Which Course?
Choosing the right course is very important. There are an enormous amount of courses and training providers out there and any training and/or course will probably cost someone a lot in time and/or money, so they should take some time, get the information, and consider carefully.

Types of Courses

• Training Package Qualifications and Statements of Attainment
  Training Packages are nationally endorsed qualifications and standards used to recognise and assess skills. They are developed via industry consultation to best serve their workforce skills needs. They are used extensively throughout the vocational education and training system including VET in Schools, Australian Apprenticeships and recognition of existing skills.
  
  Training Package Qualifications and Statements of Attainment…
• Are nationally recognised
• Are competency based – they assess what someone can do not just what they know
• Can only be issued by a Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) which undergo rigorous Government compliance procedures so that quality is assured

Training Package Qualifications, such as Certificates I – IV, Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas, will provide someone with the skills and knowledge to work in a particular occupation or at an occupational level. Many, particularly Certificates I – III, can be done through an Australian Apprenticeships

Statements of Attainment demonstrate that a person is competent in one or more Units of Competency. Statements of Attainment are usually offered through short courses and can be credited towards a full Qualification.

• Accredited Courses are sometimes available where there is no Training Package to suit a particular training need. Accredited Courses are developed by training organisations and submitted to State and Territory training authorities for accreditation / approval. If, and when, a Training Package becomes available the Accredited Course will be phased out.

• Non-recognised Courses. Some providers offer courses without formal recognition. A person may gain valuable skills and may receive some form of certificate but this will not be an endorsed Qualification and industry and most employers will not recognise it.

Make Sure

• A person should check that the course they want to do is based on a Training Package and will provide them with a nationally recognised Qualification or Statement of Attainment. They might…
• Contact the provider and ask them
• Request course information
• Check the provider's website

• It is recommended that they ensure the provider is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and registered to deliver the Qualification, Statement of Attainment or Units of Competency they require - this information is available at the National Training Information Service (NTIS)

• Shop around – check out all of the options
• Take a look – is there an Open Day? Can one view their facilities?
• Money – apart from fees, are there any 'other' charges e.g. for equipment and materials?
• I want out – if they discover it's not for them what is the refund policy?
• Recommendation –- can the RTO provide testimonials from past students and employers? What about industry?

Will the course…

• Provide a person with practical skills necessary in their future employment?
• Provide 'work placement' to develop their practical skills in-situ?
• Provide both formal and practical Assessment of skills?

So, they should consider…

• Strengths and weaknesses – no doubt everybody wants to achieve the very highest mark possible in their SSCE. Your clients will hopefully already know what they are. If not then they should start thinking, and talking about them because their strengths and weaknesses should guide their subject selection.

• Likes and dislikes – we all have our favourite subjects, some we like some we don't. When choosing what to study, apart from keeping in mind any pre-requisites and future career aspirations, it would be advisable for someone to lean towards subjects they enjoy. They will obviously work harder at them and will, in all probability, do well at them.

More to think about…

• Some courses, like engineering, can be very hard to get into, particularly at certain campuses. However it might be easier to enrol in the same course at another institution, for instance at an outer suburban or regional university.

• Some courses also have specific pre-requisite subjects such as maths or sciences for engineering, and they might possibly also have a minimum tertiary entrance score as well, the Cut Off score