FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQ CERTIFICATE IV IN TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT

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Below is pretty much every question we have ever been asked or can think of about the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment… We’ve set it up so you can click a question below and it will take you straight to that section so you can skip to the stuff you really want to know and come back here easily!

1. What do you learn in the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment?
2. How hard is it to do?  No, really…
3. How long will it take me?
4. I already am a trainer or teacher, can I get Recognised Prior Learning (RPL)?
5. What if life happens and I can’t complete the certificate within the enrolment timeframe?
6. How boring and tedious is doing the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment?
7. How does doing the whole training online thing work versus face-to-face?
8. Will I be able to use my current job/industry as the focus for my assessments?
9. Exactly what support do you offer?
10. What if I have ADHD, a learning disability or a physical disability?
11. What opportunities does it offer me when I have a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment?
12. It says you don’t take everyone, what would stop me from being accepted?
13. Who creates your content and assessments for your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment?
14. How much does doing the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment cost?
15. How long will you keep me waiting for a reply to an email or missed phone call?
16. How long will you keep me waiting for you to mark my work and to graduate?
17. How good are your trainers?
18. What makes you different from other RTO’s offering the same training but cheaper?!

What do you learn in the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment?

TAE40116 – CURRENT

Man studying in a cafe

You can check out the details of the units from the official Training.gov.au website here: https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/TAE40116

We have grouped the units into 3 areas of practice; Design, Deliver and Assess. You’ll learn a large number of skills and gain expert knowledge across all areas of VET (Vocational Education & Training) including:

–> How to consult with clients on their training needs

–> How to create and develop learning programs based on Units of Competency

–> How to design sessions plans for training

–> How to apply adult learning principles and theories to your teaching practices

–> Use different delivery techniques to get the most out of your training

–> Plan and design assessment tools across different training and assessment pathways (including RPL)

–> How to map assessments

–> How to assess the competence of learners

–> How to validate Assessment Tools (both pre and post validation)

Note: It’s important to understand that the TAE40116 has now been replaced by the TAE40122 Cert IV TAE (more on the TAE40122 below), but this doesn’t mean you can’t enrol because it’s still recognised as an valid qualification, just as much as the new TAE40122 is.

It also means that it’ll be around for a long time yet so there is no need to upgrade or complete the TAE40122 if you would prefer to just do the TAE40116. The choice is yours!

TAE40122 – COMING SHORTLY

You can check out the details of the modules from the official Training.gov.au website here: https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/TAE40122

The new TAE40122 has been structured a little differently to the TAE40116. Instead of 10 units of competency, it contains 12. This may seem like more work but it’s actually not!

Why?

We’ve spent lots of time brainstorming and speaking with people in industry (yes, that’s you!). We’ve put the puzzle pieces of the TAE together to build delivery models for our TAE40122 so they will work for you, the trainer.

Our choice of pathways will benefit both entry level trainers, who are new to the VET (Vocational Education & Training) industry, and those who’ve got lots of experience in the VET sector. These are usually people who have been training for many years.

We’ve grouped the 12 units into 4 different “clusters”. Each cluster is designed to give you a wealth of skill and knowledge across these areas:

Cluster 1: Operate in the VET sector
Cluster 2: Design
Cluster 3: Deliver and Assess groups and individuals in a face to face environment
Cluster 4: Online learning and assessment

These clusters will teach you how to:

–> Understand and navigate the world of VET

–> Understand RTO’s and how they operate

–> Understand ASQA’s (Australian Skills Quality Authority) standards for RTO’s

–> Design and maintain a Trainer Profile

–> Map your own vocational competencies to the units you plan to teach

–> Develop and maintain a Professional Development Plan

–> Validate Assessment Tools (both pre and post validation along with the benefits of moderation for best practice)

–> Design sessions plans for training

–> Consult with clients on their training needs

–> Apply adult learning principles and theories to your teaching practices

–> Use different delivery techniques to get the most out of your training, in both face to face and an online environment

–> Assess the competence of learners

We are very excited about our new TAE40122. We can’t wait to walk beside you on your journey to becoming a trainer, and supporting you in taking your career to the next level.

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How hard is it to do?  No, really…

Woman on a laptop with a baby

If we were to map either certificate on a scale of “so easy I could do it blindfolded even with a week of sleep deprivation”, through to “so impossible it would be easier for me to breathe in space without a suit”… We’d say it’s somewhere in between but it still varies….

How hard it is will depend greatly on how much life stuff and other work you’re juggling at the time. It also depends on if you’re disciplined and used to studying, have actual uninterrupted time to do the required amount of work and hours, have no problems using (and accessing) technology to learn online, and you’re good at reaching out for help when you get stuck!

Yes, that’s a lot of variables. This is why we ask a lot of questions before you enrol.

