Procedure Statement
The purpose of this procedure is to ensure selection for admission to a course is based on the principle that the student should be able to satisfactorily complete or achieve a satisfactory outcome in the chosen course of study. This procedure provides guidance for the admission of all students, including those students who are, or would be entitled to VET FEE-HELP, into courses delivered by Bendigo TAFE or on behalf of the Institute. Students that are applying for admission to a course that does not have pre-requisite and/or selection criteria will be assessed solely on the basis of their application.
Definitions
Courses – are any qualification or education and training that the Institute offers.
Pre-requisites – are entry requirements for a course that must be met in order to be eligible for admission. These may be defined by the Training Package and/or industry requirements. Examples include units of competency; age; literacy, numeracy and language levels; technical skills; and physical fitness. Applicants are required to meet any pre-requisites of a course prior to proceeding through the admissions process.
Selection – Selection refers to the process for deciding whether applicants are eligible for enrolment. Employability Skills will be used as the criteria for selection. In a limited number of courses selection also includes assessment of technical proficiency relevant to the vocational area of study. For example part of selection for Graphic and Design courses includes assessment and ranking of an applicant’s portfolio of their own art and design work.
Employability Skills - describe the non-technical skills and competencies that are an important part of successful participation in the workplace. They also form the basis for successful participation and completion in a course. Though competency based training aims to further develop these generic skills, a base level may be required for successful completion of a course. The base level may vary for the different Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) levels of study.
Contents
The student admission process must be applied to all applicants and is not dependent on available places within a course. Teaching Departments reserve the right to waive applying the selection criteria for applicants that are part of an industry based Fee for Service program funded by the employer or Short Courses. Decisions regarding suitability of applicants for admission to a course are made on the basis of merit using a three phase process:
1.1 Application
Student makes an application to enrol via the internet, phone or personal visit.
1.2 Pre-requisite Requirements
Student must meet pre-requisites requirements for the course.
1.3 Consideration of Selection Criteria
If the student satisfies 1.1 & 1.2, and the course has selection criteria the selection process is applied to all eligible
applicants. The exceptions are pathway and education programs that do not have a vocational outcome. In these instances
applicants are only required to meet the pre-requisites.
If the number of students exceeds the available places within the course the selection criteria will be drawn on to rank the applicants. All applicants considered suitable for the course and who do not receive an offer, will be placed on a waiting list in order of ranking and offered a place if or when one becomes available. A student ranking will be specific to a course intake or academic year. If a student re-applies for entry into a course at a later stage or a different course a new ranking will be applied.
All unsuccessful applicants must receive advice on “pathways of study” that may assist them to gain entry to the course at a later stage. This may also include referral to the Careers Counsellor to assist with determining their study/pathway options. Staff must provide options that can support the student’s study in the future including part-time courses or the option to undertake units of study within another discipline that can provide for credit transfer into their preferred course of study.
The admission process will at all times demonstrate:
• fairness
• consistency
• transparency
• efficiency
Where the admissions process includes a Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) application the selection process will also be conducted in accordance with the agreed system rules and privacy policy guidelines of VTAC. Liaison and Selection Officers from Bendigo TAFE (individuals who have the ability to alter ranks and manipulate data in the VTAC system) are required to declare any potential conflict of interests to VTAC.
Where selection criteria are in place, potential students must be informed at the time of application that successful completion of the selection process is a requirement for entry into a course.
2.1 Criteria
Employability skills will form the basis that informs the criteria for student selection. The key skills identified in conjunction with the personal attributes making up the Employability Skills Framework can be found in Appendix 1 of this document. Standard Institute Selection Process Questions can be found in Appendix 2 of this document. Application, prioritisation and weighting of these questions will be course specific.
2.2 Process
Individual teaching schools are responsible for the application of specific selection requirements for all courses that may incorporate but not be limited to:
Interview – group or individual
Folio assessment
Testing
Workplace references
Previous academic achievements / records
Work experiences
Consideration of VTAC application
Other educational considerations for selection must be explored with students to ensure that such factors will not impact on their ability to achieve a satisfactory outcome in their chosen course of study. Discussions with candidates will identify potential difficulties or barriers to successful completion as outlined in the purpose of this document. Consideration of ALL elements of course participation must occur. Consultation with relevant staff must take place to assist in determining if the student’s needs can be accommodated.
The selection panel reserves the right to refer individual cases to Institute staff to assist in evaluating the candidate’s suitability for admission. A selection panel consists of a combination of the following:
A selection officer may be one of the following:
Referrals may include Occupational Health & Environment Co-ordinator, Disability Liaison Officer or other School staff.
