Gaining your Diploma of Customs Broking via RPL

Gaining your Diploma of Customs Broking via RPL Information guide for CBFCA RPL applicants

Copyright Notice 2015 Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia Inc (CBFCA) All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the CBFCA, nor be otherwise circulated in any form without similar conditions being imposed on the subsequent receiver. The right of the CBFCA to be identified as the authors of this workbook has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright Act**. For further information, contact: The Executive Director CBFCA PO Box 303 HAMILTON QLD 4007 **The CBFCA would like to acknowledge the use of material provided in the Recognition Guides published by the State Training Services division of the NSW Department of Education and Communities in the development of this document.. 2

Contents Copyright Notice... 2 Introduction... 4 The purpose of this information guide... 4 Two pathways one qualification... Error! Bookmark not defined. Benefits of RPL... Error! Bookmark not defined. The CBFCA s RPL process... 5 Simplicity is the key... 5 Step 1 Self-assessment... 7 Step 2 Gather authentic supporting documentation... 10 Step 3 Submit your application for RPL... 12 Step 4 Have a competency conversation with your assessor... 13 The RPL flow chart...14 RPL fees...15 3

Introduction Congratulations on your decision to seek a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway for attaining the Diploma of Customs Broking, the new, nationally recognised qualification created especially for licensed customs brokers in Australia. The Customs Brokers and Forwarders of Australia (CBFCA) is proud to offer the Diploma of Customs Broking both as a classroom course through its International Trade and Logistics College training and assessment infrastructure as well as via an RPL pathway for aspiring or currently licensed customs brokers. The CBFCA believes it is the right of every licensed customs broker in Australia to finally have a qualification that relates specifically to their profession and the CBFCA is committed to making it happen. The purpose of this information guide Recognition of Prior Learning is often a misunderstood process. The purpose of this information guide is to explain what RPL is and what it isn t using as little training jargon as possible. As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) the CBFCA is able to award the Diploma of Customs Broking under an RPL pathway without the need for you to attend classes or sit exams. The CBFCA is firmly committed to assisting all RPL applicants for the Diploma of Customs Broking to be awarded the Diploma. This information guide is designed to show you how easily it can be done! 4

The CBFCA s RPL process Simplicity is the key Some people think RPL should be extremely complicated and onerous if it is to be considered a valid assessment of the skills and knowledge of the applicant. The CBFCA disagrees. We believe that simplicity is the key to effective RPL. The CBFCA is committed to making the RPL process as simple to use as possible by limiting the amount of unnecessary evidence gathering that is required by candidates for RPL. Let s expand upon that idea. Some RTOs ask RPL applicants to gather up everything they can find that could even remotely be considered relevant evidence for demonstrating competency. This is what RTOs sometimes call the wheelbarrow of evidence approach and the emphasis is on quantity rather than quality. There are two main problems with the wheelbarrow : 1. the process of gathering and sifting through the evidence is difficult for the candidate. Many candidates just give up and see this as just too hard; and 2. the RTO cannot verify the authenticity of a lot of the information so the time spent gathering the documents may be wasted. The focus of the CBFCA is on a targeted evidence approach whereby we only seek from you documentary evidence that is verifiable as authentic. For example, the old-fashioned way would be to ask you to submit a stack of documents related to shipments that you have cleared. The CBFCA recognises that such evidence doesn t necessarily guarantee authenticity (i.e. that the RPL applicant was the one who processed these documents) and so if it can t be verified, we don t use it. 5

We may, on the other hand, ask you to provide us with certified testimonials from employers or clients attesting to your skill and knowledge as a customs broker or as a classifier/compiler. As this information can be verified and is certified, it can be considered authentic, This may mean the difference between supplying one hundred documents or just a handful. You can see now why RPL candidates much prefer this method. It s simple and it works. 6

Step 1 Self-assessment As you are seeking to gain the Diploma of Customs Broking by RPL, then it stands to reason you need to know what s actually in the Diploma so you can compare your skills and knowledge with the requirements of the Diploma qualification. That s fair enough but you also don t want to have to be wading through a bunch of training jargon in the course documents to work out what is in the Diploma curriculum either. The CBFCA recognises this and has simplified the key aspects of the role of a customs broker - as outlined in the curriculum documents - and provided this as a series of selfassessment questions for you to answer. These self-assessment questions are grouped into just 11 key categories which are: 1. Preparing documents for customs clearance 2. Barrier clearance functions 3. Biosecurity 4. Import/export prohibitions and/or restrictions 5. Valuation 6. Classification 7. Indirect taxes 8. Customs clearance practices 9. Anti-dumping and countervailing 10. Origin, preference and Free Trade Agreements 11. Reviewing decisions of regulatory bodies These categories reflect the key areas of the Diploma of Customs Broking which in itself, was designed to reflect the role of a licensed customs broker in professional practice. 7