Most people have everything they need in order to complete the certificate, however, and let us be perfectly honest, it’s definitely NOT easy. That said, we have created an amazing support system that makes a huge difference. It’s something most of our past students have commented on, just check out some of our 1300+ reviews on Trustpilot: https://au.trustpilot.com/review/fortresslearning.edu.au

Before we enrol you we’ll check your eligibility and review your current life and work situation. We do this to make sure you’re able to give it your all and finish the certificate. Based on what you’re already juggling with life and work, if we can see that enrolling you now would make it really hard for you to finish, then we’ll politely let you know our course won’t be the best fit for you… At least not right now.

We really do believe in “honesty is the best policy” and our experience tells us this will save you from a lot of frustration and pain, and also save you from wasting money… not only the cost of the training but the cost of replacing a computer you may or may not throw out the window in sheer frustration.

See what other students have said about this…

“This is not an easy qualification and requires some application. I studied via distance learning. I found the course materials to be well presented and easy to follow. Any difficulties I had were sorted quickly. I found the staff to be supportive and available. Highly recommend them.” – Christopher (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/61bab9cc0430e828ebd469fd)

“I really found this online unit helpful as it has been written up clearly and step by step, so equally easy to set a personal pace. Working full time, attending in class session does not work for me at the moment, and I was pleased with Fortress Learning’s advice and communication throughout, from reception, assistant to the unit trainer etc.

I also encountered some genuine setbacks along the way with my study progress, but with the assistance of the team at Fortress Learning, I was supported in many ways to keep chipping away at studies, until completion of the units.

Thank you to my trainer, Deb Thomas and the staff at Fortress Learning for their prompt communication and positive support during my online study.” – Darryl Fernadez (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/62e663534c35e69ec51ef73b)

We recommend reading this blog we did – “The 10 Painful Truths About the Cert IV TAE”

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How long will it take me?

Man studying at a laptop

What you really want to know is how much of your fun and/or family time are you going to have to give up in order to do this, right? Well, in all honesty, it completely depends on how much time you dedicate to it and how quickly you want to finish it.

The TAE40116 has 10 units with lots of learning and 14 assessments (6 sets of knowledge questions and 8 assignments). The TAE40122 contains 12 units with lots of learning and 19 assessments (11 assignments and 8 sets of knowledge questions) and so if you were thinking you’d just find a Cert IV you could cram into a few days or even a few weeks of full time training somewhere, we’re sorry to burst your bubble but no…

You wouldn’t even complete the full Certificate IV in Training and Assessment in our Zoom 1 block course, which runs for 2 weeks straight. There’s still a lot of work to do “ outside the classroom”. This will be exactly the same with any other “ intensive” courses you find. We recommend you read the fine print because the volume of work required to actually get your certificate can’t be completed in that short a time frame.

The Australian Qualification Framework gives us guidelines on how long a Cert IV takes and they tell us it’s between 600 – 2400 hours (6 months to 2 years). Yes, that long! This is at least 10-15 hours of study a week for 12 months. More if you want to squeeze it into a shorter time frame.

Oh and because the training is designed to build on each part you do, you shouldn’t really keep going until you get feedback on your last assessment. This is where the time it takes for the trainers to mark your work becomes really important. How long it takes them adds to how long it can take you to finish the certificate! See that question in our FAQ 😉

Doing this certificate online or offline, isn’t going to decide how long it takes you. What it really comes down to is the quality of the content, learning guides and resources, plus the quality of the trainers and the support system put in place for you.

Being able to get the help you need when you get stuck makes a huge difference, and get stuck you will!

“Great learning resources and support team. These guys will help you get through the course and guide you to where you need to access the right material to finish quickly.” – Bernard (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/6114baa7f9f487066847c17d&gt)

If you haven’t read this already, we REALLY recommend this blog we did – “The 10 Painful Truths About The Cert IV TAE”

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I already am a trainer or teacher, can I get Recognised Prior Learning (RPL)?

Yes, we are all for not making anyone jump through unnecessary hoops and we’re typically one of the better RTO’s for making RPL as simple a process as we can, but the biggest hurdle our students face is usually really understanding what RPL actually is.

Even though we are one of the only RTO’s that spends the time to work out exactly how we can include your previous skill and expertise, more often than not, there is still work you need to do.

RPL is not an “exemption”, it is still an assessment. It just means that with your existing knowledge and skills, you likely won’t need to complete the training part before being assessed.

Here at Fortress, we have very experienced trainers (all educators, RTO Managers etc) who can offer a tailored and supported RPL assessment plan, speaking your language and guiding you through our RPL Guides to provide the evidence we need to demonstrate your existing competency in the unit.

We even take the hard admin work out by doing video face-to-face sessions, where we can share screens and see your evidence online. It lessens the need for redacting a lot of private and confidential documents and uploading heaps of files and evidence. This simplifies the process and means you can focus on the best bits – showing us just how awesome and competent you are!

