The Skills Certified RPL process is designed to make qualification pathways clearer and easier to navigate for experienced workers across Australia.
While every qualification differs slightly depending on industry requirements and RTO standards, the general recognition of prior learning process follows four key stages.
Free Skills Assessment
The process begins with a 60-second free skills assessment.
During this initial consultation, a Skills Certified consultant will discuss:
- Your industry background
- Current and previous job roles
- Years of experience
- Existing qualifications or training
- Overseas experience
- Career goals
- Licensing or compliance requirements
This stage helps determine:
- Whether you may be suitable for RPL
- Which qualification best matches your experience
- Whether additional evidence may be required
Importantly, the assessment is designed to provide honest guidance about suitability rather than making unrealistic promises.
Many applicants are surprised to discover their day-to-day work already aligns with nationally recognised competency standards.
Gather Your Portfolio of Experience
Once a qualification pathway has been identified, the next step is compiling your portfolio of evidence.
This is one of the most important parts of the RPL assessment process.
Evidence may include:
- Resumes and employment history
- Payslips or contracts
- References from employers or supervisors
- Photos or videos of completed work
- Workplace reports or documentation
- SWMS or safety documentation
- Licences and tickets
- Training certificates or transcripts
- Overseas qualifications
- Technical plans or project examples
- Client records or invoices for self-employed workers
The exact evidence required depends on your industry and qualification.
For example:
- Tradespeople may provide site photos, project records, or toolbox meeting documents
- Beauty professionals may provide treatment portfolios and client bookings
- Business professionals may provide reports, plans, budgets, or management documentation
Skills Certified consultants support candidates throughout the RPL evidence process by helping identify suitable documentation and organising evidence for submission.
This guidance is especially valuable for applicants who:
- Haven’t studied formally before
- Worked overseas
- Are self-employed
- Have extensive experience but limited paperwork
Evidence Review
Once your portfolio has been submitted, one of Skills Certified’s partnered Registered Training Organisations reviews the evidence.
This stage involves:
- Competency mapping
- Qualification assessment
- Evidence verification
- Gap analysis where required
Assessors compare your evidence against the units of competency within the qualification.
Sometimes additional evidence may be requested if:
- More clarification is needed
- Certain competencies are not fully demonstrated
- Documents are incomplete or outdated
In some situations, limited upskilling or gap training may be recommended to help meet qualification requirements.
The purpose of this stage is ensuring the qualification outcome meets national competency standards.
You’re Qualified!
Once competency requirements have been successfully met, the partnered RTO issues your qualification.
Qualifications achieved through RPL are:
- Nationally recognised
- Issued by Registered Training Organisations
- Equivalent to qualifications achieved through full-time study pathways
Depending on the qualification, this may help support:
- Career progression
- Licensing applications
- Immigration or visa requirements
- Industry compliance
- Tender eligibility
- Access to higher-level qualifications
For many experienced workers, the RPL process formalises skills they’ve already been using professionally for years.