3.1 Consideration of Course Participation Issues
The following elements outline the key issues to be clarified prior to admission:
3.1.1 Course Structure
Does the student understand the study requirements of the course? Is the student capable of participating in the course under the proposed structure or would modifications be required? (Including course delivery mode, timetables, access to materials, study time commitments etc). Consider issues such as other commitments, carer responsibilities etc).
3.2 Health & Safety Requirements
Is the student capable of adhering to all the Health & Safety requirements associated with this course as outlined in the Training Package or Curriculum documentation? (Including relevant Health & Safety requirements of the course: e.g. Personal Protective Equipment, risks, chemicals and emergency evacuation).
3.2.1 Medical / Illness
Does the student have any medical issues that may restrict the student participating in this course as outlined in the Training Package or Curriculum documentation? (Query any relevant medical conditions that may impact on participation: e.g. allergies, injuries, epilepsy, claustrophobia etc).
3.2.2 Access / Facilities / Support
Are there any issues that will inhibit the student from undertaking the training in relation to access/facilities support? (Including room size/layout, furniture, wheelchair access, equipment, paths of travel, stairs or steps and/or requirement for support worker / interpreter OR other equity supports).
3.2.3 Cultural / Religious
Are there any cultural or religious issues that could jeopardise the successful completion of this course by the student as outlined in the Training Package or Curriculum documentation? (Including cultural / religious requirements relevant for course participation: e.g. types of clothing, prayer time or dietary requirements).
3.3 Language, Literacy and Numeracy Considerations
In instances where language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) assessments are not a pre-requisite, it is recommended that students undertake a LLN assessment prior to or at the beginning of a course. Information gained through this assessment will inform the need to customise the course or refer student for Learning Support to further facilitate the successful completion of the course. The Learning Support Referral Flowchart can be found in Appendix 3 of this document.
A selection officer will be appointed to oversee and coordinate the admissions and selection process for each course and ensure the admission procedures are adhered to. Other staff may also be involved in the course selection process and contribute to selection decisions making.
The following documents are available on the Business Management System:
Student Grievance Procedure (Proc505)
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Commonwealth)
Equal Opportunity Act 1995 (Victoria)
Information Privacy Act 2000 (Victoria)
Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth)
Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Victoria)
For suggestions and improvements: quality@britafe.vic.edu.au
Due to the size of the chart, you will be required to download a 
PDF version of the flowchart for ease of viewing.
The actual Employability Skills Selection criteria is listed below, if you prefer a PDF version of the flowchart is also available.
Communication that contributes to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers |
Listening and understanding Speaking clearly and directly Writing to the needs of the audience Negotiating responsively Reading independently Empathising Using numeracy effectively Understanding the needs of internal and external customers Persuading effectively Establishing and using networks Being assertive Sharing information Speaking and writing in languages other than English
|
Teamwork that contributes to productive working relationships and outcomes |
Working with people of different ages, gender, race,
religion or political persuasion Working as an individual and as a member of a team Knowing how to define a role as part of a team Applying teamwork skills to a range of situations,
e.g. futures planning, crisis problem solving Identifying the strengths of team members Coaching, mentoring and giving feedback
|
Problem solving that contributes to productive outcomes |
- Developing creative, innovative solutions
Developing practical solutions Showing independence and initiative in identifying problems and solving them Solving problems in teams Applying a range of strategies to problem solving Using mathematics including budgeting and financial Management to solve problems Applying problem-solving strategies across a range of areas Testing assumptions taking the context of data and
circumstances into account Resolving customer concerns in relation to complex project issues
|
Initiative and enterprise that contribute to innovative outcomes |
Adapting to new situations Developing a strategic, creative, long-term vision Being creative Identifying opportunities not obvious to others Translating ideas into action Generating a range of options Initiating innovative solutions
|
Planning and organising that contribute to long- term and short-term strategic planning |
Managing time and priorities – setting timelines, coordinating tasks for self and with others Being resourceful Taking initiative and making decisions Adapting resource allocations to cope with contingencies Establishing clear project goals and deliverables Allocating people and other resources to tasks Planning the use of resources including time management Participating in continuous improvement and planning
processes Developing a vision and a proactive plan to accompany it Predicting – weighing up risk, evaluating alternatives and
applying evaluation criteria Collecting, analysing and organising information Understanding basic business systems and their relationships
|
