Have you been working in the same industry for a significant amount of time, and feel like you need a change? Do you still love your industry, but are finding yourself a little unmotivated, stale, or physically unable to do it anymore? You may have been considering a change in career path, but don’t necessarily want to start from scratch with learning a new skill. If this sounds like you, have you considered putting down the tools, but continuing to use your knowledge and experience, to teach others only just entering your field? You might be a hairdresser, beautician, security guard, paramedic, painter, or builder, with years of experience and a passion for your industry – however you need to give yourself a new challenge, or change things up a bit. By becoming a Trainer & Assessor, you’re able to continue in your industry, but within a completely different role – that of teaching others the skills and knowledge it takes to enter your field.
How do you go about this? You will need to obtain a TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training & Assessment. This certificate qualifies you to train and assess in the vocational education and training (VET) sector – you can not carry out this role, without this. You will also need to hold the qualification (or higher) that you wish to teach within – if you wish to teach students to become security guards, you will need to hold the Certificate II in Security Operations, as a minimum. If you don’t have the qualification that you need, you could look into gaining Recognition of Prior Learning, based on your experience. You also must have sufficient and recent industry experience.
The Certificate IV in Training & Assessment (commonly referred to as the TAE) can take up to 12 months to complete, so this is something you will want to get started on as soon as possible. If you have minimal other commitments, and are disciplined with self-paced study, you should be able to finish this course in a much faster timeframe. Do your research though – this qualification can be challenging to complete purely by distance learning, so ensure that you study with a reputable Registered Training Organisation (RTO), who’s reviews rave about the support that they provide, as this is super important, when completing this course.
In the meantime:
• Make sure you have the qualification that you wish to teach, or start arranging to obtain it
• Update your resume, and ensure it details your recent industry experience
• Have a look into opportunities to improve your confidence in public speaking, or to gain knowledge on how to successfully engage students
• If you don’t already, start subscribing to newsletters/magazines/podcasts etc, that relate to your industry – you will need this to prove you are keeping on top of the latest info/trends/legislation
• Start looking on www.seek.com.au for job opportunities, and what employers are looking for
• Once you are nearing completion of your TAE, you can also start approaching RTO’s, who deliver the course you wish to teach, expressing your interest in becoming a Trainer/Assessor. Some RTO’s may require you to have experience as a Trainer – hard to have, when you’re new to the role, so you might want to consider offering to volunteer your time initially, to get your foot in the door and gain some experience.
The role of a Trainer/Assessor can be extremely rewarding, and a fantastic way to use your experience, to help develop skills in those new to your industry. The education industry is one that will never become obsolete, and dependent on what you’re teaching, can pay well too! Are you ready for a change?
