Comparison Level 4 Certificate and 5 Diploma

Coalition of Celebrant Associations

Australia’s Peak Celebrant Body

Comparison Level 4 Certificate and 5 Diploma

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The level for a qualification is not decided arbitrarily. The qualifications are set out in this Document:

Australian Qualifications Framework

http://www.aqf.edu.au/Documents2013.pdf

This table shows the differences between Certificate IV and Diploma level courses.

It is also important to remember that neither the current nor proposed qualification has any prerequisites.

Thus this training needs to be able to train for example, a twenty-year old in competency for the role.

Note:

Level 5 (VET Diploma) is described as at a “paraprofessional” level
Level 4 (Cert IV) is a level below that.
A VET Diploma is two levels below an academic Degree from a Uni or CAE.

Definition of paraprofessional
Google search = Paraprofessional is “a person to whom a particular aspect of a professional task is delegated but who is not licensed to practice as a fully qualified…”

Question: Is being a self-employed celebrant equivalent to a Level 5 (paraprofessional), above or below this?

AQF level 4 Certificate IV in Celebrancy	AQF level 5 Diploma in Professional Celebrancy
AQF-2nd-Edition-January-2013-IV.pdf	AQF-2nd-Edition-January-2013-V
The purpose of the Certificate IV qualification type is to qualify individuals who apply a broad range of specialised knowledge and skills in varied contexts to undertake skilled work and as a pathway for further learning.	The purpose of the Diploma qualification type is to qualify individuals who apply integrated technical and theoretical concepts in a broad range of contexts to undertake advanced skilled or paraprofessional work and as a pathway for further learning.Diploma qualifications are available for accreditation and issuance in both higher education and vocational education and training.
Summary Graduates at this level will have theoretical and practical knowledge and skills for specialised and/or skilled work and/or further learning	Summary Graduates at this level will have specialised knowledge and skills for skilled/paraprofessional work and/or further learning
Knowledge Graduates at this level will have broad factual, technical and some theoretical knowledge of a specific area or a broad field of work and learning	Knowledge Graduates at this level will have technical and theoretical knowledge in a specific area or a broad field of work and learning
Skills Graduates at this level will have a broad range of cognitive, technical and communication skills to select and apply a range of methods, tools, materials and information to: complete routine and non-routine activities provide and transmit solutions to a variety of predictable and sometimes unpredictable problems	Skills Graduates at this level will have a broad range of cognitive, technical and communication skills to select and apply methods and technologies to: analyse information to complete a range of activities provide and transmit solutions to sometimes complex problems transmit information and skills to others*
Application Graduates at this level will apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, judgement and limited responsibility in known or changing contexts and within established parameters	Application Graduates at this level will apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, judgement and defined responsibility in known or changing contexts and within broad but established parameters
Certificate IV qualification type descriptor	Certificate V qualification type descriptor
Purpose The Certificate IV qualifies individuals who apply a broad range of specialised knowledge and skills in varied contexts to undertake skilled work and as a pathway for further learning	Purpose The Diploma qualifies individuals who apply integrated technical and theoretical concepts in a broad range of contexts to undertake advanced skilled or paraprofessional work and as a pathway for further learning
Knowledge Graduates of a Certificate IV will have broad factual, technical and theoretical knowledge in a specialised field of work and learning	Knowledge Graduates of a Diploma will have technical and theoretical knowledge and concepts, with depth in some areas within a field of work and learning
Skills Graduates of a Certificate IV will have: cognitive skills to identify, analyse, compare and act on information from a range of sources cognitive, technical and communication skills to apply and communicate technical solutions of a non-routine or contingency nature to a defined range of predictable and unpredictable problems specialist technical skills to complete routine and non-routine tasks and functions communication skills to guide activities and provide technical advice in the area of work and learning	Skills Graduates of a Diploma will have: cognitive and communication skills to identify, analyse, synthesise and act on information from a range of sources cognitive, technical and communication skills to analyse, plan, design and evaluate approaches to unpredictable problems and/or management requirements specialist technical and creative skills to express ideas and perspectives communication skills to transfer knowledge and specialised skills to others* and demonstrate understanding of knowledge
Application of knowledge and skills Graduates of a Certificate IV will demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills: to specialised tasks or functions in known or changing contexts with responsibility for own functions and outputs, and may have limited responsibility for organisation of others with limited responsibility for the quantity and quality of the output of others in a team within limited parameters	Application of knowledge and skills Graduates of a Diploma will demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills: with depth in some areas of specialisation, in known or changing contexts to transfer and apply theoretical concepts and/or technical and/or creative skills in a range of situations with personal responsibility and autonomy in performing complex technical operations with responsibility for own outputs in relation to broad parameters for quantity and quality with initiative and judgement to organise the work of self and others and plan, coordinate and evaluate the work of teams* within broad but generally well-defined parameters
Volume of LearningThe volume of learning of a Certificate IV is typically 0.5 – 2 years. There may be variations between short learning duration specialist qualifications that build on knowledge and skills already acquired and longer duration qualifications that are designed as entry level requirements for work	Volume of Learning The volume of learning of a Diploma is typically 1 – 2 years learning
When accrediting Certificate IV qualifications accrediting authorities must ensure that:	When accrediting AQF Diploma qualifications accrediting authorities must ensure that:
Generic learning outcomes are explicitly identified in the qualification and align with the level of the qualification type, the purpose of the qualification and the discipline. Generic learning outcomes fall into four broad categories: fundamental skills; people skills; thinking skills; and personal skills. In the vocational education and training sector they are expressed as foundation skills.	Generic learning outcomes are explicitly identified in the qualification and align with the level of the qualification type, the purpose of the qualification and the discipline. Generic learning outcomes fall into four broad categories: fundamental skills; people skills; thinking skills; and personal skills. In the vocational education and training sector they are expressed as foundation skills. In the higher education sector they are generally known as graduate attributes and are defined by each higher education provider.
The relationship between the learning outcomes in the level 4 criteria, the qualification type descriptor, and the discipline is clear.	The relationship between the learning outcomes in the level 5 criteria, the qualification type descriptor, and the discipline is clear.
The volume of learning is sufficient for graduates to achieve the learning outcomes for a qualification of this level and type. Learning outcomes for Certificate IV qualifications may be achieved through a program of indentured training/employment or a program of learning in an institution which may include work placements.	The volume of learning is sufficient for graduates to achieve the learning outcomes for a qualification of this level and type.

(CoCA Comment
* In the area of celebrancy, a team could be families and groups the celebrant works with. )

Coalition of Celebrant Associations