Start with your work history

Prepare a brief résumé or timeline showing your roles, employers, projects and responsibilities. Include the types of work you have personally undertaken. The aim is to help your assessor understand the breadth and relevance of your experience.

Build your evidence portfolio

Useful evidence may include qualifications and statements of attainment, licences, workplace training records, job sheets, logbooks, photographs of your work and references. Select evidence that relates to your own work. Remove customer details and obtain permission before sharing confidential workplace documents.

Speak with your assessor

An assessor reviews your application and discusses your work experience and evidence. A competency conversation gives you the opportunity to explain how you carry out tasks, make decisions and apply your knowledge. It forms part of the assessment; experience alone does not automatically establish competence.

Employer and supervisor verification

Current or previous supervisors may be asked to confirm work they have directly observed. Third-party reports support the assessment and need to describe your actual responsibilities and performance. Your assessor may contact referees to verify information.

Practical assessment and additional evidence

Your assessor will explain any practical demonstrations, observations or further evidence required for the units being assessed. The evidence must address the applicable assessment requirements. A portfolio of photographs or an employer reference alone may not be sufficient.

An individual plan for gap training

Where further training is needed, your assessor identifies the missing skills or knowledge and develops a plan for training and assessment. The plan sets out the required activities, delivery arrangements and expected timeframe.

RPL or credit transfer?

RPL assesses skills and knowledge gained through experience and learning. Credit transfer considers previously completed units supported by suitable records. Provide your statements of attainment and qualification records so the team can assess the appropriate recognition process.

How long will it take?

Allow approximately 3–6 months for the RPL and gap-training pathways in Carpentry, Concreting, Rigging, Wall and Floor Tiling, and Building and Construction. This is a planning estimate for those RPL pathways, not a guaranteed completion period or the duration of an apprenticeship or traineeship. Your individual plan and any applicable program deadlines determine the final arrangements.

If you have limited paperwork

Discuss this with the assessor rather than assuming you cannot apply. Your assessor can work with you and relevant referees to identify other suitable evidence. Sufficient evidence must still be provided before a competency decision can be made.

Discuss your pathway

Call 02 8766 9810 or email admin@ctpm.edu.au with the qualification you are interested in and a brief summary of your experience. Please request the appropriate secure submission process before sending identity documents or detailed evidence.