAFE National Centre for Research and Development, 1985. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED265297.pdf
Australian Qualifications Framework. https://www.teqsa.gov.au/how-we-regulate/acts-and-standards/australian-qualifications-framework
Cross-Sectoral Transfer from TAFE to Higher Education. TAFE National Centre for Research and Development, 1986. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED282004.pdf
Guidelines for the National Registration of Awards in Advanced Education. Australian Council on Tertiary Awards, 1989. https://www.aqf.edu.au/publication/guidelines-national-registration-awards-advanced-education-australian-council-tertiary-awards-1989
National Training Register: https://training.gov.au/
Previous Versions and Pre-AQF Equivalencies: https://www.aqf.edu.au/framework/previous-versions-and-pre-aqf-equivalencies
Register of Australian Tertiary Education (RATE): Major Tertiary Course Award Levels in Australia. Australian Education Council, 1991. https://www.aqf.edu.au/download/446/register-australian-tertiary-education-rate-various-editions-may-1991-1994/40/register-australian-tertiary-education-rate-various-editions-may-1991-1994/pdf
TAFE NSW: https://wsi.tafensw.edu.au/students/students/assessment-results/ and https://wsi.tafensw.edu.au/resource/file/1406/2017-wsi-learner-guide-online-v2.pdf https://www.tafensw.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/25131/PP-student-guide.pdf and http://www.studyintafe.edu.au/search/courses/-/tism/course/0B226703D0E14434FDC1149A57CA6443
Understanding How Scaling Works. Pathways2Uni. http://www.pathways2uni.com.au/how-hsc-scaling-works/