Project Description
This project develops and tests flexible, cost-effective ways for workers to gain formal recognition for their skills through assessment-only pathways, such as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or Recognition of Current Competence (RCC), as well as hybrid models that combine workplace training with RPL/RCC assessment.
This means faster, cheaper, and more practical pathways to verify skills, close gaps, and keep people job-ready, without requiring them to be off the job for long periods.
Timeline
January 2025 – June 2026
Lead Organisation
Led by ForestWorks and delivered by TAFE Gippsland, Timber Training Creswick and TAFE NSW
Contact
Kaye Tyter
Workforce Development Manager | ForestWorks
ktyter@forestworks.com.au
What Is Skills Recognition?
Skills recognition is a structured process that identifies, evaluates and formally recognises the skills and knowledge workers have gained through work experience, prior learning, and informal or formal training.
Assessment-only pathways — Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Recognition of Current Competency (RCC) — allow experienced workers to have their skills assessed and achieve formal qualifications without completing additional training where it is not needed.
Hybrid pathways combine RPL/RCC assessment with targeted workplace training to close any skill gaps identified during the RPL/RCC assessment. Where competency evidence is incomplete, the assessor may request further documentation. If suitable evidence cannot be provided, the candidate will enrol in the required unit(s). Training is then delivered through the selected mode (e.g. on-the-job, online or blended).
Why This Matters
What Has Been Delivered
Skills recognition tools and models have been developed, built on extensive research and consultation, and informed by proven industry practices:
These models and templates are outlined in “Skills Recognition in the Forestry Industry: A Guide to Pathways and Processes.”
Piloting the Skills Recognition Models: Implementation Requirements
Operating in rural and remote areas, the forestry and timber-processing sectors face common barriers to competency assessment, including limited access to assessors, long travel distances, higher costs, and scheduling delays.
To enable the piloting of skills-recognition models and processes, our priority actions are to:
- Increase the capacity of workplace-based trainers; and
- Facilitate remote assessment supported by standardised digital assessment kits and workflows.
Workplace-based trainers (in development under Project 4)
Workplace-based trainers (work skill instructors) are essential partners to the RTO on-site, enabling on-the-job delivery. They:
- Coordinate and deliver workplace-based training under the RTO trainer’s supervision.
- Support assessment activities (including remote assessment).
- Maintain accurate training records to RTO and ASQA standards.
Remote assessment (in development and trial under Project 8)
Remote assessment combines on-site evidence capture by workplace trainers (live video and digital evidence) with real-time oversight by the RTO assessor. This enables timely, safe and auditable competency decisions while minimising disruption to business operations.
Workplace-based trainer’s role during remote assessment:
- Set up and manage the video/communication equipment.
- Provide assessors with the required information and evidence.
- Supervise the worker and ensure adherence to health and safety protocols.
Digital assessment kits and processes (in development)
To further streamline the delivery of skills recognition, the project is exploring digital assessment kits hosted on platforms such as Moodle or SafetyCulture. These digital tools support skills recognition processes and integrate with remote assessment:
- Structured digital capture and storage of SOP documentation and photo and video-based evidence.
- Digital third-party reports and declarations.
- Direct data entry via phone, tablet or computer.
- Evidence mapped to ASQA requirements, with complete and auditable records.
Further Actions Underway
To enable the pilot, ForestWorks is progressing a coordinated set of activities across projects and partners:
- Workplace-based trainers (Project 4): Building employer capability to deliver and support training and assessment on-site. View the intake of workplace-based trainer trainees.
- Remote assessment (Project 8): Trialling technology-enabled observation and evidence capture to reduce travel, cost and scheduling barriers for regional and remote operations.
- Digital Assessment Kits: Prototyping standardised online templates and workflows to streamline evidence collection, mapping and audit traceability.
Have your Existing Skills Recognised
Employers and workers in the forestry, wood, and paper products industry are invited to register to have existing skills (gained through work experience, informal training, and past study) formally recognised through flexible, nationally recognised assessments, credit transfer, and gap training. This includes situations in which a worker holds an older qualification and seeks a new one.
