School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships

Student considerations — Checklist, recognition of prior training, ATAR contribution and credit towards VCE or VCAL

Checklist

• Do you have an employer who can take you on for the required hours?
• Does your career plan indicate that you intend to pursue this type of career?
• Would you be able to handle work, training and other study at this time in your senior secondary program?
• Is the SBAT going to place additional pressure on your VCE or VCAL program?
• Have you spoken to your teachers or careers advisor?
• Do you have any formal training or experience that may give you credit towards the training component of your SBAT?
• Have you undertaken any VET that might be eligible for credit?

Recognition of prior training

A student who moves from a general Vocational Education and Training (VET) program to a School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT) program may be eligible for credit transfers for any Units of Competency (UOCs) completed as part of previous VET qualifications.

School staff may explore the Victorian Assessment Software System (VASS) database to identify potential credit transfers from previous training. A student will not receive any additional credit towards their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) for units that are credited towards their SBAT qualification from UOCs or modules undertaken in previous VET qualifications.

Scored assessment and ATAR contribution

Students undertaking an SBAT typically do not undertake a scored assessment in their SBAT qualification. Contributions towards their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) would derive from achieving a Unit 3 and 4 sequence from their SBAT, which may provide a 10%, fifth or sixth study increment. Students wishing to access a study score from their SBAT would need to complete Units 3 and 4 from the VCE/VET scored program as a separate enrolment to their SBAT.

Detailed advice on the calculation of the ATAR is available from the Victorian Tertiary and Admissions Committee website.

Credit towards VCE or VCAL

Like other VET offerings for school students, the vocational training components of SBATs may also contribute credit towards a senior secondary certificate.

VCE students may accrue credit in the following ways:

• The student can receive credit determined by the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) within the VCE Unit 1 to 4 credit structure. Typically students completing a qualification with a 360-hour nominal duration receive Units 1 to 4 towards the VCE.
• All other qualifications at Certificate II or above provide credit on the basis of one VCE unit for each 90 hours of completed Units of Competency (UOCs).
• UOCs at AQF level II provide credit at VCE Unit 1 and 2 level and UOCs at AQF level III or above provide credit at VCE Unit 3 and 4 level.

VCAL students receive 1 unit of credit for each 90 hours of completed UOCs. These credits relate to the Industry Skills and Work Related Skills strands. A student completing a qualification with 450 nominal hours will receive five credits towards their VCAL.

Further information about credits towards VCE and VCAL is available from the VCAA.