Self-management that contributes to employee satisfaction and growth |
Having a personal vision and goals Evaluating and monitoring own performance Having knowledge and confidence in own ideas and vision Articulating own ideas and vision Taking responsibility
|
Learning that contributes to ongoing improvement and expansion in employee and company operations and outcomes |
Managing own learning Contributing to the learning community at the workplace Using a range of mediums to learn – mentoring, peer support, networking, information technology (IT), courses Applying learning to ‘technical’ issues (e.g. learning about
products) and ‘people’ issues (e.g. interpersonal and cultural aspects of work) Having enthusiasm for ongoing learning Being willing to learn in any setting – on and off the job Being open to new ideas and techniques Being prepared to invest time and effort in learning new skills Acknowledging the need to learn in order to accommodate change
|
Technology that contributes to effective execution of tasks |
Having a range of basic IT skills Applying IT as a management tool Using IT to organise data Being willing to learn new IT skills Having the occupational health and safety knowledge to
apply technology Having the appropriate physical capacity
|
Course Code and Title: (Insert Course Code and Title)
Applicant’s Name: ________________________________
Interviewer’s Name/s: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________
Has the applicant read the information regarding the pre-requisites, entry requirements, selection criteria and selection process? Yes/No
1. Tell us about yourself. What do you do? What work/school experience have you had? What exposure, if any have you had to (insert vocational area) and why are you interested in a career in this area?
(Consider: The applicant’s communication style. Is it clear and concise? Can the applicant share information appropriately? Is the applicant listening, respecting others opinions, have a sense of humour and so on? Is the applicant demonstrating an interest in learning and education? Information gained in this question may also influence rating in Question 5 – Learning.)
2. (Insert vocational area) work as part of a team. Tell us what qualities you have that would demonstrate your ability to operate in a team?
(Consider team skills, can the applicant define their role in a team, do they have an understanding of the role of the (insert vocational area)? Have they experience working/playing (sport) with others? What team work skills do they self assess as having, such as sharing space, listening to others, building on others ideas, sharing own ideas, seeking clarity, keeping team on track, supporting others and assisting in making decisions?)
3. Tells us about a situation or recent incident where you had to come up with a different way of doing a task or a solution to a problem at work or in your social life. What solutions did you come up with?
(Consider: Was the applicant willing to take a risk? Were they able to come up with a different way of working or a different solution to the problem? Can the applicant problem solve? Can the applicant deal with difficult situations? Can the applicant adapt to new situations? Are they able to see different view points and consider different arguments/reasons for decisions?)
4. What are your short term goals (i.e. where you see yourself in two years)? What changes have you planned in order to be a (Insert vocational area) student? If you were not successful in getting into this course what alternatives have you considered?
(Consider: Can the applicant plan, prioritize, manage time, self manage? Has the applicant considered alternatives in planning their career?)
5. How do you see this course achieving your goals? What skills and knowledge do you expect to develop in this training program? What attributes, skills and knowledge do you already have that will contribute to your success in the (insert vocational area) industry?
(Consider: Is the applicant open and willing to learn new ideas and techniques? Does the applicant have enthusiasm for ongoing learning? Is the applicant able to identify what they already know and gaps in their skills?)
6. Technology is a part of many jobs including (insert vocational area) – tell us about your level of IT competence or skills. (formal training, experience)
(Consider: Are they able and willing to learn new IT skills?)
Inform applicant of the course requirements:
The following elements outline the key issues to be clarified prior to admission:
- Course structure and requirements - Is the student capable of participating in the course under the proposed structure or would modifications be required? (Insert specific course requirements)
- Is the student capable of adhering to all the Health & Safety requirements associated with this course as outlined in the Training Package or Curriculum documentation including immunizations?
- Does the student have any medical issues that may restrict the student participating in this course as outlined in the Training Package or Curriculum documentation?
- Are there any issues that might inhibit the student from undertaking the training in relation to access/facilities or other equity supports?
- Are there any cultural or religious issues that could potentially jeopardise the successful completion of this course by the student as outlined in the Training Package or curriculum document?
- Outline the costs associated with the course.
7. Has the applicant any questions?
Comments:
Due to the size of the chart, you will be required to download a PDF version of the flowchart for ease of viewing.
Warning - Uncontrolled when printed. The current version of this document is kept on the internal BMS
Authorised by: Executive Management Committee Original Issue: 18/09/2007
Maintained by: Executive Director - Education and Training Current Version: 24/01/2011
Review Date: 01/04/2012 Procedure No. Proc507