Check out this blog we did that really helps you determine for yourself what can be counted and what can’t be – “Being Competent Is The First Step In Gaining RPL For Your Cert IV In Training And Assessment”

“Excellent training programs with well structured assessments and highly professional and friendly trainers and assessors. Perfect for RPL and learners who have significant work experience in the fields studied.” – Krissy V (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/6236b060924ebaa0caf12d27)

“I found the service at Fortress to be of the highest standard. I was always well informed and the trainers were always available, friendly and extremely helpful. I am particularly grateful that I was given very thoughtful individual attention with respect to my specific professional context and training needs, and, particularly in evaluating my evidence for recognition of prior learning. I would happily recommend Fortress to anyone looking for training in the VET sector.” – Scott Saunders (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/631a7e236a3e1ed2c3cdea9c)

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What if life happens and I can’t complete the certificate within the enrolment timeframe?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! We know life can be unpredictable, so can kids and partners and in-laws. We have lots of options if life throws you a curveball and you need to pause for a period of time, or if you need an extension on your assessments.

Whether it’s a time and/or financial struggle, all you need to do is talk to us. We’ll listen and then together we’ll work out a plan for you to be able to deal with whatever life has thrown you, and then get back onboard to pick up where you left off.

We can help you defer (press pause) on your studies for up to 3 months maximum, or double the amount of time in your enrolment (if you have less than 6 weeks of enrolment left). This means that if life gives you lemons and you need to take a breather and focus on other things, you can.

See what others had to say about our deferment process:

“The team at Fortress were great in supporting and understanding my particular needs. They always provided great support and advice when I was challenged by circumstances beyond my control. They guide you through the program all the way.” – Matthew (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/607826fff85d7508705e2406)

Here is what Scott Mac had to say and he had to pause mid-way through –

“As I just completed my Cert IV in Training and Assessment, I highly recommend Fortress Learning as an absolute fantastic institute to study at! No question was too silly or too hard for them! Their whole team went above and beyond to ensure that I had all the support I needed and more! Their team is enthusiastic, inspirational, caring and so helpful! I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Fortress Learning and I definitely recommend anyone deciding to study to go through Fortress Learning.” (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/62e7ac3d8000af4a8850f24a)

“Overall I had a very good journey through the Fortress Learning remote delivery mode of education. From the start I had a clear training plan that directed me through a mixture of RPL and learning units.

When I did encounter difficulties I had no problems deferring for a short period as well as extending my agreed timeframe by two months. The administration team were accurate and prompt in attending to my enquiries and at all times helpful.

The Fortress dashboard worked well and it was easy to obtain information and upload evidence. There are many useful templates available to assist students.

Now that I have completed my diploma of TAE I can honestly say that it was not easy bit it was very satisfying and I feel happy to have completed the program. Lastly thanks Emma my teacher, for your kind words and patience. I give Fortress Learning a very good rating.” – David (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/611e0b846e38167b798a804e)

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How boring and tedious is doing the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment?

First thing you need to know about us is that we only do real here… No fluff. No promises of rainbows and unicorns. No cupcakes (we like cupcakes though). We are real about the amount of effort and work it’s going to take to get to the finish line.

So let us be honest about the Certificate IV in Assessment and Training…

In the past, the content of the Cert IV has been seen as a very dry topic (the TAE40116 more than the TAE40122) and just like other courses we have had to do, it can include stuff you have to know that isn’t really fun or interesting (“like learning about 18th century literature from my Bachelors Degree” says Emma).

However, we do our best to find ways to keep the important must-know content in there, while giving you articles/videos and activities that relate to you and your industry. We’re getting pretty good at making it not too mind numbing or brain bending, so it’s easier and shall we say almost “fun” to get through.

Here is what some past students had to say about it:

“Fortress Learning were fantastic. Firstly, I think the actual certificate 4 in workplace training and assessment course is a hideous, uninspiring piece of training that did nothing to develop my skills and knowledge. But since we have no choice in doing it if we want to stay employed then I’m very glad I found these trainers who were professional, organised, supportive and readily available when needed. Very glad I went with them!” – Cate (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/611521d651602952de91d6df)

“Deb Thomas at Fortress Learning is a fabulous trainer. Her ability to explain the units and bring a sense of fun to the process is exemplary. Thank you Deb and the team at Fortress for helping me to achieve my Cert 4 Training and Assessment.” Laura Gregoire (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/6372adb1252cba2c02d8b67c)

“I didn’t enjoy the course but that’s because the government determines what must be covered. Fortress and Emma were awesome…much more helpful than any university I’ve worked for or studied at.” – Sean (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/6065635cf85d750870417dbb)

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How does doing the whole training online thing work versus face to face?

Zoom class

Well, here is something you probably don’t know… We’ve been offering the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment online since 2009, so way before Covid hit and everyone had to pivot, turning their face-to-face training into an online version.

Why is this important? Because changing a training from in-person to online isn’t as easy as you’d think. We’ve worked out, through a lot of trial and error, how to translate the content, learning guides and what would have been group activities, into individualised online learning.

We also had to make sure that all the learning content was still a mixture of visual, auditory, reading and doing, covering all the natural ways humans learn (innate learning style).

Some of the Covid-forced online providers haven’t converted all of their content to be learning-style friendly, and have lost some of their practical activities. Unfortunately this is where the doing (learning style) people would learn best, and students are struggling as a result.

