Latest Articles
Embracing the Unknown to Effect Change
When it comes to VET, we enter a touchy territory. Not because of VET for VET’s sake, but because of the numerous happenings in the sector right now. Change is afoot. And if there’s one thing that most humans are reluctant to embrace, that is change.
Do We Need to Re-think the Role of Trainers and Assessors?
When you look at each iteration of the Certificate IV, it is based upon the previous version with additions, consolidations and revisions. It’s a bit like re-inventing the wheel by giving it different coloured spokes. Wouldn’t it be more to the point to actually find out what trainers and assessors need to do and then design the qualifications to match?
Don’t Hesitate to Reach Out: Tracey’s Experience
Why did this particular testimonial catch our attention? Tracey made 4 points in her testimonial that we would like to expand on...
Do You Recognise Competency When You See It?
When you see someone performing their work, can you tell if they are competent or not? If someone is highly competent in their work, most of us can recognise it right off. We don’t recognise it so much by what they do, or even by how they do it, we recognise it by their attitude. When they display an attitude like they know what they’re doing, we assume they do, but when they act unsure of themselves, we doubt that they know what they’re talking about.
Distraction
We live in a world changing faster than ever before, with more technology and productivity tools at our fingertips than ever before. Yet, one of the most common frustrations facing anyone working in RTO Land is overwhelm. There’s too much to do and not enough time to do it.
Didn’t Get Marked as Satisfactory the First Time? It’s Not the End of the World.
Sometimes at Fortress Learning, our students get an assessment submission marked as Not Yet Satisfactory. This can cause disappointment, anxiety, sadness, and even anger! The reality is, being marked as Not Yet Satisfactory is not the end of the world. It just means you get to have another shot at fulfilling the requirements of the task.
Determining the Learning Needs of Your Audience
When people come to a platform to learn, they’re not all in the same boat – they have unique learning styles, different reasons for engaging in the material, and varying backgrounds and abilities that will impact their educational journey.
Dear Future Student
When we begin, we will put together a bit of a plan, and that will give us direction. But as we get started, we might decide to change it along the way. Like a walk in the woods, sometimes it is easier to go around a log than over it, and sometimes it’s actually easier to build a raft than swim across a river. We will do that together.
Creating Learning Resources That Motivate Learning
I was talking to a client yesterday about learning resources. He is happy to write his own assessment resources (and prefers to do so because he can tailor them to the learner groups). On the other hand, he says he doesn’t have time to write the learning material. He has tried several approaches, and the last approach was to provide a textbook. That didn’t work either. It was a good textbook but the learners were resistant to reading so much information.
Could Active Citizenship Be the Missing Piece in Australian VET?
The place of VET within the Australian industrial landscape seems fairly robust, but compared to the global landscape, it could be lacking in one key element: active citizenship.
Continually Improving
It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to develop the world’s best chocolate chip cookie or create the best training session; improvement often comes out of a number of small, incremental steps. This key thought is a central part of what continuous quality improvement is all about. Instead of seeking out that one change that will make everything perfect, continuous improvement is about working to constantly improve, so that over time, the product you are delivering becomes better.
Completing Your Qualification With Fortress: Robyn’s Experience
Every now and then, a graduating student writes a Review that we believe really captures what we try to do. Instead of them ending up hidden among the others, we will share them with you, and try to explain why we think they are so appropriate.
Classroom Teachers/Trainers – Leaders, Managers, or Technicians?
The information age is one of several developments that have radically altered the view of a teacher, trainer or instructor in an educational setting. Once upon a time, teachers and trainers were experts in a given subject matter, and their role was to impart what they knew to waiting learners. Along the way, most trainers also acquired skills in how best to achieve that transfer of learning to their students.
Changes to the TAE Training Package (as Per April 2022)
This blog post will provide some further updates regarding the holistic review of the TAE Training Package being undertaken by PWC Skills, as this is a hot topic at the moment, and the following information will give you some insight into what the proposed changes will be.
Baffling – But It All Fell Into Place
Every now and then, a graduating student writes a Review that we believe really captures what we try to do. Instead of them ending up hidden among the others, we will share them with you, and try to explain why we think they are so appropriate.
Authorship and Ownership – How Assessment Disempowers Assessors
I have recently read Michelle Charlton’s excellent article Expectations associated with Assessment and I wholeheartedly agree with her conclusion that providing professional tools for use by professional tradespeople (trainers/assessors) can only do our sector the world of good.My article will explore how we can still do this but also allow for a little ownership of those tools among our Assessors.
Amy Talks About Her Study Routine and Getting In The Zone
Yes… Bearing in mind that I did the old Certificate IV, which is quite different to the new one. And, also bearing in mind that because of my teaching experience, I did not have to do all of the delivery projects, which are quite involved. So, in a sense, it’s hard to compare it with the TAE40116 now because I did get recognition for my Presenting skills and and knowledge…. And, to be honest, the TAE40116 is more stringent than the TAE40110.
A Good Package
Every now and then, a graduating student writes a Review that we believe really captures what we try to do. Instead of them ending up hidden among the others, we will share them with you, and try to explain why we think they are so appropriate. This one is from a Cert IV TAE graduate.