This program is delivered by TAFE NSW, TAFE Gippsland, and Timber Training Creswick.
How to Participate
Register by 28 February 2026 using the form below. Funding is limited, and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted.
Once registered, we will connect you with one of the participating training providers – TAFE NSW, TAFE Gippsland, or Timber Training Creswick – to complete enrolment and assessment arrangements.
The program is designed to address common challenges faced by regional and remote operations – such as long travel distances, high costs, and scheduling delays – by implementing flexible and efficient skills assessments tailored to each workplace’s needs.
Training providers will:
- Work closely with participating employers, through workplace-based trainers or regional training coordinators, to deliver flexible, efficient RPL processes.
- Use technology-enabled, live remote skills assessments to reduce travel requirements and minimise downtime.
What is Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)?
RPL is a structured process that identifies, evaluates, and formally acknowledges the skills and knowledge individuals have gained through:
- Work experience
- Informal or formal training
- Volunteering
- Life experience.
In this process, existing skills can be demonstrated through:
- Records of completed training
- Workplace task demonstrations (verified by a supervisor, observed in person or remotely by an assessor, or via video evidence
- Copies of work records or references.
Why Get Involved?
For Employers
- Identify and close skill gaps efficiently
- Reduce downtime and training costs
- Build a skilled, confident workforce
For Workers
- Gain formal recognition for existing skills
- Improve job prospects and career pathways
- Receive credit towards further study and qualifications
Quick FAQs
Who is this skills recognition program for?
This program is for workers in industry-specific roles in forestry operations, timber processing, frame and truss design & manufacturing, and pulp and paper manufacturing – from process support workers through to production operators and supervisors.
What qualifications can my skills be recognised against?
The program aims to formally recognise skills gained through work experience, informal training and past study against:
- Forestry Operations qualifications: Certificate III, Certificate IV and Diploma
- Wood Products Operations qualifications: Certificate III and Certificate IV
- Wood machining and saw technician qualifications: Certificate III
- Frame and truss design & manufacturing qualifications: Certificate III and Certificate IV
- Pulp and paper manufacturing: Certificate III.
The qualification will depend on the job and sector in which the applicant is employed.
Not everyone who applies to have their skills recognised against one of the listed qualifications will achieve a full qualification; however, they will be recognised for the units to which their experience and knowledge are applicable.
Does completing the registration form mean I am enrolled?
No. Submitting the registration form is an expression of interest only. It is not an enrolment with a training provider.
Will all applicants be eligible for recognition of prior learning (RPL)?
No. Not all applicants will be eligible for RPL. Eligibility will be assessed through a pre-screening interview conducted by one of our RTO partners.
What happens after the pre-screening interview?
If you proceed, you and the RTO will then work together to formalise your enrolment in the RPL process.
For any questions, contact the Project Lead, Kaye Tyter, ktyter@forestworks.com.au.
Skills recognition that works for industry
Project 5 developed and tested an industry-wide skills recognition framework to help workers turn existing skills and workplace experience into formal recognition.
The framework brings together practical ways to collect workplace evidence, verify capability, identify targeted training gaps and support formal recognition pathways through registered training organisations.
Projects 5 and 1 were delivered alongside, strengthening the framework:
- Project 5 provided the wider skills recognition model, including employer and RTO roles, assessment options, evidence tools, and remote and hybrid assessment.
- Project 1 added the evidence-mapping component. It converted workplace SOPs and related records into structured evidence maps against units of competency.
The framework in practice
The pilot tested core components of a scalable skills recognition model. The model is designed to be flexible, practical and cost-effective for employers, workers and RTOs.
SOPs as assessment evidence
Mapping workplace standard operating procedures (SOPs) to units of competency was a key part of the pilot model. It connected everyday work practices with nationally recognised training standards and showed where workplace skills met qualification requirements.
Remote assessment
The pilot also tested remote and hybrid assessment using Microsoft Teams, mobile cameras and drone footage. At a harvesting site in Queensland, two workers completed a remote recognition of prior learning assessment in early 2026. A Tasmania-based assessor observed skidder operation live using technology.
