The workshops cover almost all of it. The only items left to do OUTSIDE of the workshops are:

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1. The knowledge question assessments for each unit. These are relatively simple because you have the whole course in your online Learner Portal as an additional resource to complete these.

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2. Your face-to-face training delivery assessment sessions. Even though the execution of this is outside of the workshops, all of the preparation work for these is covered inside the workshop so the only thing left for you to do is to record your face-to-face training delivery sessions and upload the files to submit your assessment.

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That's it. All other learning, assessment prep work and assessments are done within their dedicated workshops (there are 3 in total).

Basically each workshop runs once a month in the same order. This means you can choose to do the 3 workshops back -to-back, or you can choose to do one each month, or even one every 2 - 4 months, whatever suits you. You have 12 months to complete your whole certificate.

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The only exception is over Christmas, the first 2 workshops will run before Christmas, we shut down for 2weeks over Christmas and the new years, then workshop 3 will run in mid January. InFebruary we start all over again with the 3 workshops running back to back again.

The workshops run on Zoom in a virtual classroom from 9am until 4pm (QLD time), on Monday to Friday for workshop 1 and 2, and from Monday to Thursday for workshop 3. The workshop calendar is on this page so you can also see when they will be running.

We know these things are unpredictable so if you have to miss a day or more due to sickness or some other kind of emergency, you can join the same workshop in the following month or months and continue on.

The short answer is yes, for the main design and delivery assessments, you can create a training based on what your workplace already provides or whatever work you currently do, so you can use the training you create after. The areas where you can use pre-provided options are when you need to use RTO backend assets or documentation which can be difficult to get access to. So if you can't access one, you can use ours for the purpose of your learning and assessments.

Just like the previous Certificate IV in Training & Assessment qualifications, the latest TAE40122 also requires people enrolling in the course to be able to: demonstrate vocational competency in their proposed teaching and assessing area. Vocational competency is defined as broad industry knowledge and experience, and may include, but is not limited to, holding a relevant unit of competency or qualification.

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What this means is that you need to come into the Cert IV with some kind of work history and experience in the industry you plan to be a trainer in. If you’ve spent years in your profession and plan to be a trainer for new people coming in, great! But if you’ve been long time unemployed or just out of school with no work experience in any particular industry that you can teach from, you can’t learn to be a trainer at this time.

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You'll be asked about your qualifications and experience in your Enrolment Interview.

The Australian Qualification Framework provides guidelines to the learning outcomes for each AQF level and qualification type. The level of difficulty of a Certificate IV should be aligned with the requirements of the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) level 4 (out of 10 levels).

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Regarding difficulty, we want to be transparent with you and let you know that the Certificate IV TAE is one of the more extensive courses you will complete as there is a lot of terminology and new knowledge and skills that you will learn.

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If you are already in a training role (even informally training workplace colleagues etc) then you will certainly be able to bring your existing skills and knowledge to the course, which will ensure that navigating the world of VET is a little less daunting.

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The common thread is that the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment is time-consuming.

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We have written a blog about the Then Painful Truths about the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. You may want to read it here:

https://www.fortresslearning.edu.au/the-ten-painful-truths-about-the-cert-iv-tae/

The Units of Competency we offer in our entry-level program are “clustered” together (you’ll learn about clustering), so you don’t end up doing repeats of the learning and assessments that can happen if you learn them one by one (as it used to be done).

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Here is how we’ve put them together:

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Cluster 1: Work within the VET sector

• TAEPDD401 – Work effectively in the VET sector (Core unit)
• BSBAUD412 – Work within compliance frameworks (Group C elective unit)

Cluster 2: Designing and packaging training and assessment

• TAEDES411 – Use nationally recognised training products to meet vocational training needs (Core unit)
• TAEDES412 – Design and develop plans for vocational training (Core unit)

Cluster 3: Delivering, assessing and validating vocational training and work-based mentoring (face-to-face)

• TAEASS413 – Participate in assessment validation (Core unit)
• TAEDEL311 – Provide work skill instruction (Group A elective)
• TAEDEL411 – Facilitate vocational training (Core unit)
• TAEDEL412 – Facilitate workplace-based learning (Group A elective)
• TAEDEL414 – Mentor in the workplace (Group A elective)
• TAEASS412 – Assess competence (Core unit)

Cluster 4: Delivering and assessing online training

• TAEDEL405 – Plan, organise and facilitate online learning- current elective of TAE40122 (Group A elective)
• TAEASS404 – Assess competence in an online environment- current elective of TAE40122 (Group A elective)

Since this course is delivered online, it’s essential that students are fully aware of the IT requirements before enrolling to this course is suitable and possible for you to do.

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To enrol for this program, you must be able to answer YES to the following questions:

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• Do you have access to a computer regularly?
• Does your computer have – a broadband internet connection – Laptop or PC – a video camera, either built into your device or a separate webcam – a microphone, either built into your device or in the webcam?
• Do you have the ability to open web pages, view videos on youtube, download and extract zip folders, open and download pdf documents, and open, edit, save and upload documents created in Word?

If your answer is NO to any of the above questions, please contact us on 1300 141 994 so that we can provide the best advice for your circumstance.

If you haven’t finished the course within 12 months, you can purchase an extension.

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We do our best to help pace you so this doesn’t happen, but sometimes life happens and things get in the way that are beyond your control and you just need a little bit more time.  We get it.

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Here is what it will cost if you really need it but let’s work together so you never need to use this, ok?

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• 1 week $75
• 1 month $300

You’ll be sent to a booking page just after making your deposit payment, to book your enrolment interview and a confirmation email will be sent to you with the details of everything you need to have prepared for that interview.