Also not having a fully working, online learning platform set up with all of the content and resources means not being able to find what they need, submit their work easily or get their marked assessments quickly.

In our learning portal, all of your content lives in an organised and easy to find way, and includes a simple way to submit all of your assessments easily. This makes it faster for your trainers to mark your work and get back to you.

Yes, we have really thought this through and having been trainers in the online space for so long, we’ve really used our knowledge of best practice training design to create a very logical and easy to follow, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment just for you.

Unfortunately, every RTO does their content and structure their way, this means that they’re not created equally and you’ll have a very different experience from one RTO to the next. Hint: Looking at their testimonials is what will tell you how well they’ve done it.

This is a great blog worth reading too – “How Fortress Responds To The Challenges of Online Learning”

“Bryan and Fortress Learning have revolutionised training and delivery, providing unique individualised support, flexibility and fairness in their online training and assessment. I could not possibly recommend Fortress Learning highly enough.” – Justin (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/60335419f85d7509d8e03e26)

“I would highly recommend Fortress Learning to others like me who are not confident with online learning. My past experiences with online learning platforms had me confused and frustrated.

Fortress learning was completely different. The responses from Fortress staff were always prompt and patient. The information in their content was everything you needed to know in both video and text. The two most outstanding helpful aspects for me were the templates and the examples. The templates made me feel organised and allowed me to seek the information in an easy logical manner while the examples answered any questions I may have had. I would definitely go to Fortress learning again.” – Kerryanne (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/60d05764f9f48706707bc993)

“Excellent training provider. Supportive trainers, all materials/instructions are straightforward to follow. One of the best learning experiences I had as a student (and I had a lot!). Online delivery helped me to fit this study within my busy schedule. Well done!” – Olya Sukhovskaya (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/62c0eeef853b02c06c95a6fb)

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Will I be able to use my current job/industry as the focus and for my assessments?

Great question! It really depends on which training option you need or want…

When you do our TAE40116 Standard or RPL/CT courses, yes. If you do the new TAE40122 work-based learning or RPL options, you can also use your own industry to tailor your assessment tasks to.

We find that it’s so much more valuable to you as a student if you can use your own industry. So if we can do this with you, we help you choose the qualifications and units to base your assessments on. This makes the whole Cert IV a lot more usable in the real-world and easier to learn for you.

Our trainers are well versed in the language and industry jargon of ridiculous amounts of industries. This means they can easily use language you know, which will also help you to get it. It’s much easier than being a mechanic doing an assessment where you have to create a training teaching nursing standards, don’t you think?

But we know this isn’t always possible…

The Cert IV TAE40122 training does have some mandatory units of competency instead of allowing ones from your industry. This is simply because it will better help you learn and be assessed for what you need to know.

These units have been well thought through. We build on the learning and assessment with role play exercises and case studies that will help you truly understand what it means to be an RTO Trainer and Assessor. The choice of units greatly impacts how we do this, which is why for some of your assessments you’ll focus on the units of competency that we choose for you.

That said, we also throw in a few assessments where, yes, you’ll have to use your own industry expertise.

At the end of the day, the Cert IV TAE40122 program has been designed for entry level trainers who may need extra help when it comes to choosing their units of competency (regardless of their industry expertise).

If you’re an experienced trainer or you do want to apply these skills and practical requirements in the workplace, choose our RPL or work-based courses because these will be a better fit.

We’ll discuss all of this with you to find the perfect fit, before you enrol.

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Exactly what support do you offer in the Cert IV TAE?

Student being supported

If you want RPL or credit transfers, you’ll get a “Personalised Learning Plan”. This is how we help you create a reality-based schedule and goals to finish your studies within the enrolment time frame.

You’ll be connected to your personal trainer (not of the fitness variety of course), who’ll help you understand anything you’re confused by. They will also help get you unstuck anytime you aren’t sure what to do, particularly with assessments which is what your “proof of competency” is based on.

Our trainers actually created the content, learning guides and resources for you so they’re the BEST people to send your SOS to. They are also the best people to help you with your assessment planning since they know exactly what they’re looking for when they mark your work.

You’ll get a super special link where you can book a call with them to get one-on-one support. Yes, one-on-one! Far better than sharing it with 19 others in a classroom, and you can book as many of these calls as you need. They’re pretty happy when they get to help you too. You just have to reach out so they can be your TAE angels.

Something you should know is that your training angels, while out of this world awesome, also work just regular job hours so they’re only available between 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday and not on weekends and public holidays.

However, because we have an 8 hour reply to emails service standard along with a 4 day assessment marking turnaround time, even if you’re busy working and hit a snag at 2am, you can send your trainer an email and they’ll reply by the time you get home from work the next day.

We find that most students are able to book calls during office hours and even if they can’t, our videos are super clear and the learner modules are really interesting so it may mean that you don’t need a whole lot of support from your trainer anyway!

Our office support team are just as passionate and keen to help you with any admin or financial concerns/hiccups. They are like magical fairies in the back office who just seem to know exactly what to do to fix the problem and fast, IF there are any that is!

