Please download important resources for the relevant CPLE offering below (early childhood education and care qualifications or business certification) by clicking on the link (pdf download). If you cannot see what you’re looking for, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions further below the page, or get in touch with the RTO team at 02 6293 6220 or cple@commsatwork.org.
Please see answers to some Frequently Asked Questions below. For fee structure and more specific information about a particular qualification you are interested in, please download the respective qualification information guide/handbook. For RTO policies and procedures, please visit this page.
CPLE is Communities at Work’s Registered Training Organisation (RTO 88148), The Centre of Professional Learning and Education. We offer two vocational education and training (VET) qualifications in Early Childhood Education and Care (Certificate III and Diploma). We also offer a Certificate III qualification in Business.
Visit our Nationally Recognised Qualifications page for details.
There are two types of fees required for studying a qualification with CPLE:
When studying a VET qualification with CPLE, a student may be eligible for the following funding/training plans:
For more information, visit the Traineeships and Other Funding Options page.
You can also email cple@commsatwork.org to speak to a member of the CPLE team.
Payment plans including payroll deduction and regular direct debit arrangements are available.
No, our qualifications are delivered via a rolling intake which means that you can enrol into a qualification at any time. Upon enrolment, you will have a schedule designed for you which is set to the completion timeframe requirements of the units/modules you need to complete based on your enrolment application paperwork and previously completed study where applicable.
Prior to formal enrolment, you will be required to attend an information session or pre-enrolment discussion that covers qualification, assessment and funding information.
A series of eligibility checks will also be completed to ensure that you meet the entry requirements of the qualification. Enrolment checks consist of:
Once all required steps are completed, enrolment is organised depending on the funding type you choose to access. Processes may involve:
The enrolment process can vary depending on the funding arrangement in which you enrol. General time frames vary between 2 to 8 weeks for approval of funded training contracts. Eligible students will be contacted by CPLE when enrolment is confirmed.
Completion of a Language, Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (LLN) is a mandatory, initial skills assessment that you are required to complete in line with the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), during the pre-enrolment process for any qualification you wish to enrol in with CPLE.
CPLE will assess the outcomes of your LLN assessment prior to formal enrolment, to ensure you have the adequate skills to complete the learning and assessment requirements of the qualification.
In the event you present with an ACSF score of 2 or lower in any of the LLN areas, you will be permitted to sit the LLN assessment again. If upon sitting the assessment for a second time, results are not at the ACSF level required, it may be decided that it is better for you to access LLN support networks prior to enrolment for the sake of skill development.
CPLE recognise that whilst effective training and assessment processes will occur during your enrolment with us, tutoring services are outside of the scope of our skillsets and qualifications.
LLN networks we will refer you to include:
Information on the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) can be found here.
Assessment items to be completed vary through each module and consists of projects, written tasks and practical components. Students will need to understand and demonstrate the required skills, knowledge and performance criteria set against each element of the unit of competency, in order to be deemed competent. This is in accordance with the training and assessment standards. Further information about assessment items is covered within our Student Handbook (download from the above list of resources).
You must provide original certified copies of qualifications, statements of attainments and transcripts to CPLE if you wish to apply for Credit Transfer (CT) or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). We will then verify and assess documentation if eligible CT or RPL outcomes will be granted to the student.
You need to complete a work placement for the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. If you are working within the early childhood industry with a registered provider, you will not be required to organise a practical placement as these hours will be gathered during your current employment arrangement. If you are not working within the industry you will be required to arrange a practical work placement for these Early Childhood qualifications.
You can enrol into a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care if you have no experience or knowledge of the sector. We recommend considering our Ascend Program if you’re interested in studying a qualification while getting paid full-time.
Contact the CPLE team on:
When you enrol, CPLE will confirm your enrolment by providing you with a letter. You do not have to request this; it will be emailed to you when your enrolment is confirmed.