Within each of these categories there are a number of questions and they are all listed in the Self-Assessment document. You will see that they are written as I statements e.g. I can prepare and lodge a warehousing entry. If you answer Agree to each of these questions, you are well on your way and can go straight to Step 3. However, if you answer No or Unsure to some of the questions, that s OK too. This just means you might need to brush up on your knowledge or skill in those areas. In RPL-speak this is what is called gap training and the CBFCA can help you with that too. Consider if you need to close any skills/knowledge gaps Now keep in mind that you only need to consider gap training if you answered No to any of the self-assessment questions. Otherwise you can go direct to Step 3. If you believe you need some gap training then stay here and read on. Gap training is designed obviously to assist you through the areas where you need to brush up. There are a number of ways you can do that and some of these are: 1. Attending a CPD session on the topic 2. Accessing the websites of regulators to get the latest information 3. Reviewing information on the CBFCA website on that topic area 4. Discussing the topic with industry colleagues who may have more experience in this area 5. Enrolling in that specific unit of study in the Diploma of Customs Broking Note that with (5) above, you would only need to enrol in the study unit related to any skills gap you may have. For example, if you were not sure of your skills and knowledge in the area of reviewing decisions of regulatory bodies, you could simply enrol in that study unit. 8

When enrolling in a unit you have two easy choices to make: Do I want to actually gain the nationally recognised unit of study by enrolling in the unit and completing all the assessments? We call this the classroom method OR Do I simply want to use the learning material from that unit to brush up on my knowledge of the topic? We call this the brush up method The classroom method This means you fully complete the unit, including all assessments tasks, and be granted a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment for that unit of study. The usual fee for studying that unit will apply however completion of the unit means you will not need to provide any further evidence of your skills in that area. The brush up method This means you are given access to the student lecture notes for the unit so that you can read all about the topic and brush up your knowledge that way. There is no fee for this beyond the RPL application fee itself. You will not be required to attend any classes or to complete any assessments. Once you complete your brush up you can then go back to your self-assessment list and, if you believe that you now have the required skills and knowledge, tick Yes to that area. Note: your skills and knowledge in this area will be further reviewed then as part of the competency conversation (see Step 4 of the RPL process below) 9

Step 2 Gather authentic supporting documentation As mentioned previously, the CBFCA will not waste your time asking you to collect evidence of your skills, knowledge and experience based on documentation that cannot be authenticated as being created by, or attributed to, you and you alone. This means we don t want to see: Import declarations Tariff Advice applications. Tariff Concession Order applications. However, this step is where you can seek out authentic documentation that provides evidence of your skills and knowledge in a practical, on-the-job sense. This means that we do want to see: Certified testimonials from your current and/or previous employer/s as to your experience and skills across the range of customs broking skills. Note your employer will need to reference the key areas of the self-assessment checklist to ensure all areas of your skills are covered off Certified testimonials from your clients attesting to your knowledge and skills across a range of areas that impacted upon their shipments Copies of correspondence from you to clients providing advice on complex classification, valuation or other matters Copies of correspondence from you to the ACBPS or other regulatory bodies explaining complex classification, valuation or other matters. It should be noted that a copy of a TA would not normally provide sufficient evidence. Inter-company reports and/or training on technical matters prepared by, and attributed to, you. CPD undertaken Detailed and current job description Performance reviews relating to the above job description showing examples of your highlights/achievements in the role 10

Note that these documents will need to be accompanied by a signed and witnessed Statutory Declaration from the provider as to their authenticity. A copy of this Declaration will be provided for this purpose and should be completed by each person providing certification of evidence towards your RPL application. The evidence of check In deciding what documentation to submit consider using this mantra to guide you: Do these documents provide evidence of my skills, knowledge and experience as a customs broker? In other words: Is there relevance to the evidence I am providing? Does it add to the image I am painting of myself as a skilled customs broker? Use the self-assessment checklist to confirm this. If in doubt, check with the CBFCA. 11

