Assessment in the forest, wood, paper and timber products industry
The nature of work in the forest, wood, paper and timber products industry has features that highlight the importance of having a clear assessment process that is applied consistently across the whole of industry. The role of assessors in this process is a critical one.
The nature of many jobs in the industry is that they:
are of a technical nature involving significant knowledge and skill (often developed over long periods of time)
have a strong OHS focus
sometimes involve activities that have an element of risk
involve responsibility for the operation and maintenance of sophisticated and expensive equipment
require high levels of skill to maintain a quality focus.
The industry, its employers and workforce want to be sure that anyone who is assessed as competent is a safe and skilled employee. This means that it is essential to set and maintain the highest standards of integrity and credibility in conducting assessments. The process must be reliable and consistent across industry, ensuring that quality and safety are not compromised.
To facilitate a nationally consistent approach to assessment for the forest, wood, paper and timber products industry, Forestworks has established the Forest Industry Assessment Plan System (FIAPS) . This network brings together trainers and assessors from industry and training organisations who have input into the development of assessment materials and are responsible for their ongoing review and improvement.
Assessment plans have been developed for each unit of competence from the training package to ensure quality and consistent assessments to agreed industry standards.
