SkillsIQ, under the direction of the First Aid Industry Reference Committee, is undertaking a comprehensive update of eight Units of Competency from the HLT Training Package relating to First Aid.
The HLTAID First Aid competency standards were developed to provide a set of robust, industry-supported standards for people who provide First Aid to others.
In these instances, the Statement of Attainment provides evidence to the employer and the community that the worker has the skills and knowledge to be able to provide a First Aid response and sustain life in the event of an emergency.
A widespread multi-channel consultation involving a broad range of stakeholders has been conducted to identify and validate the exact nature of the skills needs in the industry, and the respective Training Package Product update requirements.
As a result, industry has identified four key drivers for change in the First Aid Training Package Products, as follows:
- Changes in industry best practice
- Diversity in the scope and breadth of First Aid
- An increase in clarity and uniformity in the content of the Units of Competency wherever possible
- Increased recognition of the role of mental health support in the provision of First Aid.
Consequently, the First Aid IRC has proposed changes which will involve:
- Updating current Units of Competency to reflect industry best practice and current regulation
- Updating current Units of Competency to ensure their scope and breadth are reflective of industry expectations
- Consideration of the skills requirements in specific areas, such as asthma and anaphylaxis
- Consideration of the need for additional criteria to address First Aid in relation to mental health.
Consultation Activities and Timelines
National consultation on Draft 1 occurred during August and September 2019. During that period input was received from industry stakeholders, employers and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) nationally on the Draft 1 Units of Competency and their associated Assessment Requirements.
Following the close of the consultation period, feedback was collated and evaluated. This feedback informed the development of Draft 2, which is now publicly available for validation from Friday, 1 November 2019 until COB on Friday, 22 November 2019.
A Validation Guide, which should be read in conjunction with the Draft 2 Units, is available for download at the bottom of this page.
If you have expertise in this area and would like to meet with SkillsIQ, please contact Gary Dunshea at SkillsIQ via gary.dunshea@skillsiq.com.au or via phone at (02) 9392 8100. To remain up-to-date with project developments, please subscribe to SkillsIQ’s mailing list: https://www.skillsiq.com.au/Subscribetoournewsletter.aspx
Consultation Activities: Round 2
Webinars were held on the following dates in November.
Date Time
Wednesday, 6 November 2:00pm – 3:00pm AEDT - closed
Friday, 8 November 3:30pm – 4:30pm AEDT - closed
Monday, 11 November 10:00am – 11:00am AEDT - closed