August has thrown up a few good reminders that test and tag is about more than just plugging in a PAT tester and hitting go.
Training quality is back under the microscope, digital credentials are becoming more common across vocational training, and for anyone working to the quarterly colour system, another tag change is just around the corner.
Shortened Courses Remain on ASQA's Radar
Course length has become a bigger talking point across vocational education since new Standards for RTO's came into effect.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) continues to list shortened course duration as a regulatory risk, raising concerns about providers cutting back actual training time, focusing too heavily on assessment, or advertising courses that may not give students enough opportunity to properly develop the required skills.
It’s not aimed specifically at test and tag, but it’s very relevant. Search for test and tag training today and you’ll find everything from nationally recognised training through to very short non-accredited courses - often marketed in a similar way.
For anyone comparing courses, the important thing isn’t simply how quickly you can finish. There are a few simple things worth checking:
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Is the course nationally recognised training or a non-accredited short course?
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What qualification or certificate will you receive - a nationally recognised Statement of Attaintment, or simple a certificate of completion?
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Who is the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) issuing the training outcome?
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Is there genuine hands-on training and practical assessment?
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Will you learn how to inspect equipment, select the right tests, understand results and deal with failed items?
The nationally recognised test and tag pathway is UEESS00174 – Electrical Safety Testing of Electrical Cord Connected Equipment and Cord Assemblies Skill Set, which includes two nationally recognised units of competency.
A shorter course isn’t automatically a bad course. The important question is what you’re actually being taught, how your competency is being assessed and what you walk away with at the end.
The Shift to Digital Training Credentials
Digital certificates aren’t new to Test & Tag Training - we made the move in 2024, but they’re becoming increasingly common across the wider RTO and vocational training space.
They’ve also recently received some attention in The Tradie Magazine, and it’s easy to see why.
For tradies and workers moving between employers, worksites and projects, being able to pull up a qualification on your phone makes a lot more sense than digging around for an old plastic certificate.
Our Test & Tag Training digital credentials can be stored in a digital wallet, shared directly and verified using a QR code. They’re also blockchain-backed, which means the credential can be checked rather than relying on a PDF or photo that could potentially be altered.
For employers, it means quicker verification. For students, it means one less bit of paperwork to lose.
Past Test & Tag Training students with an older physical certificate can also request a digital version.
View Test & Tag Training Digital Certificates
Blue Tags Out, Yellow Tags In
If you work under the quarterly test tag colour system, September means it’s time for yellow.
The usual rotation is:
Red: December – February
Green: March – May
Blue: June – August
Yellow: September – November
The current blue period finishes at the end of August, with yellow covering September through November.
The quarterly RGBY system is particularly relevant to construction, mining and demolition environments where equipment is subject to frequent inspection and testing. Other workplaces can have different testing intervals and requirements, so don’t assume the quarterly colour cycle applies everywhere.
If you need a quick reference, we recently updated our printable Test Tag Colour Chart as well.
View the Test Tag Colour Chart
Supporting Southern FM With Test & Tag Training
We recently helped volunteer-run 88.3 Southern FM take more control of its ongoing test and tag requirements.
Appliance Testing Supplies donated a Metrel DeltaPAT 3309 BT portable appliance tester, while some of the station’s volunteers completed test and tag training at our Rowville location.
With the right equipment and someone trained to use it, Southern FM can now manage more of its testing in-house - and hopes to extend that benefit to other community groups operating from Moorleigh Community Village.
Read the full Southern FM story
You Might Spot us on the Road
Not every update needs to involve Standards and compliance.
Our new Test & Tag Training vehicle has officially hit the road, complete with a fresh wrap.
It’ll be travelling between courses, locations and events, so if you happen to see it out and about, you’ll know exactly who just drove past.
Keep an eye out for us on the road.
