What is Verification of Competency (VOC)?

New national WHS Act 2012, requires employers conduct due diligence and provides them with an obligation to ensure an individual has “current competency”.

The term ‘employers’ are now referred under the Act as ‘Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking’ (PCBU) and ‘employees’ as ‘workers’.

Regulations require PCBU’s to ensure competency of the operator when plant is used, so far as is reasonably practicable. Employers take their responsibilities very seriously, and are often requiring workers to demonstrate competency in the tasks they are to perform on the employers’ site. This also holds for contractors and their employees operating plant and conducting high risk work. Verification of Competency is also often extended to other high risk tasks like “Working at Heights” & “Confined Space Entry”.

Today all workers who are required to work at height or enter a confined space must have completed an appropriate VET training programme, and be issued with national units of competency via a Statement of Attainment.  It is an employer’s responsibility (PCBU’s) to ensure under the Act that the person performing the work is current in their skills. So the mere fact a worker holds an appropriate Statement of Attainment does not always meet this requirement. Generally on most sites across Australia a worker is not deemed current if their units of competency were issued more than two years ago. It could also be that the employer wishes to ensure their “Duty of Care” with a new employee by obtaining a VOC.

Assessing for Verification of Competency enables businesses to confirm that their employees are competent in their skills and using equipment. It is commonly used in many industries for pre-employment checks, contractual arrangements or site requirements. No longer is just holding a ticket or qualification enough for an employer to believe an individual is competent.

Verification of Competency is now becoming a common request. Sydney Safety Training Assessors are industry experts holding all relevant qualifications combined with years of experience.

We can structure a VOC to meet your requirements at your site or ours. Before we conduct at a VOC, we must have copies of each attendee Statement of Attainment showing the unit of competencies issued. In discussion with you we can structure a “Verification of Competency” programme to meet your needs.

Be aware that we do conduct each week Confined Space Refresher Courses & Work Safely at Heights courses for personnel who may have those units of competency, but they are greater than two years old.

VOC Details

  • Training Duration is based on your requirements
  • Training fees are determined by the VOC requirements
  • Training outcome means workers will be issued an ID Card stating VOC achieved.

For More Information please call 02 9892 3370 to discuss with our staff.