Monthly Archives: August 2015

FastTrack_MBA

How to save time and money fast-tracking your MBA

If you’re a professional with enough ambition, drive and managerial experience to move into an executive role, then converting your experience through RPL might be the perfect way to save time and money achieving your MBA.

Completing a Master’s Degree, primarily a Master of Business Administration (MBA) while engaging in full-time work and raising a family may seem like an implausible feat for many. Amid the endless number of tasks there are to be completed at both home and work, the likelihood of cramming two years’ worth of study and travel time into your current schedule, may seem altogether unlikely.

And that’s not even the extent of it, considering the current cost of getting an MBA which is likely to set you back at least $30,000 over the course of the two year program.

In an ideal world, the cost of achieving an MBA to move into an executive role would be miniscule. In an even more ideal world, you wouldn’t be forced to put your life on hold due to the excessive workload and travel time involved.

While we may not be living in a perfect world, there are avenues that can help you save time and money achieving your MBA, at half the time and cost.

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)

Introduced in the 1990s, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows skilled Australians to attain a Nationally Recognised Qualification using their existing skills, knowledge and experience. This means that rather than undergoing countless hours of classroom study, individuals can use their existing knowledge to attain a qualification, without ever having to step foot inside a classroom.

RPL has made it easier than ever for professionals with managerial experience to get their skills recognised through the attainment of a Graduate Diploma of Strategic Leadership. Rather than having to engage in any study, these professionals can attain their nationally recognised qualification solely by providing evidence of their skills and experience in the units listed below.

GRADUATE DIPLOMA OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

CORE UNITS

BSBLDR801 Lead personal and strategic transformation
BSBLDR802 Lead the strategic planning process for an enterprise

ELECTIVE UNITS (SELECT 6 ONLY)

BSBFIM801 Manage financial resources
BSBLDR803 Develop and cultivate collaborative partnerships and relationships
BSBLDR804 Influence and shape diversity management
BSBLDR805 Lead and influence change
BSBLDR806 Lead and influence ethical practice
BSBMGT801 Direct the development of a knowledge management strategy for a business
BSBMGT802 Lead design and review of enterprise systems
BSBMGT803 Use financial and economic information for strategic decision making
BSBRES801 Initiate and lead applied research

 

HOW TO FAST TRACK YOUR MBA WITH A GRADUATE DIPLOMA OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

Because the units of the above qualification are comparable to those of the MBA, completing skills recognition for a Graduate Diploma of Strategic Leadership can help you receive up to 6 credit exemptions for an MBA from a university of your choice. This means that you can walk away with two different qualifications, while saving up to $15,000 and 1 year of study. The process couldn’t be simpler.

THE FAST-TRACKED MBA PROCESS

  1. Free Skills Review

Confirm your eligibility by conducting a simple 2-3 minute Free Skills Review.

  1. Eligible?Get Started!

If you’re eligible, Get Qualified Australia’s Skills Recognition & RPL Specialists will send you a number of documents to get started.

  1. Self-assessment

You’ll begin with a simple self-assessment checklist, analysing your existing skills sets, knowledge and experience.

  1. Submit Evidence

Next, you’ll gather your supporting evidence.

  1. Evidence Assessed

Once your evidence is received, Get Qualified Australia will take care of the hard work by organising and compiling your evidence in line with the units of the Graduate Diploma.

  1. Gap training (IF APPLICABLE)

If you fall short on a unit of competency, you can choose to undergo gap training either online or at home to complete the required units. This may be done in your own time and at your own pace.

  1. Approved? Get Qualified!

The RPL Process is now complete, provided you meet the requirements of each unit. You’ll be issued your Nationally Recognised Postgraduate Qualification from an RTO partner.

  1. Apply for credit exemptions

You’re now set to seek maximum credit exemptions from a university of your choice. Simply match the units from your qualification with those of the MBA.

IS FAST-TRACKING THE MBA RIGHT FOR ME?

