Here at RAM Training Services, we have been getting asked this question a lot….
”Should I do the TAE40116 Cert 4 in Training and Assessment now, or should I do the ‘new one’ when it is available?”
In this article we will give you a bit of background and the potential pros and cons of deciding which to do, so that you can cut through the noise and make a clear decision that is the best one for you.
On the 7th of December 2022, the TAE40116 qualification was superseded by the TAE40122. Superseded just means that it became the older version. As a result of this, many RTO’s are now busy creating new resources and new assessments in preparation for the new version of the TAE22.
Many would say that the new TAE22 has some enhancements to the qualifications, others would say that it is generally the same content, if not just packaged differently. To be honest though, there are some critical differences that may help you in deciding if you want to enrol into the TAE16 NOW, and not wait until the TAE22.
Here’s a quick comparison for you:
The TAE22 will potentially be, well actually no, it will be more work, as the TAE22 has 12 units as opposed to 10 units of competency. This will require a few more presentations and even a few more assessments activities as well. Now this may not necessarily be a bad thing, as you may want to do more work or be extremely interested in the new electives that have been added to the qualification. However, with the new streams of electives that have been released, you may find that it will be very difficult to find RTO’s delivering the same sets of units, and as a result you may need to shop around to find the RTO’s that are delivering the units that interest you the most, as there will actually be three potential streams to choose from – Training and Assessment stream, Learner Support stream and the General stream (mostly focused on compliance) . One of the potential electives for example, TAEDEL415 Complete a practicum in a vocational education and training environment, does require a minimum of 30 hrs of a practicum in a VET environment. Now this may be something that significantly interests you, but it also maybe something that hinders your achievement of the qualification if you do not have the time to be able to put in those hours outside of your work time. That is the requirement of just one of the units of competency, and there are many variables that are found in the new units of competency that may make your learning journey longer, and a little more complex to navigate, depending on the units of competency that are chosen by the RTO’s that you are considering.
As it currently stands, the Standards for RTO’s 2015 stipulates that the TAE16 is an acceptable qualification to have as a trainer and assessor in the workplace for potentially the next five year (reason is that the standards will not be changed until 2025, as per the recent announcement).
So in short, the TAE16 is the easier, faster and more sensible option for now and is still recognised as one of the most appropriate and suitable qualifications for the majority of tasks that you will ever do as a trainer and assessor or workplace trainer in your industry.
We here at RAM know, and yes we are a little biased, that the majority of trainers want to learn the TAE in the quickest, most effective and most supportive environment possible, and whether you do the TAE16 or TAE22 you will always get that with us. In short, the TAE16 has less units, so you will finish it quicker with less assessments. The TAE22 will be more expensive and will take longer due to the nature and content of the qualification.
The Standards currently state that the TAE16 is still valid, and a safe bet if you are looking to be a workplace trainer and assessor for the next 5 years at least. Once the TAE22 is fully operational, there may be an upgrade available, but unlike many other upgrades in the past, if the Standards for RTO’s don’t change, you may not even need to upgrade which is potentially an exciting eventuality as well.
If you have any further questions don’t hesitate to reach out to us about the best possible pathway for you.
