TAFE Literacy and Numeracy Requirements

Entrance Requirements and Selection Criteria for Admission into competitive Full-time TAFEWA Courses

A system of entry requirements and selection criteria for full-time places in TAFEWA courses has been developed.

These arrangements are designed to:

• streamline and simplify the application process for full-time places in TAFEWA courses;
• make the application process easier to understand
• enhance the provision of course advice provided for new and ongoing students seeking full-time places in TAFEWA courses
• provide better support for applicants who miss out on their first choice of course
• ensure that selection processes are equitable and consistent across the TAFEWA network and operate on a merit basis;
• ensure that selection processes are consistent with the government’s objectives of promoting participation in training, pathways and lifelong learning.

What are the entry requirements and selection criteria?

Entry requirements are designed to ensure all those who gain entry to a course have the competencies or skills and abilities required to effectively participate in the program.

Entry requirements may be expressed as:

• a prerequisite competency based qualification eg. entry to Certificate IV in Disability Work on successful completion of Certificate III in Disabilities

OR

• generic competencies that cover communication (reading, writing, speaking and listening) and maths skills. These generic competencies have benchmarks which are expressed as:

eg. to enter into a Certificate II in Hospitality (Operations) you could require developed communication skills and basic maths skills.

Important

The entry requirements for most full-time TAFEWA courses will be at benchmarks

Many courses will have no maths skills requirement.

For detailed information about the skills and attributes that should be demonstrated at each of the benchmarks above click here.

How to meet the entry requirements for a full-time TAFEWA course

Follow these simple steps:
1. Choose a course from the 2012 TAFEWA Full-time Studies Guide or on-line at http://coursesearch.tafe.wa.edu.au

2. Read the information under the course’s “entry requirements”: – some courses require a lower-level qualification. – for other courses, you will need to meet the communication and maths skills benchmarks indicated

3. If you need to meet communication and maths skills benchmarks, go to the relevant table in the “Evidence Guide”. (This will be in the 2008 TAFEWA Full-time Studies Guide and on the website.)
Table 1 shows the outcomes required for each benchmark. It will look like this:

Communication and Maths Skills

The Communication and Mathematics skills attributed to each of the benchmarks (dots) can be demonstrated through performance at the school level. Performance in a range of school programs at a range of levels are acknowledged as demonstrating the various levels of competence required to study in TAFE programs. Details of how these skills and attributes can be demonstrated are given below:

Communication Skills – Click Here

Mathematic Skills – Click Here
It is important to note that TAFEWA recommend that students complete Courses at the highest Stage at which they are capable. Performance at higher Stages does attract extra credit.

To meet the benchmark for your course, you may be able to provide other types of evidence.

Selection Criteria

Selection criteria include previous academic achievements and other evidence of ability, such as work experience; industry involvement; and employment status that are used to rank eligible applicants competing for entry into a course. Selection criteria are normally applied only if there are more applicants than places available in a course. Details of the model are listed below.

The essential difference between entry requirements and selection criteria is that entry requirements are used to determine an applicant’s eligibility for entry into a course. Selection criteria are used to determine which eligible applicants will be offered a place in a course.

Are there exceptions to these new arrangements?

There are some areas where these new arrangements do not apply. These are:

• qualifications that stem from local arrangements
• qualifications offered on a fee-for-service or commercial basis
• accredited courses that are not specifically vocational eg. Certificate of General Education for Adults (CGEA); New Opportunities for Women (NOW).

Work experience/employment covers:

• paid/unpaid work
• full-time/part-time work
• general work experience and work experience in school and VET programs and voluntary work
• community service obligation