Articulation between VET and higher education qualifications: Enhanced pathways and professional outcomes

Students undertaking qualifications within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector at times seek to have their award recognised and contributing to qualifications within Higher Education. Conversely, students within Higher Education may also seek VET qualifications part way through their studies for professional enhancement and acknowledgment of their knowledge and skills as an interim to completion of their qualification. The recognition of equivalent learning content and assessment within these educational frameworks is a recurring concern for students, VET teachers and Higher Education lecturers. This situation becomes problematic where Registered Training Organisations (RTO's) and Universities have no shared understanding of the scaffolding and accompanying knowledge and skills within similar qualifications in VET and Higher Education that comprise a particular discipline area, or how the learning and assessment occurs. As a recently formed regional dual sector provider of training and education, CQUniversity has embarked on a number of articulation arrangements embracing a shared knowledge between its VET and Higher Education qualifications, through seeking commonalities in knowledge, skill and closely aligned Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels in various discipline areas. In the area of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) within the School of Health, newly introduced recognition processes for completed VET qualifications provide articulated pathways into Higher Education studies. Another initiative has involved reverse articulation, providing Higher Education students with VET qualifications part way through their degree, thereby extending opportunities for them to be more marketable and confident in using newly acquired VET qualifications to seek employment in their relevant field whilst continuing completion of their Higher Education studies. These initiatives benefit students, training and educational institutions, regulators and industry through earlier entry into the job market and the utilisation of both vocational skills, academic foundation skills and graduate attributes. Articulation and reverse articulation coordinated through the same institution provides an assuredness of the scaffolding of knowledge and skill addressed as preparedness for embarking on a Higher Education degree. However, such a process should not preclude other Higher Education institutions and VET providers from developing similar partnerships and shared arrangements.