This unit applies to individuals working in the international education industry providing administration services at a range of levels of responsibility. They could work in the administration of education programs and projects in organisations from one or more international education sectors (schools, English language training organisations, vocational education and training, higher education, postgraduate education). These organisations could be onshore or offshore and public or private.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Locate and record industry information relevant to work role

1.1. Establish and maintain contacts, networks and sources of information

1.2. Access information on work role, skills and attributes in international education organisations from appropriate sources

1.3. Apply information in work situations to assist effectiveness in work role

1.4. Record and securely store relevant information, reviewing and updating as necessary

1.5. Collate and record contact details of relevant individuals, groups and agencies in an accessible location

2. Enhance work quality

2.1. Source information on international education services and operations and use it effectively

2.2. Identify employer and employee rights and responsibilities in international education services organisations under workplace relations legislation

2.3. Identify role, responsibilities and criteria for performance review based on relevant work standards, key activities and own job description

2.4. Develop processes to improve work practices using collated and analysed information

2.5. Disseminate information to colleagues in similar work roles and to other appropriate stakeholders

2.6. Observe privacy and confidentiality requirements regarding personal or organisational information, in accordance with relevant legislation

3. Use information to improve own and team work practices

3.1. Review own performance in work role to identify gaps in work skills and future skill requirements

3.2. Source and act upon professional development and training opportunities for self and team

3.3. Develop and use systems of reporting and performance appraisal to assess own and team performance

3.4. Apply processes to improve own and team work practices by referring to research and best practice in international education services, in accordance with organisational policies

3.5. Evaluate effectiveness of processes and strategies

Required skills

analytical and research skills to critically assess information relevance, accuracy and completeness; to record information accurately; to integrate information into reports and presentations; to report information (oral and written) in a range of formats and for a range of individuals or groups

communication skills to interact effectively in an interculturalcontext with clients, co-workers, team members and other stakeholders; to negotiate in relation to performance agreements, professional development and training opportunities

initiative and enterprise skills to source information on work practice improvement opportunities such as client service standards, work standards, best practice examples, and professional development and training opportunities; to develop performance improvement plans; to refer to relevant legislative and regulatory frameworks

learning skills to participate in formal and informal professional development

planning and organising skills to identify and address future skills requirements

self-management skills to manage time

technology skills to use a computer and other office equipment to access, process and research information from a range of sources including websites; to use electronic communication technology.

Required knowledge

international education environment including specific organisational work environment and workplace practices such as:

best practice in international education services

quality principles and processes, client services and work standards

relevant professional associations, employer and employee associations

roles and responsibilities of workers in international education

sources of information, contacts support networks and referral systems

sources of professional development opportunities

cross-cultural communication principles and practices in relation to diverse countries and cultures including formal and informal communication channels

overview of trends in Australian international education, statistics and analysis

relevant current legislation for international education services such as the Education Services to Overseas Students Act 2000and associated regulations and codes, and employment related information and regulations.

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

identifying issues and sources of information in relation to improving workplace performance in an international education environment

developing and applying strategies to improve international education work practices

knowledge of relevant current legislation for international education services.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

access to opportunities to participate in a range of practical exercises and projects

access to current relevant reference materials, professional expertise, and assessment equipment and materials.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used t assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate

evaluation of supervisor's reports

analysis of projects, case studies, completed records and reports developed by the candidate

review of recorded contact details for individuals, groups and agencies

review of processes developed to improve work practices

analysis of identified work skills gaps and identified future skills requirements

review of reporting and performance appraisal systems developed to assess own and team performance

oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of cross-cultural communication principles and practices.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

other educational administration units.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Contacts, networks may include:

clients

colleagues or team members

Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) - including Australian Education International

Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA)

Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)

employee and employer organisations

educational institutions

international education professional associations

other international education organisations

state/territory education departments

supervisors or other organisation personnel

Sources of information may include:

contacts and networks

education and training organisation websites - national and international

employer and employee associations

formal and informal communication channels

government departments and agencies

professional associations

Information may include:

academic research relating to international education services

cultural information describing educational practice in source countries

employer and employee association publications

examples of programs and activities to support students

intelligence obtained through formal and informal communication channels

information describing cultural practices in source countries

job descriptions and position specifications for work roles

market intelligence for source countries

organisational policies and procedures

overseas student health cover information

professional association publications and codes of practice

records of work practice in own and other organisations

relevant legislation and codes of practice

statistics and reports relating to international education

work standards

Work role may include:

type and level of work being undertaken in international education organisation

typical roles and responsibilities

Recording information may include:

documentation in:

internal organisational documents

job descriptions and position specifications

performance review documents

records of discussions with colleagues

reports, publications, conference papers, training sessions (attended or presentations made at)

staff development plans

Relevant individuals, groups and agencies may include:

clients

colleagues and team members

DEST

DOHA

DIAC

educational institutions

employee and employer organisations

professional associations

state/territory education departments

supervisors and other organisation personnel

Rights and responsibilities may include:

awards, enterprise agreements, contracts and industrial instruments (e.g. job specification, industry standards, performance agreements) relevant to the work role

workplace relations legislative requirements for employers and employees

Systems of reporting and performance appraisal may include:

data from tailored software

feedback from peers, customers or clients

qualitative or quantitative measurement of performance

perspective of manager

perspective of person being reviewed

range of systems for describing and evaluating what an individual or group achieves against a set of agreed criteria or key performance indicators

Unit sector

Educational Administration

This unit contains employability skills.