A Place for Training Products – in Defence of the Standards for RTOs
In his essay on jargon and terminology, Bryan West raises what could be an engaging topic. However, there must be better examples, than the one he raises, of jargon that causes irritation to students in VET. Specifically, Bryan raises concerns about the term: “training product”.
5 Tips to Successfully Complete Your Studies
What do all successful Fortress Learning students have in common? Discipline. When it comes to completing your Certificate IV TAE or Diploma, you don’t have to like it to do it; you don’t even have to want to do it; you have to choose to do it.
What's With The TAE And Should You Even Bother To Upgrade To The New TAE50116 Or TAE50216 TAE Diplomas?
The question about whether or not you should bother upgrading your TAE Diploma really is about looking at what is happening outside and then asking what you want to happen inside. It’s a personal thing.
Who Was Boyer And What Has He Got To Do With Me?
The name Boyer (and, no, that is not him above!) is probably unfamiliar to most professional trainers and assessors in Australia, but his model of scholarship is bound to be affecting the work that they do. This article will explore that a little more, and share just why research among VET professionals is so important.
Who Needs To Write Training Packages
Highlights the importance of assessing competency and how it can't be done by workplace supervisors who aren't trained to read and interpret units of competency; it needs to be done by a TAE trained 3rd party. Goes into detail about writing assessment tools and designing training packages, more reasons to not use workplace people who have knowledge but no training in training others.
What's More Powerful Than Reputation, Price And Support In Generating Referrals? The Fortress Learning Experience
Generating referrals is helped by reputation, price and support but ultimately there is something even more powerful that will boost referrals. We worked it out by asking our students... See what they told us!
What It Means To Graduate With A Certificate IV TAE With Fortress Learning
You will learn not only what it means to teach and assess VET Qualifications, but you will also learn the why, the what, and the how of the VET sector, giving you the confidence to walk into that new job interview with the knowledge and skills you need to get the job done!
What are you looking for?
Hi. I really enjoyed the learning experience offered by fortress learning. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a supportive and well organised online learning experience. A great team.
Andrew Trosic
So far the best RTO that I have been with. Great support from the admin team, stable online blackboard platform, experienced trainers like Richard Gietman & Deb Thomas, along with efficient student processing services. Thank you Fortress, and 5 stars for the team!
Suresh Suppiah
I had an excellent experience completing the Diploma of Vocational Education and Training through Fortress Learning. The whole team was incredibly supportive throughout the process—special thanks to Karen, Bheng, Jane, Maniya, and Emma for their professionalism and encouragement at every step. I would particularly like to thank my trainer, Emma, for her outstanding guidance, clear feedback, and responsiveness, which made the RPL journey smooth and achievable. I highly recommend Fortress Learning to any VET professional seeking a structured, supportive, and well-managed qualification pathway.
Yun Qian
I have completed a few Cert IV and Diploma units with Fortress over the years and have had nothing but positive experiences (even with RPL). The team at Fortress are always helpful and supportive.
Christiana Mergan
The Fortress Team were extremely professional to deal with all throughout my course. Always helpful, understanding and a pleasure to deal with. I would happily recommend them to anyone.
Lee Guest
I really enjoy my study journey in fortress learning. The teachers and staff really helpful.
Physio Dian Nawir
Highly recommend. Reasonably priced, easy to use interface, quick marking times and responsive trainers.
Bel Callea
The TAE cert iv certainly isn’t an easy course to complete. I had to learn a whole new language and although I was expecting to be taught how to teach, it’s nothing like that - more like learning how best to support our students and to present the information to them in a way they can understand. The support provided by Fortress was really good - I chose the middle package as a safety net just in case I needed it. Initially my trainer was Brian, an awesome mentor, huge experience and very helpful. He left last year, and my new mentor was Richard - again fabulous support, almost always available relatively quickly and able to point me in the right direction. Marking turnaround was typically 1-2 days - shorter than the advertised time too which also helped. I have no hesitation in recommending Fortress Learning to anyone looking to further their VET journey. Many thanks Fortress and the team
Andy Graham
Fortress learning was fantastic in all areas. From the customer support team to the trainers. The support team was always professional at all times and the communication was fantastic. The trainers were knowledgeable, empathetic and supportive during the whole course. I would highly recommend fortress learning. A special mention to Deb who is definitely an asset to the team and any future students.
Clint Parkes
I have recently completed the TAESS00021 Facilitation Skillset, and the training material and content was not only top quality but also interesting. The admin staff and trainers were extremely punctual and helpful. Big thankyou to trainer Deb. I highly recommend training with Fortress Learning.
Sienna hardie
I am so glad that I chose Fortress Learning for my course. The team was available and helpful along my entire journey. It was not easy, but my advisor exceled in encouraging me and enabling me to keep going! I highly recommend Fortress Learning to anyone! They are amazing at what they do.
Tim Hildebrand
Fortress Learning is an outstanding RTO that delivers exceptional training and support. I recently completed my TAE upgrade, and the process was seamless, efficient, and well-structured. A huge thank you to Mel, Jan, and my incredible assessor, Deb, for their guidance and professionalism. Their expertise and dedication truly make them champions of TAE!
Daniela Accary
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