What is a VOC in civil construction?
A Verification of Competency (VOC) is an assessment of the knowledge and skills you already have.
A VOC can be undertaken on different types of equipment, including:
- Earthmoving equipment
- Telehandler
- Boom lift
- Scissor lift
- Cranes
- Forklifts
- Dogging skills
- Rigging skills
Rather than undertake a training course from scratch and then do an assessment at the end, a VOC allows people that are already competent in a skill to prove that knowledge, without having to undertake a full course.
Similar to Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Verification of Competency is a way to recognise that many workers develop skills and knowledge on the job, or have been operating specific equipment for many years and have developed the necessary skills and awareness to operate it in a safe, sensible manner.
Why is a VOC so important?
Verification of Competency or VOC is an increasingly important qualification across all business sectors, not just civil construction.
From a safety perspective, a VOC provides documented proof that a worker has the practical skills, safety awareness and specific knowledge to operate a particular piece of equipment.
This means that employers recruiting new contractors or workers can get peace of mind that the worker actually has the right skills for the job, and has been assessed by a qualified assessor through an RTO (registered training organisation).
This has a number of benefits:
Helps employers comply with regulations
Safety-conscious employers know that if something goes wrong on site, they are ultimately responsible, so using a VOC to ensure their team is adequately skilled is a good way to stay covered from a compliance perspective.
Upholding standards when switching sites
A VOC becomes particularly important when workers are coming from other sites. Whilst the general operation of equipment remains the same, procedures and safety standards can vary considerably between different employers, so a VOC helps to make sure the employee is up to your standards.
Keeping skills up to date
Refreshing your skills is something that is critical to help avoid complacency and ensure you are across any new workplace safety legislation. A VOC can be a good option when you are fairly confident in the operation of a piece of equipment but would like a refresh or a second opinion to check that your level of knowledge is still in peak condition.
How to get your Verification of Competency
VOC requirements are site and/or company-specific. If a company you work for or a work site you are visiting requests a current VOC for a specific piece of plant or to undertake a particular task, you will need to comply with the request in order to undertake the work.
You’ll need to hold your current ticket or licence and provide evidence of your existing competency.
At Kallibr Training (RTO 32365), our flexible business model allows us to take your booking at short notice, so we can individually slot students into the course requirements quickly and easily. This means if you’re under pressure to get verified so you can take on a new job, we can help you get there in as little as a few days.
Of course, VoC assessments can be planned ahead of time too, with assessors available at each of our locations. Visit our site and train on the machines you need with our experienced trainers.
If you’re successful, your VoC is issued on the same day – this is a Statement that references the activities or tasks verified, and the plant and equipment that you’ve been verified on.
Need to verify your skills fast? Contact Kallibr Training (RTO 32365) to book a time with our assessors or find out how to join one of the course assessment days on our calendar.