“I loved my experience with Fortress Learning, the trainer was so helpful & clear. I struggled with the course & it was only the excellent support & teaching that got me through. Would highly recommend Fortress Learning.” – Peter Mack (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/634a5bcf377e522e314f961f)

“I feel extremely grateful that I found this company! The course material is well presented and easy to follow and the access to support is second to none. Whether it’s your personal trainer or other support staff they are only a quick phone call away and are always friendly, polite and prompt. I could not rate them more highly. Thank you very much to everyone at Fortress learning for a fantastic experience and helping me achieve my qualification.” – Nathan (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/61d2557c0430e828ebe5c8cd)

“Cannot praise this service enough. After a slightly difficult start(trouble logging on to parts) the service i received was absolutely wonderful! The speed of replies to submissions or others inquiries was not something I had experienced elsewhere. I cannot praise my teachers enough. they were very helpful with a reluctant online learner, and Deb’s phone call made the world of difference. I will be doing my next level of courses with them. Very Happy!” – Stephen (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/61bc32709f60695a25f77e99)

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What if I have ADHD, a learning disability or physical disability?

Then we have the strategies in place to help and support you, no matter what your learning needs are! We are all completely accepting and inclusive of all different learning needs and styles, and we make adjustments and accommodations where needed so you can have the same opportunities as anyone else.

Just let us know when you enrol and we will reach out to you personally, to make sure you have what you need from us to be able to keep moving through your training and assessments, all the way to graduation. We want to see you walk away with your very own Certificate IV in Training and Assessment!

Here is what Sean had to say about how we support our students –

“Fortress Learning were attentive to my learning needs and the whole team provided care and support at all times. My trainer Deb, was awesome, provided extreme guidance, encouragement and support right up to completion of the course. I would most definitely recommend using Fortress Learning to anyone considering studying.” (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/632ec33bc17abd5d3c383f74)

“The whole team were absolutely amazing, so caring and understanding, professional, efficient and went above and beyond!” – Candice (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/635aeef1382f10ddf4056206)

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What opportunities does it offer me when I have a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment?

Man on stage training

The average salary in Australia for trainers is between $70k – $90k and there are thousands of jobs across all industries. You can check out what Seek has to say about that here.

For those of you who are still:

–> Working on the tools, the coal face or front line

–> Doing shift work, on call or loads of overtime, and/or

–> Are crazy busy from start to finish…

Then being qualified as a trainer means you can step out of that day to day, work normal hours that are less taxing on the physical body and at a slower pace so you can have more of that lifestyle thing people talk about. Sounds a bit too good to be true? It’s really a natural progression…

Once you have got the experience doing your job (and the wisdom that comes from years doing it), learning how to teach and pass on that wisdom is just you getting to influence the next generation! I bet you know easier ways to do stuff and have more than a few things that you wish every other person in your industry would just do right, right?

And once you have your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, you can change industries and train in other places because you now have a skill that’s more universal!

“I recently completed my online TAE course with fortress learning and I could not recommend this training company enough. The trainers and staff were all very friendly and supportive. The rapid response times from trainers throughout the training was great, submitted assignments were reviewed and marked incredibly fast streamlining the entire process which allowed me to move onto the next module without delay. At the beginning I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information I believed I had to take in but the way the trainers have set out the tasks and requirements made it very easy to understand and progress in. This was a blessing considering I have no prior knowledge in the training and assessing industry. I’m now qualified and confident to begin my new career in training and assessing. I’ll be sure to return to Fortress for any future upgrades or training!” – Jarryd (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/60fc2a4ff9f48709d4bde05b)

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It says you don’t take everyone, what would stop me from being accepted?

We care about people, first and foremost… So for this reason, there are certain things that could make your journey with us harder if you don’t have all the information you need before you make the decision to start.

We’re pretty sure you want your journey with us to be a positive one, with you holding a gold standard, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment in your hot little hand at the end, right? So with this in mind, there is a list of things we need to check first to make sure you’re going to be able to actually finish it without huge amounts stress from major obstacles and roadblocks.

So before you even get to the enrolment stage with our course advisors, we have a “suitability assessment form”. It will ask you lots of questions to make sure you have the basic needs and knowledge to do this training online. If you don’t, it’s going to be extremely hard, almost impossible to finish the Cert IV with us online.

Some of the common questions you can expect to be asked are:

1. Do you have a computer? Not just a phone but a real PC or laptop?

2. Can you use a computer to download files, work within word documents, upload files and generally navigate your way around a computer to be able to complete the learning and assessment? (We’re an online provider so this makes sense really).

3. For some of the practical assessments (depending on the program), you may need extra things such as groups of people who can be learners, or people who can be observers. These are important because you can’t complete these assessments without live people in these programs.

4. We also need to be sure you’ve read our student handbook because it outlines lots of important information, including our fees and refund policies. It also outlines our roles and responsibilities; yours as a student and ours as an RTO. This means that you can make a fully informed decision before going ahead with us.

