Flexible As a student of Horticultural Training you are an independent learner. This means that the responsibility for how you go about studying is entirely yours. You have the flexibility to organise your study and assignments to fit your own career. The flexibility of study means that students need a degree of self-discipline, confidence and self-motivation in order to be successful. Qualifications can be achieved through a number of pathways such as Skills Recognition and Competency Based Training and Assessment. Competency Based Training Competency based training is an approach to education and training placing an emphasis on what a person can do in the workplace as a result of completing a program of training. Programs are often comprised of units broken into segments called elements of competencies, which are based on national standards set by the Horticultural industry. Assessment is designed to ensure each student has achieved all the outcomes (skills and knowledge) required by each unit of competency. Ideally, progress within a CBT program is not based on time. As soon as students have achieved or demonstrated the outcomes required in a unit, they can move to the next unit. In this way, students may be able to complete a training program much faster. Assessment Assessment can be carried out to verify competency. Assessment is carried out in the workplace or simulated work environment in most instances. Structured observation in the workplace Extracted workplace activities Assignments & projects Oral questions Open book written tests Long answer written tasks Short answer written tests Diary or work programs Employers/supervisors reports. A qualified workplace assessor carries out the assessment. Underpinning knowledge will also be assessed. We need to be sure a person knows performing certain tasks and ensure that skills can be applied in different situations and circumstances. Recognition of Prior Learning/Credit Transfer (RPL/CC) or Skill Recognition (SR) Participants who have a completed or partly completed a course at another institution, who have been working in the industry for a number of years, or have gained appropriate skills through life experience, may wish to apply for recognition of this prior training or experience. Evidence may be produced in the form of the following: Certificates from other institutions Work completed Letters Photographs/Videos Plans or quotations from previous jobs, employers, customers or work colleagues. An initial interview will indicate the level of competency to be achieved and establish the depth and breadth of evidence to be produced.