The education and training landscape can often be as intricate as it is vast. Among the many terminologies and concepts that learners encounter, the differentiation between VET (Vocational Education and Training) qualifications and licences often stands out as a topic of interest. Both are crucial in their right and serve distinct purposes in the career progression of professionals. However, they’re not interchangeable.

VET Qualifications Explained

VET qualifications are educational or training certifications conferred upon a student after they’ve completed a particular course or program. Offered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), these qualifications signify that the individual has acquired a certain set of knowledge and skills in their chosen field.

Key Point: These qualifications are more about formal education and the acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge in preparation for the workplace.

The Nature of Licences

Licences, on the other hand, are official permissions or permits issued by regulatory or governing bodies. They certify that the individual possesses the competency, knowledge, and skills to perform specific tasks or activities, often after meeting stringent standards and requirements.

In many professions, while having a qualification might be a pre-requisite or beneficial, it is the licence that legally allows an individual to practice or operate.

Key Point: Licences are official endorsements that grant permissions based on an individual’s capabilities.

The Intersection and the Confusion

Now, here’s where the waters tend to get murky. In some sectors, there is an overlap between VET qualifications and licences, leading to misconceptions. For instance, while a particular VET qualification might prepare students for a career in a specific industry, it doesn’t necessarily grant them the licence required to operate within that industry. This distinction becomes particularly pronounced in fields like aviation, where the qualification might be a stepping-stone, but the licence is the true passport to operate.

Funding: The Underlying Motive of Some RTOs

It’s essential to touch upon an industry practice that has been observed with certain RTOs. Some institutions use VET qualifications as a gateway to secure funding. The rationale? The qualification costs, which can sometimes include components of licencing training, are covered through this funding. However, here’s the catch: the qualification itself doesn’t inherently lead to a licencing outcome.

This means that while students are under the impression that their educational journey is fully funded and will culminate in both a qualification and a licence, they might end up with just the qualification. The licencing process, with its additional requirements and evaluations, remains a separate endeavour.

Most Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) play by the rules, ensuring that their students receive the education they’ve signed up for and walk away with a meaningful qualification. However, like any sector, there are outliers – those that operate on the fringes of ethical behaviour, pushing the boundaries for profit. One example of where this may manifest pertains to the Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane) qualification.

Blending the Lines for Profit

Despite the clear advice in the training package that the qualification is only intended to form some of the licencing requirements for certification as a commercial pilot, and in contradiction with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, some RTOs “adjust” the training of the qualification to give a Civil Aviation Safety Regulation (CASR) Part 61 Flight crew licensing outcome.

How do they do this? More often than not, by tweaking the training content to meet some/most of VET and CASA requirements simultaneously. This often involves removing content relating to the qualification, adding or emphasising certain modules, adjusting practical training elements, incorporating CASA-specific criteria into qualification-specific assessments and “side-stepping” regulatory requirements.

Although it is seen as egregious by some, RTOs that merge the VET qualification requirements with the CASA syllabus often explain that they are enhancing the qualification by presenting a dual benefit to potential students: a nationally recognised qualification and a CASA license, all rolled into one course.

The Lure for Students

On the surface, this blending seems beneficial to students. They’re effectively killing two birds with one stone: gaining a qualification and a CASA licence. This integrated approach might also come with financial benefits, as some RTOs market it as a cost-saving measure, reducing the overall training and certification expenses.

The Hidden Pitfalls

However, the devil is in the details. While the blended course might cover both VET and CASA requirements, there’s no guarantee that it will do so comprehensively. Students might find gaps in their knowledge when seeking employment or when facing real-world scenarios.

Furthermore, demonstrating the competence to graduate from a nationally recognised qualification isn’t just about meeting a syllabus. It involves training and assessment that goes beyond the confines of a standard CASA licencing regime. Students, believing they’re fully prepared after their integrated training, might find themselves ill-equipped to pass the stringent standards of vocational education and training.

Similarly, the CASA licencing process involves rigorous testing and assessment that goes beyond the confines of a standard VET qualification. Students, believing they’re fully prepared after their integrated training, might find themselves ill-equipped to pass CASA’s licencing requirements.

A Question of Ethics

At the heart of this issue is the question of ethics. While it’s possible to design a course that genuinely integrates VET qualifications with CASA licencing preparation, it is a hard thing to do.

Cobbling together a course purely for profit, and without regard for student outcomes, is problematic. It misleads students, potentially compromises safety standards, undermines the value of both VET qualifications and CASA licenses and, invariably, leads to reputational damage and regulatory scrutiny.

In Summary

While the lure of an integrated VET qualification and CASA licencing process might be tempting, students must proceed with caution. It’s essential to thoroughly research RTOs, seek feedback from past students, and ensure that any combined course genuinely complies with ASQA and CASA requirements and serves their best interests in both qualification and licencing outcomes.