All of that seems pretty fair, right? But if you want to know exactly what you need for the training option best suited to you, give us a call on 1300 141 994. We’re happy to go into this in more detail with you because it’s a very personal process for each person. Chatting with one of our team is the best way to know if our courses are right for you.

Here is a great blog we wrote that you may want to read – “5 Reasons Why You Should Not Choose Fortress Learning”

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Who creates your content and assessments for your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment?

Cert IV TAE notepad

Did you know that every RTO is responsible for creating their own Cert IV TAE content?

The myth is thinking that all RTO’s are teaching the exact same stuff and therefore the prices and length of the training is the only thing that is different… It’s not.

We’re all given the content outline with a list of the important information we need our students to learn, and skills they need to end up with. With the Cert IV, it’s not enough to just know it, also what we have to prove they can do which means designing assessments that PROVE it.

It’s up to every RTO to turn that outline into a full training with learning guides to help you get it, and well designed assessments that proves you can actually do it too.

Our trainers have written all of our content themselves! They know it backwards, forwards, inside out and are constantly doing revisions to make it even easier and crystal clear. This saves a lot of time and honestly, sanity.

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How much does doing the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment cost?

We have multiple options but which program is perfect for you will depend on what you need.

If you have any previous training experience or training that could be included as “Recognised Prior Learning”, then you won’t necessarily need to do all of the learning modules, which enrol in the “Lite” version.

If you haven’t done any training and haven’t had much experience, you’ll need to do the full Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Most people jump into the TAE40116 Cert IV TAE standard program because the support we offer there is comprehensive and typically more than most RTO’s offer, making this one of our stand-out differences.

You can check out the current options HERE: (https://www.fortresslearning.edu.au/program/certificate-iv/)

At the end of the day, we’re not the cheapest but what’s that really famous saying? “ Quality trumps cost”? We certainly do this. The support included is with a live, fully qualified, real-world experienced trainer, located in Australia. They’re there for you the whole way through, giving you email AND one-on-one support.

As you can imagine, providing this level of content quality and support has a significant cost because fully qualified trainers who are IN Australia, aren’t cheap (as you shouldn’t be once you’re fully qualified too).

The best way to find out exactly how much it will cost for you based on how much you’re already juggling, your available study time, learning capacity and ability, your educational needs and industry, is to book a call with our Fortress Team, then you can make an informed decision that is best for you.

CLICK HERE to book a call now.

“I tried doing my Cert IV TAE about five years ago. I didn’t do any research and just picked the cheapest school I could find. It was a terrible experience which resulted in me dropping out and losing all my money. I did my research the second time and heard great things about Fortress Learning. The lessons are easy to follow and the instructors will help you with any questions or concerns as soon as you contact them. I’d highly recommend them.” – Shannon (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/5fd28dd4755dc10b481ea0a8)

“I have over the years enrolled in a number of non face to face programs, some of them due to price point. Please note you get what one pays for! Fortress was not recommended to me but I have and will continue to be an advocate for Fortress with my colleagues. The prompt and accurate feedback is a winner, without exception. Thank you Fortress.” – Maxwell (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/62097c93bc5a51af69c15750)

“Not necessarily the cheapest you’ll find BUT quality, confidence (and completion) comes with that tiny bit extra! After all it is an investment in your own future!” – Amanda (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/605842f2f85d750bf4fb4665)

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How long will you keep me waiting for a reply to an email or missed phone call?

We have really high standards when it comes to customer service and support here at Fortress. 2 of our values are “ people to people – heart to heart” and “better together every day”. We take these very seriously, so what you can expect from us is:

–> All emails are replied to within 8 business hours.

–> If we miss your call, just leave us a message and we’ll call you back within 4 business hours.

We often do better than that but this is how we roll as a general rule!

“Great subject content and staff communication was excellent. I couldn’t be any happier with the course provided by Fortress. I found the content very easy to understand and the required work was explained clearly so I fully understood the expectations prior to starting any assignments.

The staff were very easy to contact and were always willing to help. The turn-around time for email’s and assignment marking was VERY quick!

The course was very thorough and I am confident in my ability to put the skills I have learned from Fortress Learning into practice.” – Shaun (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/60e3e00af9f48702a8918d7e)

“I highly recommend Fortress Learning RTO for study as the trainers and staff are very knowledgeable, helpful, RESPONSIVE and supportive to help you complete your course and they provide an great amount of detailed information to best assist you such as guided / how to videos on your workbooks / units / tasks.” – Adam B (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/61302c279c391649d84fd66e)

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How long will you keep me waiting for you to mark my work?

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Here is the AWESOME news….

We have a service level agreement to have your assessments back to you within 4 days. Yes, just 4 days max!!!

Sometimes it’s back in 1 day but usually 2 – 4 days, and our trainers have been known to be up at all hours making sure they get it done. They’re legends like that. They really deserve to be paid a lot more for the amount of effort they put in for each and every student.