Alternatively, a training plan signed by a CPLE trainer & assessor upon enrolment is also sufficient.
If it is not, please email CPLE administration: cple@commsatwork.org or call 02 6293 6220 to discuss.
To study many of CPLE qualifications, you need to secure a work placement/employment to complete the practical assessment component.
Follow the steps below to find a work placement that will enhance your skills and get you some valuable on-the-job practical experience throughout your enrolment.
You can also look on the Communities at Work’s Careers page for openings available internally: https://www.commsatwork.org/careers/
Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) is a process where you can use your existing knowledge, skills and experiences gained through life experiences and/or other employment to demonstrate your competency in particular unit/s.
When you apply for RPL, you are essentially saying ‘I already know all about this unit, so I don’t need training’. RPL is an assessment process only and no training is provided.
Please note, RPL is not necessarily a quick process. You will be required to collate and coordinate evidence to show that you have sufficient, valid, and current knowledge and skills equivalent to the qualification you are enrolled in. Your skills will be assessed against industry standards. This is done by a CPLE Trainer & Assessor.
Please refer to our Student Handbook for further information on RPL.
To ensure you gain the maximum benefit from us, it is your responsibility to read through the qualification information and understand the rights and responsibilities of enrolment supplied by CPLE. CPLE provides an adult learning environment and expects you to initiate and engage in your own learning journey.
This includes:
Prior to enrolment with CPLE, you will be asked to read and sign a Terms and Conditions of Enrolment agreement.
CPLE reserves the right to terminate your enrolment in this qualification if you fail to follow these terms and conditions, reasonable directions, policies and procedures in accordance with the legal obligations of your enrolment.
As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 88148) registered with Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), CPLE has an obligation to ensure the quality and support we provide you through our administration and training services, meets the requirements of the Standards for RTO’s 2015 which form part of the VET Quality Framework.
To ensure compliance is upheld in the delivery of your training and assessment, internal policies, procedures, and systems guide our operations.
As part of our registration, CPLE is expected to participate in audit processes with our State Training Authority, Skills Canberra (STA) and ASQA upon request. In addition, we must ensure that any third parties who have any involvement in your training and assessment, agree to a third-party arrangement with CPLE and will comply with training requirements accordingly.
If at any time you feel that we have not met our obligations as an RTO, you have the right to make a complaint following our Complaints and Appeals Polic (see learner resources above).
Vocational education and training (VET) qualifications enable students to gain specific skills and knowledge through a nationally recognised qualification for a specific area of work. VET is an opportunity for people to join a workforce, change careers, re-join the workforce, or gain additional skills for their existing careers. CPLE offers VET qualifications in Early Childhood Education and Care as well as Business.
A nationally recognised qualification is part of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The AQF includes specific standards for qualification at different levels. By studying a nationally recognised qualification such as those offered by CPLE, your qualification will be recognised by industries across Australia. For further information, you can visit www.training.gov.au.
Skills Canberra is responsible and accountable for the provision of strategic advice and overall management of vocational education and training (VET) in the ACT. Skills Canberra also manages Commonwealth and ACT funding directed to VET programs in the ACT.
Australian apprentices, Skilled Capital and JobTrainer students, employers, RTO’s, ANP’s and schools all have access to the ACT Vocational Education and Training Administration Records System (AVETARS). You can carry out a number of functions in the system ranging from nominating a qualification for delivery, claiming a completion payment, initiating and approving training contract variations. Upon enrolment, you will receive a user guide for AVETARS and be informed of the role this portal will play in your enrolment with CPLE.
Apprenticeship Network Providers are contracted by the Australian Government to offer a free service to apprentices, trainees and employers to assist them with the sign-up, administration and management of apprenticeships and traineeships.
As of 1 July 2024, there are two ANPs in the ACT: MAS National and MEGT. If enrolling into this qualification under User Choice Funding, CPLE will speak with you regarding the sign-up process with the ANP.
