Everything you need to know about becoming a qualified workplace trainer
Serving as a workplace trainer and assessor can be a rewarding career. It gives you the opportunity to make a real difference in workplaces around Australia. Your training can help make workplaces safer and more productive places to be in. This role typically involves training adult students or staff members in the workplace.
As a workplace trainer and assessor, it is your responsibility to plan and deliver a curriculum to students. You are responsible for training staff or students in essential skills and processes that they will need to use in their everyday work environments. The skills you teach will depend on what industry your students work in.
Common examples of the type of skills you may teach to students include how to work safely and how to deal with customers in the workplace. As a trainer, you need to be organised and methodical. Your communication skills need to be of a high standard to teach students in what can be a challenging work environment.
Here at National Food Institute, we take pride in hiring passionate, motivated, and experienced individuals for our workplace trainer and assessor roles. We believe anyone with the right attitude and passion for workplace training can make a great fit. We take pride in giving trainers and assessors the support they need to deliver a high-quality training experience for students.
The value of workplace training should never be overlooked. When our trainers and assessors are assigned to a food processing business they are there to make a difference. The right workplace training can help transform staff into effective risk managers. We’ve proudly helped many businesses become safer and more productive places for work. So when you take on the role of a workplace trainer and assessor you become a positive driver for change.
Qualifications you’ll need
To become a trainer and assessor there is a minimum requirement in the form of a qualification. In Australia, it is a requirement that you have a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40116). Depending on the industry you are teaching in there may be further qualifications that you are required to attain before you can start training students.
There are many other qualifications you can attain which will help make you more qualified for becoming a trainer and assessor. You could attain a higher qualification in training and assessment by completing a Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (TAE40116).
You may also want to consider obtaining a Certificate IV or higher in your chosen field(s) of teaching and assessment. If you want to train workers in transport and logistics, then get a qualification in this field. If you want to teach in food processing then get a qualification in that field such as a Certificate IV or Diploma in Food processing.
Experience counts
Having prior experience in the industry you’re teaching in will always give you an advantage. It’s those real-life skills and experience that can help you offer unique insights that others simply can’t provide. There will be work scenarios and examples you can run through with your students that can help you provide real-world advice that they need the most.
Another advantage of having industry experience up your sleeve is that it can speed up the process of attaining your training qualification. Many training organisations have Recognition of Prior Learning Systems in place. These systems may allow you to have your relevant prior education and experience recognised. This may lead to you obtaining credits for certain units without having to complete them again.
What will be my daily tasks and duties?
As a workplace trainer and assessor, there are several tasks and duties that you may be responsible for. All of these are intended to in some way contribute to the training and development of workers. While most of your work will be performed at a workplace site there may be components of training and assessment which are hosted online.
Thanks to the effects of COVID-19, many RTOs (registered training organisations) have developed online components of their training courses. So it is important to be technically savvy. Don’t be surprised if you are required to
Here are some of the daily tasks you can expect to complete as part of your role:
- Planning, developing and delivering course content to students.
- Assessing and marking assignments, papers, and examinations.
- Delivering learning methods such as lessons, discussions, workshops and lab sessions.
- Using teaching aids such as computer tutorials, visual aids, and handbooks.
- Advising management on the progress of staff training and performance quality of the training system
- Establishing training objectives and assessing progress.
Where can I find work as a trainer and assessor?
You can teach in several industries in Australia as long as you hold a Certificate in Training and Assessment. Consider looking for roles in industries that are performing well in Australia. Industries such as food processing and logistics continue to be growing sectors that will likely have several job opportunities available at any one time.
There are RTO recruitment and education recruitment agencies out there that can help you with your job search. Many websites make it easy to upload your resume and join their talent pool. So don’t be afraid to cast your net wide when it comes to reaching out to these agencies. A likely scenario is that you’ll be part of a recruitment database. When RTO recruitment packages are released to clients you may have a recruiter reaching out to you for opportunities.
There are also plenty of training organisations you can contact directly like National Food Institute who are regularly employing new trainers and assessors. Most training organisations like NFI will also have a designated database. It’s quite normal for organisations like this to have their own talent pool they can reach out to when trainer and assessor positions become available.
Start your career in workplace training with NFI
Here at National Food Institute, we take great pride in creating work opportunities for workplace trainers and assessors. Our training professionals are helping to raise the standards of workplace safety across the country. We’re dedicated to providing trainers with all the essentials they need to educate their students.
We provide an online portal and equipment such as tablets to help trainers access the teaching materials they need. Our course content is detailed, standardised, and updated regularly to ensure our students receive a nationally recognised certificate. When you become a National Food Institute trainer a world of opportunities become available to you. Many of your trainers have enjoyed teaching jobs that offer flexibility with course delivery.
In some cases, our trainers have taken on teaching roles to supplement their current income or transition to semi-retirement. Working with NFI also provides plenty of opportunities to diversify your experience. Our trainers have taught in various industries including food processing, horticulture, and warehousing and logistics.
For a rewarding career in workplace training and assessment, head to our careers page today. Join the NFI talent pool by submitting your resume and we’ll let you know if any positions become available. We’re always on the lookout for passionate and experienced professionals to join our team.
Head to the NFI careers page to see what job opportunities are available.