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The interview can be booked on the same day but there is a minimum of a 4 hour gap from applying to being able to do the enrolment interview, this is so you have time to get prepared.

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HEADS UP: You will need your USI (Student Identifier) before you get to your interview.

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This is done via Google Meet where you can ask any additional questions and clear up anything you’re not sure of before enrolling. This is also where we both get to make sure you have chosen the right course pathway and support package for what you really need.

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During the interview we’ll conduct a "Suitability Assessment". This is a series questions that will help us determine if you can meet the technical, practical and skill requirements needed for you to be able to confidently complete this course online.

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The technical requirements are things like having regular computer access as well as knowledge and confidence navigating things like email, logins and websites. The practical questions are to make sure you have access to the human and physical resources you need to complete the assessments in your course.

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We will ask additional questions about your goals, your online experience and comfort level in learning online, your learning ability plus your availability to study.This is all to make sure you're in the right course and set up to succeed before enrolling formally. This gives you more confidence that you can absolutely get all the way to graduation.

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If the course is found to be unsuitable for you, your deposit (including the enrolment interview fee of $150) will be fully refunded. If you don't show up for your enrolment interview or if you change your mind after the interview within the 7 day cooling off period, the enrolment fee is not refunded.

If during your Enrolment Interview we discover this course is not suitable for you, we’ll offer other alternative solutions or refund all fees paid, including the $150 deposit.

The flexibility of our online approach means that if you need to take a break from studying, we’ve got that covered too.

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We offer the option to defer (pause) your studies. Whilst you are deferred, your enrolment is inactive, and we pause your enrolment duration. Then, when you are reactivated from deferment, you pick up exactly where you left off and carry on.

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Here is what you need to know about deferring:

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• You can defer a maximum of two times. The first deferment is free. The second deferment has a $45 fee.
• Payment plans continue on deferment, and your payments must be up to date before we can defer you.
• You won’t have access to your trainer or learning platform while you’re status is “deferred”.
• If you have at least 6 weeks remaining in your enrolment, you can defer for up to 3 months. After that, you can defer for twice the amount of time remaining in your enrolment (for example, if you have 1 week left in your enrolment, you can defer for 2 weeks.)

The most important thing is to contact us if your enrolment isn’t working out as you had planned, so that we can offer you the best support options as and when you need them.

We know that right now you probably “need” to do this training and you’re looking for fast and easy so it’s relatively painless for you. We get it, so we’ve spent more time on our end making it as straightforward for you as possible, and finding ways to do our part more efficiently so we’re not the bottleneck!

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1. We have one of the fastest marking times in the industry – We know that when you start something like this, you want to get through it as fast as possible and marking times can significantly impact how fast you can do it. You’ll get your assessments back within 4 business days with us (except with the Standard Support Package, which is 4 – 8 business days max), and then the speed with which you get to graduation is mostly up to you.
2. Our learning material is first-class in clarity and comprehensiveness, and is as close to what you’ll find in real life! We do this so you’re more confident and skilled when you start working as an actual trainer.
3. Our support and responsiveness are why we have such a high completion rate. We’ll respond to your emails within 8 business hours, and if we miss your call, we’ll call you back within 4 business hours. Our trainers are also known for their compassion, wisdom and ability to get you all the way to graduation.

Don't believe what we say though, check out our reviews on Google and Trustpilot - See what others have said about learning with us!

When you will pay your deposit it includes your $150 non-refundable enrolment interview fee. This covers the cost of the behind-the-scenes work and time taken to prepare and run the interview itself because it is a cost to us. It's also not fair to others who could have booked an earlier time with us when people just don't show up.

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We do the enrolment interview to make sure that the course is the right course for you, and that you have all of the resources and the time you will need to complete it successfully (baring any unexpected events that could impact it) BEFORE you actually enrol. We have saved many students money, time and frustration by having this interview and discovering that it's unlikely they will complete it successfully for some reason. We are invested in your success from the start.

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If the course isn't suitable for you for whatever reason, you will be refunded the whole amount of your deposit, including your $150 enrolment interview fee. If you simply don't show up, the $150 enrolment interview fee won't be refunded should you choose not to go ahead for other reasons.

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If an emergency happens and you can’t let us know you won’t be able to make it for some reason, we’re generous when it matters most so there are circumstances where this enrolment interview fee will also be refunded, but this is only on a case by case basis.

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We offer flexible payment options for every course.

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You can pay in full and upfront, but you can also pay a deposit (which includes the $150 non-refundable enrolment interview fee), and choose a fortnightly or weekly payment plan. When you select "Enrol", you will see the various packages available for your course, and once you select the package you want, you will be presented with the various payment options.

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If you want to go back and see another package and their payment plan options, just hit "back".

Upon Application:

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• If you are found not to be suitable for entry into any of our programs, we will refund all monies paid.
• If you choose not to continue with the enrolment interview or application, we will refund monies paid, excluding the $150 application fee.

After Enrolment:

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• Fortress has a 7-day cooling-off period.
• This 7-day cooling-off period starts from the activation of your learner portal.  For example, if your learner portal is activated on March 1st, the 7-day cooling-off period ends on March 8th
• If you choose to withdraw within the 7 days cooling-off period, then a full refund of fees paid(excluding the application fee of $150) applies.
• If you choose to withdraw at any time after the 7-day cooling-off period ends, no refund is applicable, and the full balance of course fees will be due.

Please refer to our Refund Policy here for additional information.

If you are over 40, you may be eligible to receive 50% of your course fees from the government’s Skills Checkpoint for Older Workers (SCOW) program. Another funding option is the Mid Career Checkpoint which offers funds of up to $3,000 to students who return to the workforce.

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More information is available HERE.