The wonderful thing is, once you complete your last assessment you’ll know within 4 days if you’ve passed. From there, processing your graduation it’s just 24 hours. Once that’s done, your electronic Certificate IV in Training and Assessment will be emailed to you along with a special embedded QR code so you (or your new employers) can easily confirm it.

No waiting up to 30 days to find out if you passed and then X amount of time to actually get your certificate! (Hint: Make sure you ask other RTO’s how long they take… we’re pretty unique like this.)

“Fortress were fantastic at getting assignments marked and returned quickly. The trainers were easy to communicate with through all mediums: email and phone. Really helpful trainers offering support and guidance.” – Shannon (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/6135c4b69c391649d8535375)

“Highly recommend. My experience with Fortress learning was a very positive one. The most outstanding aspect for me was the quick turnaround in responses and marking. This retained my discipline and motivation to successfully power through all the units as the staff at Fortress were working just as hard as I was. Great communication and very easy to navigate dashboard, resources and templates.” – Meri (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/60dd44d0f9f48706f85ff56f)

“I enjoyed the experience of being enrolled through fortress learning and would recommend your online class to all. The professionalism, quality of resources and timely manner of communication has all been outstanding. I gained further understanding and experience in the industry and have received my graduation certificate already, one week after my course finishing! Thanks again to all of the fortress team.” – Duane (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/60de7035f9f487075036b581)

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How good are your trainers?

We don’t hire any trainers that haven’t got multiple years of experience behind them as a trainer (or teacher) AND are fully qualified to teach the Cert IV TAE (which means they have at least the diploma level)… More than one of our trainers have Bachelors level degrees with honours, AND a Dual TAE Diploma. Many have more than a decade of experience as trainers across multiple industries on top of their degrees.

Basically we don’t hire newbies. No offence but we want to make sure our students have trainers who know more than the book version. We want them to teach from the wisdom of experience so you can be an even better trainer from the start. Is that ok with you?

Our trainers go way above their job description. Not only are they extremely knowledgeable but also super patient, friendly, helpful and hugely supportive!

Actually, we have some of the best trainers in Australia. How do we know? Because our students tell us all the time, plus other RTO’s send their trainers to do the diploma with us so they can be trainers back in their own RTO. Says a lot, doesn’t it?

“Brian was faultless. He was very engaging, obviously well experienced and communicated all of the material, including what we needed to do clearly. I found him more than helpful and incredibly patient during the times I struggled.” – Darren (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/6142e7da6223e22118b1d277)

“Deb Thomas is awesome. Her helpful and fun attitude made the learning experience much easier. I could not have done my Cert 4 Training and Assessment without Deb and the team at Fortress Learning. Everyone I interacted with was proficient and highly professional.” – Laura G (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/637a9f4f252cba2c02de9ced)

“From the moment I contacted Fortress, I received high quality and fantastic support. I was initially very nervous to return to study, but Emma the trainer, took the time to be kind, supportive and answer every question I had no matter how big or small.

They returned all marking usually within 24 – 48 hrs the longest I ever waited was 3 days, well under their 4 day Guarantee. If you are thinking about studying I can not recommend them enough!!! I have already encouraged 2 others to enrol.

They have reignited my passion to learn and I am already looking to enrol in future learning. I only wish Fortress trained in more areas of study.” – Louise (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/6081ef81f9f48701fc7af96d)

“Quality TAE RPL assessment is difficult. That’s why lesser RTOs avoid it. I tried to negotiate a realistic RPL pathway with two other well-known TAE providers before settling on Fortress. I’m an experienced TAE assessor myself; I was impressed by their commitment to rigorously observing the standards while being flexible enough to capture genuine evidence. I was not only impressed with the service they provided me, I am confident that any colleague or potential employee of mine that is certified through Fortress genuinely has met the standards (and not just benefitted from the “tick and flick” approach of some providers). I have no association with Fortress but I would recommend them to any TAE professional seeking to upgrade their qualifications.” – Sean Kelly (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/63891865252cba2c02ea7d82)

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What makes you different from other RTO’s offering the same training but cheaper?!

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A very intelligent question, we’re glad you asked!

Without doing a tonne of research and updating it every week with a detailed list of how we compare to the 99 other RTO’s for you, let us share a few questions you should ask everyone when you call other RTO’s, then you have something concrete to compare us to…

Here are the key questions you want to ask them:

1. Did they develop the content (including the learning guides, assessments and resources) themselves? This is important because not all content is created equally! There are RTO’s out there (quite a few who have lost their RTO status) who buy the content cheap from overseas. The problem is, often it’s not complete, compliant or very comprehensive… Also, because their trainers didn’t create the content, they have been known to be just as confused by the way content and assessments are worded, especially when the content has been loosely translated into English… Yes, this happens. Our trainers have written all of our content themselves, they know it backwards and are constantly doing revisions to make it even better so it’s easy to understand and it’s crystal clear. This saves a lot of time and sanity.(See our answer here: – Who creates your content and assessments for your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment?)