Step 3 Submit your application for RPL If you are confident that you have the evidence at hand that you will need to demonstrate your skills, knowledge and experience as a customs broker, then you should now enrol in the Diploma of Customs via RPL. Once you have paid your enrolment fee for RPL you can submit your portfolio of evidence via our online portal for this purpose.. Note that you will need to reference each piece of evidence you provide so that it can be quickly identified by the assessor. What happens next? An assessor will be appointed to review your application. This assessor will be an experienced licensed customs broker who is also qualified under the national training system to be an assessor. Your assessor will: 1. Review your self-assessment checklist to check for any skills gaps that you may have indicated. Where this is the case, the assessor will consider suggestions as to how these skills gaps can be closed 2. Review your authenticated documentary evidence and determine how it relates to evidence of your skills, knowledge and experience as a licensed customs broker 3. Decide what you may need in terms of other evidence of and how you might gather that evidence (if required) The assessor may also ask you to: Complete a practical task. This could take the form of a workplace scenario for which you would be expected to provide a written response outlining how you would address certain situations in the workplace. You would be required to complete this task in a specified time, usually a week Provide additional third-party reports. These could take the form of additional employer reports or testimonials from clients etc that demonstrate your skills, knowledge and experience as a licensed customs broker The assessor will be in touch with you to discuss your application within 21 working days of receipt of your application 12

Step 4 Have a competency conversation with your assessor This is the part of the RPL process that makes the CBFCA s system so much easier to use than traditional document-based RPL methodologies. No more digging up boxes of dusty old files! Just a friendly conversation with a licensed customs broker who is a fellow professional and shares your love of this industry and the role of the licensed customs broker as a key part of the global supply chain. So what format will the competency conversation take? Firstly, the assessor will ask you to tell you a little bit about your experience. This will include where you have worked, how long you have worked there and in what capacity. This is your chance to provide a brief snapshot of your career to date. Secondly, the assessor will introduce some industry scenarios to you. These may typically start with, You have client and they want to.... It s just the sort of thing that you will hear and experience every day in your office. The assessor will ask you how you would handle the situation, perhaps the steps you would take to resolve it and your rationale for your action. There are no predetermined answers to these scenarios and the assessor will be happy to be guided by you as to how you would handle the situation in the first instance. The outcome of the exercise is not to trick or trap you but rather just to explore your experience of key areas. Thirdly, the assessor will be looking to confirm that you have current knowledge of legislation, FTAs, recent ACNs, tariff changes etc as currency is one of the key components in determining competency. Finally, if the assessor determines as a result of your conversation that you may have some skill gaps, the assessor will refer you to some ways to overcome these (see page 9 for examples) and suggest a time for a second conversation to cover these off once you have upgraded your skills 13

The RPL flow chart Step 1 Conduct selfassessment of skills and knowledge Read each statement and confirm: How confident am I that I can I do this? Consider gap training options as well. Step 2 Gather authentic supporting documentation Think about the evidence of your skills and knowledge that you could provide Less may well be more at this point so don t try to fill up the wheelbarrow! Step 3 Enrol in the Diploma via RPL and pay your RPL fee Carefully prepare your application so that it contains the required information including your self-assessment checklist and your authenticated documentation. Step 4 Competency conversation This is the part where you get to discuss common and interesting workplace scenarios with your assessor and really show what you know as a customs broker! 14

RPL fees The fee for the CBFCA RPL process is $1900 This provides for the CBFCA to: 1. Review your self-assessment checklist to determine any gap areas 2. Review your authenticated documentary evidence in detail 3. Conduct reference checks against your testimonials 4. Conduct the initial competency conversation 5. Conduct the follow up competency conversation (if necessary) 6. Issue your Diploma of Customs Broking on successful completion If you decide, after conducting your self-assessment that you would like to complete single unit/s of study in the Diploma of Customs Broking to meet any skill gaps you may have, the fees for this will be as follows: Gap filling route Assessment This includes full completion of the unit of study including the assessment leading towards the awarding of a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment. Completion of this unit study will be deemed to be full evidence of competency in this area and no further assessment or review will be required. Brush-up reading This includes full access to all the lecture notes in the unit of study. The notes can be downloaded and retained by the RPL applicant indefinitely for further review. Your assessor will make reference to these notes in the competency conversation. Fee per unit of study $300 (GST free) No charge By way of comparison, the fee for completing the whole Diploma of Custom Broking via course work (i.e. training and assessment) is $5500. 15