Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions we get asked and also the answer to them

WHAT IS RPL ?

This is an assessment which you can use to recognise your skills, knowledge as well as your experience gained throughout you work life. Which includes any training courses and or work based training that you may have received. This is then assessed against all of the evidence requirements the required units of competency, for the course you may like to enrol for.

I CURRENTLY WORK IN THE INDUSTRY AND HAVE A CRAFT CERTIFICATE, HOWEVER I DIDN’T FINISH TAFE, CAN I ENROL ?

In the above case the RPL process may be of benefit to you. By which any previous qualifications you have are judged to determine if you have previous course credits and to evaluate your actual skill level and knowledge. We will sit down with you evaluate your eligibility for the course, have you submit the required evidence. After this you will need to gather any other supporting evidence which needs to be assessed. We will assess all of your documentation including a discussion on each item of course content to identify if you require any “Gap Training” to bring your skills up the required standard. Upon completion of this, you may be required to then sit a capstone test dependant on the qualification. Upon successful completion of this you will then receive your Nationally Recognised Qualification.

WHEN ARE RPL COURSES RUN ?

There are no set classes – students will have a training plan that can start and stop depending on the gap training needed.

WHAT COST IS INVOLVED TO DO THESE COURSES ?

We are more than happy to discuss the course cost directly with you – you can also access fees from the Admissions menu. RPL is always case-by-case depending on the experience of the student.

THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF COMPANIES OFFERING WHAT YOU DO, WHAT SEPARATES YOU FROM THE REST?

We believe that the major thing that sets us apart from our high completion rates is the fact we specialise in only 3 trades – STC was founded by tradespeople from the industry that we train our students and apprentices in.

DO YOU HAVE VET STUDENT LOANS ?

We do not offer VET Student Loans – we have subsidised training options for eligible students through the NSW Government – please check https://www.training.nsw.gov.au/smartandskilled/

I AM INTERESTED IN THE FULL COURSE FOR EITHER ELECTRICAL / AIR CONDITIONING, WHEN IS THE INTAKE FOR THESE COURSES ? IS IT ONLY IN JANUARY OR IS THERE A MID-YEAR INTAKE ?

Yes There is a mid-year intake for fee-for-service classes. We also consider the popularity of courses, and dependant on numbers we will run additional courses. For apprentices STC runs 4-5 intakes in a year. Check with your Apprentice Support Provider on availability.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAFE AND A PRIVATE RTO?

All training in Australia is under the same regulator – ASQA, TAFE or RTO. The difference is we are a small specialist trades trainer with smaller classes and a longer academic year than TAFE. We know all our students and track progression closely.