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/

Experience tells us that most people usually take about 10 to 12 months to complete the fully self-paced course with the right support, which is why we’ve created 3 different support package options (which we’ll talk about shortly).

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Most people are working full-time and juggling families, pets, holidays and other things that can make life complicated; if you can take a few nights each week to work on your course and then an extra few hours on the weekend you will graduate within the 12 month enrolment period. And if life throws you a curveball or 2, we have options to extend if you need (additional fees apply).

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Our quick response times also help to reduce the total time it can take, making 10 months an achievable time frame; after all, getting your assessment marking done in less than 4 days (or 8 if you choose the Solo Support Package) makes it a lot quicker than if it took the 20 – 25 business days many other RTO’s take.

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At the end of the day, the speed is largely determined by you. How many hours you dedicate to your study and how quickly you can get unstuck by accessing support when you need it most will ultimately determine how long it takes you.

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However you choose to do it, we'll be walking right beside you every step of the way to support you getting there. You just need to reach out if you ever need anything!

We want to make sure that you are the right fit for us and that we’re the right fit for you. Here are a few things for you to consider:

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• Fortress Learning is not a “tick and flick” RTO. If you want the fastest and cheapest, we probably won’t be a good fit because we don’t take shortcuts in your learning.
• We only put trainers out there that are really prepared and KNOW what they’re doing… We focus on high quality, not how quickly we can get students in and out.
• Our students finish their training with a high level of knowledge, competence, and confidence because we have gone to great lengths to make our training as close as possible to what it’s like to work as a trainer in the real world. Many RTOs haven’t done this depth of work.

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Other RTOs hiring trainers know that if they’re Fortress Learning students, they are more prepared and knowledgeable than students from many other RTOs teaching the same qualification.

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But before we take on any student, we have to make sure the course is actually suitable for them and for us to be their trainers. That is why we conduct an Enrolment Interview that includes a Suitability Assessment.

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Find out more about the enrolment interview in the FAQ about it.

This package is only for people who are able to focus and motivate themselves for the most part, who are really comfortable with doing anything online, naturally have good study habits and generally did alright when learning at school or doing any other course.

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These people are typically able complete their online study with the videos and written instructions alone, needing very little to no additional help from trainers.

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For this reason, this package doesn’t include any direct trainer support calls, other than via the fortnightly trainer evening support block. This is where you book into one of the 10 minute slots. It’s 1-on-1 and great for quick questions if you need it.

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But if you choose this package and find yourself needing a little more help than that, don’t worry, you can pay-as-you-go for access to a trainer so you’ll always be able to access any support you need, and it’s also highly cost effective! (Trainer support rates are included in the table further down.)

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)

If you currently work in an RTO, you can use a large amount of resources from your workplace if they will allow you access (ask us about the list of what you'll need in your enrolment interview), if you don't work in an RTO, we will provide everything you need, however, the following will need to be provided by you regardless of which option you need to use:

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• A minimum of 4 people to be learners for a face-to-face, in-person, group based training
• An additional person (can’t be one of the 4 above) to be a learner who requires 1-on-1 mentoring, doing a workplace-based training

The people you choose may be family, friends and/or colleagues. You just need to record the training session and be able to upload the recording to us via your Learner Portal (you have unlimited tech support if you need help doing this part).

Note: If using family/ friends, they must be 16+ years old to be considered one of your learners.

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This entry-level program superseded the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment TAE40116. It is designed for any person who wants to become a trainer and assessor but who currently:

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• Doesn’t work in an RTO as a trainer and assessor
• Doesn’t have any experience working as a trainer and assessor in the VET (Vocational Education and Training)  industry.

If you are transitioning to becoming a trainer for the first time and want to share your existing skills and knowledge with others entering your industry, this is the perfect program for you.

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This entry-level program has 12 “units of competency”, and during the course, you’ll learn the foundational skills required to work within the VET sector as trainers and assessors. By the time you graduate, you’ll be able to confidently design, deliver and assess accredited training, conduct face-to-face and online assessments, and participate in validation activities.

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While you may not know exactly what that means, we promise you will by the time you finish.

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Note: If you currently (or used to) work as a Trainer and Assessor and/or have a Certificate in Training and Assessment that is no longer valid, our RPL and Credit Transfer course pathway may be better suited for you. If you think this is you, speak to our Course Advisors to see if you qualify to use this significantly easier pathway.