2. Do they give you an option to tailor the content to your industry? If they don’t, you’ll be learning how to become a trainer but by practising training design and creating assessments for tradies when you’re a surf life saver, which makes it harder to learn and get the work done! We give you the option to personalise by using your industry as the context, and our trainers help you come up with the assessment topics based on what will be the easiest one for you to learn and also pass with!(See our answer here: – Will I be able to use my current job/industry as the focus and for my assessments?)

3. Are they certified and registered as an RTO? If they’re not, your certificate will be worthless and not recognised by any organisation that requires you to have one to be employed by them. You can do a search on RTO current status here – https://training.gov.au/Search/SearchOrganisation. You will also want to see how long they have been around, it’s not uncommon for a new RTO to come on the scene but at first audit, they are stripped of their registration. New doesn’t necessarily mean shady, but please do your research. Read reviews on independent platforms like Google and Trust Pilot.

4. How quickly do they mark assessments and graduate you once your last assessment has been handed in? A maximum of 4 days is all you’ll wait for with us for all of your assessments. We know that once you have put in all the work to get this done, you want to know if you passed or have to redo anything, right? Once your last assessment is confirmed as passed, it’s 24 hours, then you’ll be graduated and your physical certificate is mailed to you to show off as much as you like.(See our answer here: – How long will you keep me waiting for you to mark my work and to graduate?)

5. What support do they offer? This is the BIG one. How much and what kind of support is offered is what will determine how fast and how easy it is for you to complete the Cert IV. Some companies only provide email support and often the support doesn’t come from actual trainers, just people who are trained to help you understand the content. You’ll want to know how quickly you can access them, how often, when and what service level agreements they have with how fast they respond to your emails and calls. You’ll also want to know the escalation process if you aren’t able to get in touch with someone for help. Be sure you have a phone number you can call at the very least!(See our answer here: – Exactly what support do you offer?)

6. Are the people supporting you actually qualified AND in Australia? Some RTOs outsource the support to offshore people who aren’t necessarily fully qualified as a trainer with experience. It’s not something people tend to ask about but all of our trainers, while diverse in culture, are based in Australia. Some RTO’s outsource this to offshore companies. Let’s be clear here; we are not opposed to hiring qualified people from other countries, some of our brilliant office support staff are located in the Philippines (they’re naturally customer service superstars), but when it comes to trainers, you want them to be here in Australia so you can be more assured that they are qualified to our country’s standards.(See our answer here: – How good are your trainers?)

7. How quickly do they respond to missed phone calls or emails? This may not seem like an important question but when you are waiting on a reply or to be able to speak to someone, it makes a huge difference. We have a service standard here at Fortress Learning – all calls answered within 4 hours. All emails responded to within 8 business hours.(See our answer here: – How long will you keep me waiting for a reply to an email or missed phone call?)

At the end of the day, if you find another RTO that is very comparable to us, but provides support on nights and weekends when you will be studying primarily, go with them! We want you to find the right fit but also find a good place to learn with. It’s people before cash with us. We care about you finding what is best for you, there are plenty of people who are a right fit for us.

“I tried doing TAE through another company however there was barely any support available. I was hesitant after this but found fortress staff were super helpful. Brian (our trainer) was fantastic! Content was easy to follow and his support was fantastic. If you are looking for somewhere to do your TAE I highly recommend fortress!” – SW (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/618efdadfb38891f5f0a4686)

“If you’ve tried others, Fortress Learning is the best… Having experienced the CertIV Training and Assessment with another provider, I discovered that the pain and frustration with the other was not necessary after starting with Fortress Learning. A friend suggested them, and I am glad I took the advice. Fortress Learning are not about making you jump through hoops for the sake of it. All staff are friendly, supportive and approachable. The online materials are clear and effective, and the assessable tasks straightforward. Time to mark and return is minimal (I have heard of other providers taking up to a month to get back to you – what a way to bust any momentum you may have, especially when life gets in the way.)” – Mike (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/61839d82234f1b1fe56dbf03)

“One of the best RTO’s by far! I recently completed my Dual Diploma of Vocational Education and Training and Training Design and Development. I’ve been working in the VET sector myself for a few years now, and Fortress Learning is one of the best RTO’s I’ve ever used. All staff were professional, responsive and efficient when I contacted them. I found the course and assessments comprehensive and detailed, and the website well organised and easy to navigate. What impressed me most was the swift response time for questions & marking assessments. Well done, Bryan, and thank you, Linda and Maniya. I’ll be back, without a doubt.” – Maryke (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/6086703cf9f487093cce89e9)

“This RTO is by far the best I’ve studied with. The TAE40116 is not to be underestimated. I honestly found this more challenging than some of my uni subjects in terms of assessment requirements. Make sure you have access to a TAE qualified observer is my advice! The turnaround time for feedback and marking was excellent, the support was wonderful and the team were very understanding when I needed to defer my studies. Thanks Fortress.” – Danielle (https://au.trustpilot.com/reviews/6155527f215cfcced273fe08)

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Get a free personalised Learning Plan and let us point you in the right direction.
study@fortresslearning.edu.au