Key Findings

• ITOs have trouble finding enough assessors with the right attributes and supporting them
• Training policies and practices impact upon the assessors ability to do their job effectively
• There are mixed views about verification of assessment
• Moderation plays a critical role.

Key Recommendations

Target investment in assessors more tightly | Reduce the assessor pool to manageable levels to make it more feasible to provide the training and ongoing professional development required or desired to develop and maintain assessor competency levels.

Develop career pathways for assessors | Consider the development of a career pathway within the industry for assessors and to recognise the combination of industry knowledge and skill, together with assessment knowledge and skill.

See assessment as part of workplace development | Use assessment and moderation to provide information such as whether trainees are achieving standards, and which standards are proving more difficult to assess. Also use them as part of the evidence base for how workplaces are building capability over time.

Address gaps in knowledge about assessment in the workplace | Research how assessment structures and practices support or constrain the completion of qualifications. Look to obtain a deeper understanding of the impact of training and assessment on achievement and motivation to learn and contribute to industry.

Adopt four principles of good assessment practice | 1: ITOs and workplaces should have a clear purpose for assessment and work together. 2: The ITO’s assessment structures and systems must support the learning process. 3: Good assessment requires appropriately recruited, trained and professionally developed people. 4: Moderation contributes to the validity and reliability of assessment decisions.