Three Essential Attributes for Workplace Assessors

Key Lessons Learnt

My primary goal in this project was to learn from experienced workplace assessors across various industries. While much of my personal assessor experience lies in workplace assessment, I typically assess units from the TAE Training Package. This means that even when I’m assessing ‘in the workplace,’ I’m often assessing trainee trainers in their classroom!

I reached out to my network of VET practitioners to find experienced workplace assessors willing to let me observe a few on-the-job assessments. My ambitious goal was to capture some of these assessments on video to share the valuable wisdom of these assessors with others.

This, of course, added some logistical complexities:

• I had to obtain permission from the RTO and the assessor to film.
• The assessors needed permission from the candidates they were assessing.
• In some cases, being workplaces, we also needed permission to film clients, customers, and other workers.

Additionally, I had to ensure that my presence wouldn’t compromise the assessments in any way. My role was strictly as an observer.

After careful coordination, four RTOs agreed to let me learn from their assessors:

• Steve Crabtree from LearningLive: A Traffic Control RTO
• Jacqui Boaden from NVCollege: Individual Support
• Lyn Vost from ETC Ltd: Hospitality

I also interviewed an assessor from Brush Farm Corrective Services Academy. However, due to the highly sensitive nature of the assessment process within Corrective Services in NSW, I did not observe this assessor in action and instead conducted an interview to respect this important work.

Distilling the Key Lessons Learned

As an “assessor of assessors” in the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, (specifically in units like TAEASS412 Assess competence), it was a real treat to simply observe experienced assessors at work without needing to wear my own assessor’s hat. This allowed me to take in much more and learn from true masters of their craft.

Workplace Assessors Must Be Masterful Communicators

All the assessors I spoke to repeatedly emphasised the importance of communication. While it’s easy to guess that communication skills would be high on any workplace assessor’s skillset, seeing firsthand how it contributes to a successful assessment brings this point to life.

Rather than simply stating the obvious benefits of good communication, consider these rhetorical questions that highlight the power of these skills:

• How will the candidate know: who their assessor is, when they’re being assessed, what they’re being assessed on, what they need to do to demonstrate competency, how to prepare, the process if they cannot fully demonstrate the required skills and knowledge, and their progress through their course?
• How will the assessor know: about upcoming workplace assessment opportunities, the best and least-disruptive times to visit the workplace, who to talk to for supplementary evidence, and who their supervisor is?
• How will the workplace (supervisor, employer, etc.) know: who the assessor is, when assessments will take place, how they will be conducted, and what opportunities they need to provide for the candidate to learn and be assessed?

The assessors I spoke to used a variety of methods to address these questions, including:

• Face-to-face meetings
• Email
• Phone calls
• Text messages
• Briefings
• Written information

When I observed Lyn Vost’s workplace assessment, the results of her great communication skills were immediately evident. The rapport she had built with the RTO, the employer, manager, head chef, other workers, and the candidate created a foundation of respect. This made Lyn’s job much easier in terms of arranging workplace visits, gathering evidence, and drawing on third-party testimony.

There are no rigid rules about how this communication happens, but it’s clear that this skill is the keystone of the workplace assessment arch. Without it, the whole process crumbles.

Clear Instructions and Briefings

Closely related to the importance of communication is the need for clear instructions and briefings. Good workplace assessors invest significant time in instructing candidates on how the assessment will take place.

This is especially important in high-risk settings. Steve Crabtree, for example, spent an hour in a dedicated briefing session with his candidates before starting the assessment process.

While this might seem excessive, watching those candidates confidently navigate real-life traffic control situations on public roads made the value clear. They knew the expectations and that they couldn’t rely on their trainer for assistance. They had to perform as they would in the real world – and they did, even managing an unexpected red-light runner incredibly well!

Planning and Organisational Skills

Workplace assessors juggle a multitude of responsibilities:

• Often multiple candidates
• Multiple units of competency
• Rosters and shifts
• Other staff
• The demands of the workplace
• Noise, weather, customers
• Other workplaces

They can’t observe every move a candidate makes on every shift. Therefore, they rely on additional sources of evidence, including portfolios, questioning, third-party reports, and completed projects.

The stakes are also higher in workplace assessment. There’s potential risk to the safety of the candidate, other workers, customers, and the assessor. Additionally, there’s the risk of material waste, errors, and lost time – remember, these are employees on the payroll! A candidate for assessment hasn’t yet been formally deemed competent, so the risks are higher.

Strong planning and organisational skills are critical for workplace assessors to ensure a smooth and effective process for everyone involved.

Professional Development for Workplace Assessors

I am presenting my findings in more detail with VELG on 12 June 2024: https://www.velgtraining.com/events/1736

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