You’re going to learn loads about what it means to work in an RTO, what it means to train AQF Qualifications, and what it means to deliver and assess “competency based” training, including (but not limited to):

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• How to Operate in the VET Sector
• How RTOs work and the importance of ASQA to RTOs
• How to create a Trainer Profile
• How to schedule and maintain professional development
• How to design session plans, how to use training packages and accredited courses to consult with clients, and identify the best possible formal competency standards for their needs
• Many different principles and theories of adult learning
• Foundational skills and Unit of Competency structure
• How to deliver training in a face-to-face environment
• How to assess learners for training and assessment and RPL assessment pathways
• How to identify core skill demands in the training and assessment context
• How to access and integrate foundation skills resources, strategies and advice in vocational training and assessment
• How to conduct and participate in validation and moderation activities
• How to assess the competence of learners
• What RPL really means
• What synchronous and asynchronous learning and assessment means
• How to deliver and assess in an online learning environment

Firstly, let’s get clear about the reality of face-to-face training in the way some RTOs are offering it so you know what questions to ask when you are shopping around to find the right course for you…

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1. Face-to-face usually happens in larger blocks of time (a week or more). Some RTOs use these blocks to just do the assessments, though. These are the practical parts of the certificate, not including the theory work, and this is what you need to clarify.
2. If they are doing it this way, all of the theory—reading, watching videos, and absorbing the concepts and content—still has to be done either before or after the face-to-face weeks. This means it’s on your own time and not within the blocks of time you’re taking off to do it. Make sure you ask about this so you know exactly how much of a time commitment you really need to make.
3. Some RTOs don’t do the theory learning and then the assessments straight after, so you complete the learning and can move on. This is something many people don’t think about. The best way to really learn something complex like the Cert IV TAE is to do it in a logical order where you learn then do the assessment for it, and move on.  The TAE40122 is designed to layer in the more complex parts as you learn the basics. Ask about when the assessments are ordered in relation to the course theory work.

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So while doing big face-to-face blocks may seem like the “faster” way to do it, if you can’t take that huge amount of time off to attend the face-to-face blocks and you still need to fit in a large amount of study to cover the theory work, then a much better fit will be doing it online at your own pace (even though we help pace you so you actually get it done).

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We prefer to still enjoy having a life while you study to build an even better one.  Don’t you?

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.

Once your enrolment is finalised, you are set up with a login to your Learner Portal. An email with everything you need to know to get started is sent, and inside the Learner Portal is a video introduction that will show you how to navigate it.

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Inside the learner portal, you'll find all of your units listed in a logical order, with all lessons in PDFs and videos, broken down into smaller chunks with comprehensive assessment guides to make it as easy as possible to know what you need to do to complete them right the first time. As you complete each item, they are marked as complete, so you can easily see where you're up to when you next log in.

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You’ll be sent to a booking page just after making your deposit payment to book your enrolment interview. A confirmation email will then be sent to you with the details of everything you need to prepare 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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Your interview is done via Google Meet or phone (if preferred). This means that you can ask additional questions before enrolling and clarify anything you’re unsure of. We also 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 series of questions will help us determine whether you can meet the technical, practical, and skill requirements needed to confidently complete this course online.

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The technical requirements include regular computer access, knowledge, and confidence in navigating email, logins, and websites. The practical questions ensure 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 ensure you're in the right course and ready 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 $150 enrolment interview fee) will be fully refunded. However, the enrolment fee is not refunded if you don't show up for your enrolment interview or change your mind after the interview within the 30-day cooling-off period.

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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, and 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.)

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

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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 where the Solo 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 the 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 (barring 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, 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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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.

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‍After Enrolment:

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• Fortress has a 30-day cooling-off period.
• This 30-day cooling-off period starts from the activation of your learner portal.  For example, if your learner portal is activated on March 1st, the 30-day cooling-off period ends on March 31st
• If you choose to withdraw within the 30-day cooling-off period, you will receive a full refund of the fees paid (excluding the $150 application fee).
• If you choose to withdraw at any time after the 30-day cooling-off period ends, no refund is applicable, and the full balance of course fees will be due.

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Please refer to our Refund Policy here for additional information.

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".