Choosing to fast-track your MBA is ideal if you’ve always wanted to do your MBA but have been unable to complete it due to:

  • Family Commitments
  • Work commitments
  • Business travel
  • Heavy workload

It’s also ideal if you’d like to achieve professional development, sit in the executive chair, attain a pay rise or promotion, and avoid repetition of already gained skills, knowledge, training and experience.

Think you have what it takes?

Take our free skills review today to see if you can save time and money achieving your MBA through RPL.

TopEarningTrades2015

Top Earning Trades in 2015!


Increase your earnings in 2015 through RPL & Skills Recognition

Australia is one of the most expensive countries to live in. Scratch that – Australia is the most expensive country to live in, having been ranked as such for the fourth year in a row by the Deutsche Bank in their annual Mapping the World’s Prices report. In fact, only 4 cities are more expensive than Sydney in terms of cost of living.

Yes, that’s right. Australia’s bucks are bringing in the least bang.

With high transport and accommodation costs, achieving a high paying job is important for Australia’s working population, including its blue collar workers. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact amount Australian tradesmen earn, as this differs between trades and the structure of employment (i.e. sole trader, contractor or sub-contractor), Trade Risk have pooled together their resources to highlight the top earning trades in 2015, as based on average income.

 

THE CHAMPIONS OF 2015

tr
(Graphic by Trade Risk)

Taking the top three spots, boilermakers, electricians and plumbers have topped off the list for the second time in a row. However while these tradies are earning the biggest bucks, it’s the cabinetmakers, bricklayers and painters who have experienced the highest increase in average income, with a 10% rise in earnings.

What’s more, the average income for tradies has increased from $68,900 in 2014 to $70,500 in 2015.

 

DEDUCING THE FACTS: HOW TO INCREASE YOUR EARNINGS IN 2015 AND BEYOND

If one were to gather anything from these findings, it would be that our Aussie tradies have a world of opportunities to earn bigger dollars in 2015. We’ve identified two strategies that tradies could implement to bring in a bigger return in the year ahead – moving to a higher earning trade, and converting their existing skills to a qualification.

 

Upping Your Trade

In their time, many tradies have worked across dual or multiple trades, successfully acquiring a range of different skill sets through hands-on experience. Rather than being limited to one trade, they have directed their efforts towards learning the features of each trade, and effectively transferred these expert skills between them.

Making the move to a higher earning occupation in which the tradie is qualified, could open up new opportunities for the tradie to earn more money. Take John Cheakery for example.

After working as a carpenter for fifteen years, and applying his woodwork skills on large structural projects like housing frames and decking, John became interested in concentrating his efforts on more intricate constructions and trim carpentry. Sharpening his skills, this more concentrated focus on finer details led John to complete a large number of internal fitting jobs, creating tables, kitchens and cabinets over the course of six years. Shifting his efforts to cabinet making, John decided to cross-over into this specialised trade, upping his annual earnings in 2015 by a whopping $8,210.

 

Qualifying Your Trade

In view of the above scenario, should John have acquired all the necessary skills to work as a cabinetmaker in Australia over the course of his 21 years of experience, he would be eligible for a Certificate III in Cabinetmaking.

In addition to his increased earnings, the process of having his skills, knowledge and experience qualified through skills recognition or RPL would not only give John the minimum requirement to achieve trade recognition for Cabinetmaking in Australia, but also help him secure future jobs, roles and promotions, thus increasing his earning potential.

Qualifying your skills, knowledge and experience, especially if you’re competent in all industry units and have the required experience, is a great way of boosting your salary and job prospects as a formally recognised tradesperson. Find out if you can achieve formal trade recognition through RPL with this simple 2-3 minute free skills review.

Remember, it’s never too difficult or late to increase your earning potential. Moving to a higher earning trade or qualifying your skills through Skills Recognition or RPL are only two of the possible ways to go about this in an effective manner. The opportunities , however, are endless. 

Source: https://www.traderisk.com.au/