Latest Articles
Distraction
We live in a world changing faster than ever before, with more technology and productivity tools at our fingertips than ever before. Yet, one of the most common frustrations facing anyone working in RTO Land is overwhelm. There’s too much to do and not enough time to do it.
Didn’t Get Marked as Satisfactory the First Time? It’s Not the End of the World.
Sometimes at Fortress Learning, our students get an assessment submission marked as Not Yet Satisfactory. This can cause disappointment, anxiety, sadness, and even anger! The reality is, being marked as Not Yet Satisfactory is not the end of the world. It just means you get to have another shot at fulfilling the requirements of the task.
Determining the Learning Needs of Your Audience
When people come to a platform to learn, they’re not all in the same boat – they have unique learning styles, different reasons for engaging in the material, and varying backgrounds and abilities that will impact their educational journey.
Dear Future Student
When we begin, we will put together a bit of a plan, and that will give us direction. But as we get started, we might decide to change it along the way. Like a walk in the woods, sometimes it is easier to go around a log than over it, and sometimes it’s actually easier to build a raft than swim across a river. We will do that together.
Creating Learning Resources That Motivate Learning
I was talking to a client yesterday about learning resources. He is happy to write his own assessment resources (and prefers to do so because he can tailor them to the learner groups). On the other hand, he says he doesn’t have time to write the learning material. He has tried several approaches, and the last approach was to provide a textbook. That didn’t work either. It was a good textbook but the learners were resistant to reading so much information.
Could Active Citizenship Be the Missing Piece in Australian VET?
The place of VET within the Australian industrial landscape seems fairly robust, but compared to the global landscape, it could be lacking in one key element: active citizenship.
Continually Improving
It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to develop the world’s best chocolate chip cookie or create the best training session; improvement often comes out of a number of small, incremental steps. This key thought is a central part of what continuous quality improvement is all about. Instead of seeking out that one change that will make everything perfect, continuous improvement is about working to constantly improve, so that over time, the product you are delivering becomes better.
Completing Your Qualification With Fortress: Robyn’s Experience
Every now and then, a graduating student writes a Review that we believe really captures what we try to do. Instead of them ending up hidden among the others, we will share them with you, and try to explain why we think they are so appropriate.
Classroom Teachers/Trainers – Leaders, Managers, or Technicians?
The information age is one of several developments that have radically altered the view of a teacher, trainer or instructor in an educational setting. Once upon a time, teachers and trainers were experts in a given subject matter, and their role was to impart what they knew to waiting learners. Along the way, most trainers also acquired skills in how best to achieve that transfer of learning to their students.
Changes to the TAE Training Package (as Per April 2022)
This blog post will provide some further updates regarding the holistic review of the TAE Training Package being undertaken by PWC Skills, as this is a hot topic at the moment, and the following information will give you some insight into what the proposed changes will be.
Baffling – But It All Fell Into Place
Every now and then, a graduating student writes a Review that we believe really captures what we try to do. Instead of them ending up hidden among the others, we will share them with you, and try to explain why we think they are so appropriate.
Authorship and Ownership – How Assessment Disempowers Assessors
I have recently read Michelle Charlton’s excellent article Expectations associated with Assessment and I wholeheartedly agree with her conclusion that providing professional tools for use by professional tradespeople (trainers/assessors) can only do our sector the world of good.My article will explore how we can still do this but also allow for a little ownership of those tools among our Assessors.
Amy Talks About Her Study Routine and Getting In The Zone
Yes… Bearing in mind that I did the old Certificate IV, which is quite different to the new one. And, also bearing in mind that because of my teaching experience, I did not have to do all of the delivery projects, which are quite involved. So, in a sense, it’s hard to compare it with the TAE40116 now because I did get recognition for my Presenting skills and and knowledge…. And, to be honest, the TAE40116 is more stringent than the TAE40110.
A Good Package
Every now and then, a graduating student writes a Review that we believe really captures what we try to do. Instead of them ending up hidden among the others, we will share them with you, and try to explain why we think they are so appropriate. This one is from a Cert IV TAE graduate.
A Place for Training Products – in Defence of the Standards for RTOs
In his essay on jargon and terminology, Bryan West raises what could be an engaging topic. However, there must be better examples, than the one he raises, of jargon that causes irritation to students in VET. Specifically, Bryan raises concerns about the term: “training product”.
5 Tips to Successfully Complete Your Studies
What do all successful Fortress Learning students have in common? Discipline. When it comes to completing your Certificate IV TAE or Diploma, you don’t have to like it to do it; you don’t even have to want to do it; you have to choose to do it.
What's With The TAE And Should You Even Bother To Upgrade To The New TAE50116 Or TAE50216 TAE Diplomas?
The question about whether or not you should bother upgrading your TAE Diploma really is about looking at what is happening outside and then asking what you want to happen inside. It’s a personal thing.
Who Was Boyer And What Has He Got To Do With Me?
The name Boyer (and, no, that is not him above!) is probably unfamiliar to most professional trainers and assessors in Australia, but his model of scholarship is bound to be affecting the work that they do. This article will explore that a little more, and share just why research among VET professionals is so important.
Who Needs To Write Training Packages
Highlights the importance of assessing competency and how it can't be done by workplace supervisors who aren't trained to read and interpret units of competency; it needs to be done by a TAE trained 3rd party. Goes into detail about writing assessment tools and designing training packages, more reasons to not use workplace people who have knowledge but no training in training others.
