Education and Training Tips for Australian Resumes

A common issue I encounter with individual resumes is the lack of information, regarding the education and training courses which have been completed. Usually there is just a list of the courses completed and nothing else.

As an employer education and training is sometimes a vital component. For example some employers need to know when you completed training. This could be due to the time elapsed since the training, psychological we tend to forget minor details after a few years, can you remember who gave you Christmas cards two years ago? Or can you recall an old password you used two years ago? Personally, I can’t even recall the password for an account I created a week ago let alone years ago. Therefore some employers require recent individual experience within the classroom, or possibly an more experience individual due to old working ethics and equipment. Another reason for requiring the year which you completed your training could be due to refresher courses which may be required prior to starting employment, an example being induction courses, if you completed an induction for Rio Tinto 8mths ago and the application you applied for may require you working on a Rio Tinto site, the employer saves money on not having to order inductions and training or your working at height ticket expires this year therefore HR need to ensure this is flagged to comply with employment laws and legislation.

Another component to ensure is documented is where you completed the training. As a governing body DEEWR (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations) has a database of all the RTO’s (Registered Training Organisation) along with the courses and information of individuals who have completed training. Should an employer need to verify your education or training and you do not have access to the hardcopy of the certificate, employers can search the database by selecting the RTO where the qualification was gained. Also another reason for listing the institution where you obtained your training from can assist employers in decision making, there is a lot of dodgy business out there and the employers receive the individuals straight from the training institute and have developed a keen sense of knowledge relating to the skills and abilities obtained from a the RTO’s.

In addition it is always best to include the Course Code, this is useful as the courses changes and some units are dropped while others are included, also this enables the employer to understand and acknowledge the specialties within the course, an example being PMASUP236B – Operate Vehicles in The Field and RIIVEH201B – Operate Light Vehicle. Some people state “I have a Vehicle License also” question is which one, having the course code identities the difference in skills base. Also you will find having this on your resume will increase your search results from resume scanning software. Another common issue is the level of training you have completed you might have a EWP ticket but for what level, having the course code clearly identifies the levels by the series of numbers. As you will notice below, the screenshot taken from the Forklift Training Perth website, has used the course code and correct title at the top of the site in bold listing "TLILIC2001A Licence to operate a forklift truck". This is a great example of using the course code and title correctly to clearly identify the skills and abilities taught in the course.

A great resource to identify or lookup the courses available within Australia is the new My Skills Website, located at http://www.myskills.gov.au/, you will also notice a lot of superseded courses these are identify in the word superseded in red.

When entering your qualifications on your resume, if you have just completed a course it is best to list the units completed, to promote the recent skills and abilities you have obtained.

#trainingandeducation #resume #qualifications #CV #Australia #Information