As part of our work to review and improve the national qualifications and skills standards, we get asked a lot of questions. That’s why we’ve put together a list of some of frequently asked questions, to help you better understand the work we do and the system it’s a part of. We’ll be featuring some of these in the newsletter. You are welcome to get in touch if you have suggestions for other questions you’d like to see in the FAQ. 

In this newsletter we’ll be explaining what’s involved with being a Subject Matter Expert, for anyone interested in getting involved in one of the new projects. 

A Subject Matter Expert (SME) is a member of industry or an expert working for an RTO, who has agreed to contribute their time and expertise to the development of units, skill sets and qualifications. They may be knowledgeable about a particular job role, supervise it, have experience performing the role in the past or still be doing it. SMEs help to identify what practices, skills and knowledge are currently required to perform a job function.

An SME will usually attend at least two workshops, the dates of which will be determined by the project management team during the project planning phase, based on advice from industry and the Industry Reference Committee (IRC). SMEs will also be required to read through draft material and provide some feedback. In total, approximately 25 hours of your time will be required, over a period of about 12 months. Being an SME is a volunteer role. More information about SMEs can be found here.