What's More Powerful Than Reputation, Price And Support In Generating Referrals? The Fortress Learning Experience
Generating referrals is helped by reputation, price and support but ultimately there is something even more powerful that will boost referrals. We worked it out by asking our students... See what they told us!
What It Means To Graduate With A Certificate IV TAE With Fortress Learning
You will learn not only what it means to teach and assess VET Qualifications, but you will also learn the why, the what, and the how of the VET sector, giving you the confidence to walk into that new job interview with the knowledge and skills you need to get the job done!
What Teachers Might Learn From Sales People
Since surveys in most of the Western world consistently rank used car salespeople as among the least trusted of all professions, it is little wonder some people extend that reputation to all salespeople. Trainers, on the other hand, are held in high esteem. So what could a trainer possibly learn from a profession so low in the public trust?
What Is Considered A Critical Incident In The New Dip VET?
As a trainer, a critical incident is an event that has significance for you. Critical incidents can change an outcome. The name suggests something dramatic. You are not alone if you jumped to the conclusion of a critical incident = something really really really really bad happened and then the office caught on fire and then Karen from Finance filed a complaint about it.
What I Learned About Quitting The TAE By Training For The New York Marathon
It's easy to make reasonable excuses not to train (or study) but the battle that happens is in one's own mind. Find out how you can overcome your mindset barriers to achieving your goals.
What Document Was That?
Have you ever noticed how much of your work as a trainer is tied up in paperwork? It seems like that old saying about “the job isn’t finished till the paperwork is done” was made up for trainers. Everything we do must be documented before, during the training and after the fact.
What are you looking for?
The new qualification TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training & Assessment was a very challenging course. I have been in the VET sector for almost 30 years and have gone through many of the qualification upgrades. This new one was no "give me". The assistance I got from the FL team was amazing. I was supported every step of the way. A fantastic learning and development experience. Thank you
Roger Crowhurst
Thanks to Jane for her support all the way. I definitely had trouble interpreting academic speak as I am from a trade background. With Jane's help I found it easier to understand and ultimately got through.
Stephen Armao
Fortress learning provided quality service, resources and training, from the enrolment process with Jonathon who had exceptional Customer service skills to the Trainer Deb Thomas who held my hand through the upgrade process. I am very happy to have selected and committed to Fortress learning and would highly recommend anyone considering to upgrade their qualifications or begin their training to go with their training organisation. Thanks again Deb for your time, knowledge and skills.
Caterina
From the very first phone call, Fortress Learning had fantastic communication and straightforward processes. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing to go through the RPL and credit transfer process. They made the whole process so simple and stress free. Emails were normally responded to on the same day, and the giant portfolio I submitted was reviewed and marked within the week. Thank you to Jon, Odeza, Emma and everyone else involved.
Alison L
I’m not a person who takes to technology and computers easily, I never gained an education through high school. Thanks to Deb and the team at Fortress, I was able to get my qualification to start my dream job, training and assessing apprentices. I would like to thank everyone at Fortress for helping and guiding me along the way, I will be forever grateful!
Adam D
I had a great experience doing my TAE through Fortress. Very clear tasks with videos to give guidance and instructions on the tasks. Trainers very responsive and willing to help! Marking done within 4 days. Thank you very much!
Susanna C
Fortress made my RPL really easy. Advised me exactly what I needed to provide as evidence to reach my desired outcome. Quick assessment of my skills and experience to finalise my upgrade. Thanks Fortress team.
Steve D
Quality TAE RPL assessment is difficult. That's why lesser RTOs avoid it. I tried to negotiate a realistic RPL pathway with two other well-known TAE providers before settling on Fortress. I'm an experienced TAE assessor myself; I was impressed by their commitment to rigorously observing the standards while being flexible enough to capture genuine evidence. I was not only impressed with the service they provided me, I am confident that any colleague or potential employee of mine that is certified through Fortress genuinely has met the standards (and not just benefitted from the "tick and flick" approach of some providers). I have no association with Fortress but I would recommend them to any TAE professional seeking to upgrade their qualifications.
Sean Kelly
I recently completed my Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in Training and Assessment Education (TAE) through Fortress Learning, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. From start to finish, the process was seamless and well-organized. The support team was incredibly responsive and helpful, guiding me through each step with patience and clarity. The assessors at Fortress Learning are highly knowledgeable and provided valuable feedback that was both constructive and encouraging. Their expertise in the TAE field is evident, and their dedication to helping students succeed is truly commendable. What stood out the most was their tailored approach to my RPL application. They recognized my prior experience and skills, ensuring that the assessment process was relevant and fair. The resources provided were comprehensive and greatly aided in my understanding of the requirements. Overall, Fortress Learning has exceeded my expectations with its professional and supportive approach. I highly recommend their RPL services to anyone seeking to advance their TAE qualifications. Thank you, Fortress Learning, for an outstanding educational experience!
Brendan
The TAE workload was boulderous and daunting, but trainer Deb Thomas assisted me throughout. Her explanations untangled jargon and simplified arduous assessment tasks. Her incredible support enabled me to complete the TAE. THANK YOU!!! Although I primarily teach in a degree course, areas covered such as "reasonable adjustment" will assist with my Higher Ed work. I recommend Fortress to anyone contemplating a TAE: the service was both excellent and comprehensive.
Robyn
This course has made me a better Trainer and Assessor in many ways. The research project was intense, but very rewarding, I intend to implement many of the strategies I have learned throughout the course. The training staff at Fortress were fantastic and very supportive all the way, they did not hesitate to help me when it was needed. Many thanks to Fortress, especially Jane MacIntosh.
Nick Congiusta
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