Accellier and NSW National Parks

For almost a decade, Accellier has provided training in the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Our team designed a range of flexible programs in consultation with the education unit. This included face to face and online delivery, as well as site-visits and 1-on-1 support for individuals.

We produced industry specific content and examples to allow workers to complete the course in a more relevant and familiar setting.

When we work with an organisation such as the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, we focus on two key objectives:

1. Completion

Participants are carefully selected and assessed for their suitability to become trainers and assessors. Once they commence, we work tirelessly to support them through to successful completion.

2. Capability

Achieving the Certificate IV is only part of the outcome. Participants need to emerge as highly capable trainers and rigorous, credible assessors who can apply those skills confidently in the workplace.

We are pleased to report that we have delivered strongly on both fronts, with near 100% completion rates across all courses and trainers who years on still reach out to share their success stories with their own students.

Three main areas posed challenges in this project:

1. Geographical location of participants

Participants located in branches all over the state meant it was challenging to bring everyone together in the same place at the same time for lengthy periods of face to face training.

We arranged for shorter face to face sessions in strategic locations combined with relevant workplace projects and online learning meant we could help people complete the qualification while reducing the cost of flights, accommodation and time off work.

2. Hands-on people learn better face to face

Some people are just more accustomed to hands-on face-to-face learning and may find more self-paced digital learning and assessment methods a barrier to success.

To mitigate this we identified individuals who were particularly struggling and provided additional 1-on-1 tuition using video-conferencing, screen-share and phone calls to provide guidance and coaching through more technical tasks. We also provided a range of additional flexible options for follow-up face-to-face workshops on site.

Delivering training in the field and in the hangar – Accellier, working with aviation firefighting pilots and crew to gain their Certificate IV qualifications.

3. Time and engagement

Due to competing priorities and emergency responsibilities in relation to firefighting, participants sometimes found it difficult to allocate time to the self-paced and online aspects of the course. To help address this issue we liaised closely with managers to assist with coordination of time. We also individually contacted participants personally to offer support and guidance and to schedule catch-ups at a mutually convenient time. Often we worked with people after hours and on weekends to provide guidance, instruction and direction on completing workplace projects.