Is it all as it seems? The importance of verifying VET enrolments and qualifications

Many early childhood education and care (ECEC) employees may not be aware that there is an online government-approved system that allows them to quickly and easily verify current and prospective employee VET enrolments and achievements.

The system was implemented in 2012 when the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) suggested a system that would give VET students access to a complete record of their enrolments and achievements from a single source.

In consultation with stakeholders, both State and Federal Governments then developed the system which centers around each VET student having a Unique Student Identifier (USI) which is their individual education number for life, and creates an online record of their training attainments in Australia.

Through their USI account, students (and ECEC employers) can access an authenticated VET transcript which presents their nationally recognised training outcomes as a single record.

By asking current and prospective employees for their USI, employers can: 

• reduce the risk of hiring unqualified staff
• guarantee candidates have the qualifications listed on their CV
• ensure current staff have the skills and qualifications they need to get the job done.

Employers can also ask current and prospective employees for their VET transcript, which is a reference number made up of ten numbers and letters, to check their record of nationally recognised VET training.

For more information visit the VET transcripts webpage for employers here.