Why it matters: Remote assessment can reduce travel and workplace downtime, improve access to qualified assessors and make assessment more viable in regional and thin training markets while maintaining evidence and assessment standards.
Workplace-based trainers
Workplace-based trainers can coordinate assessment activities, gather evidence, support SOP mapping, and assist with remote assessment under RTO supervision. Qualified RTO assessors remain responsible for all formal assessment decisions.
By June 2026, more than 50 workers had been trained as workplace-based trainers or were continuing training through Project 4. Although they could not be involved in the pilot, they are expected to work closely with RTOs to support future assessments. This component needs further testing beyond the pilot timeframe.
Digital RPL Kit
ForestWorks established the ForestEdu Digital RPL Kit to support digital assessment workflows and evidence storage. Assessors had limited time to test the full platform during the pilot, but it has potential to improve efficiency and consistency in future recognition processes.
Pilot activity across four states
Industry demand was strong, with expressions of interest received for 1,149 workers across 20 businesses. Funding limits, training provider availability and the project timeframe restricted the number of workers who could participate.
By June 2026, 120 workers had participated or were continuing to participate in recognition activities across Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland.
Four Timber Training Creswick assessors worked with participating employers and workers to:
- Map 80 workplace procedures to relevant units of competency across a range of job roles and workplaces
- Use mapped SOPs and other workplace evidence to support recognition decisions
- Undertake on-site and remote assessment activities
- Gather feedback about how the model could be improved and implemented more broadly.
Lessons from the pilot
The role of SOP mapping
SOP mapping helped demonstrate how work performed on the job aligned with qualification requirements. It was most useful when several workers performed similar roles and mapped information could support multiple assessments.
The pilot confirmed that SOP mapping can support recognition of prior learning. However, it is not always straightforward. Employers had different levels of documentation: some had detailed, current SOPs, while others had broad, outdated, or unsuitable procedures.
SOP mapping can also be resource-intensive. It is most cost-effective where:
- Several workers perform similar roles
- Workplace procedures are current and sufficiently detailed
- Mapped information can be reused across multiple assessments
- The process also supports improvements to internal training and workplace documentation.
The model is particularly useful when a business has several workers performing similar work. In these circumstances, the initial SOP-to-unit mapping can support multiple assessments rather than being developed for a single worker.
Training package coverage gaps
The pilot also identified technical job roles that were not adequately covered by existing units of competency. In some cases, unit performance criteria did not fully reflect workplace practices across different production settings.
Further work is therefore needed to address these gaps and improve training package coverage. This would help ensure that formal qualifications better reflect current job roles, equipment, workplace practices and production settings.
Adapting the model
Experience across the pilot sites showed that the model can be adapted to different workplace circumstances. Where suitable SOPs were unavailable, assessors used other evidence, including training records, licences, job-role information, supervisor evidence, and direct workplace assessment.
Benefits of remote assessment
Remote assessment is particularly relevant to businesses in regional and remote areas. It can reduce travel and workplace downtime, improve access to assessors, and support compliance with evidence and assessment requirements.
Business and operational gains
Workforce gains
From pilot to system
The pilot provides a practical foundation for embedding skills recognition in routine workforce planning, not treating it as a one-off funded activity.
A sustainable model would combine:
- Central industry coordination
- Committed RTO partners
- Workplace-based trainers
- Usable workplace evidence – SOPs, training records, supervisor reports, observations, videos and work records
- Digital RPL/RCC workflows, evidence storage and guidance through ForestEdu
- Remote and hybrid assessment.
Access project resources via the link below or the ForestEdu Library.
Skills Recognition in the Forest, Paper and Wood Products Industry | A Guide to Pathways and Processes
ForestEdu is a central platform for accessing industry-specific training resources, strengthening professional networks, and addressing workforce capability needs across the forest, wood, and paper sectors. The platform was developed for learners, employers, and training providers as part of the Forestry Workforce Training Program, which is funded by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
