Welcome to Blackwater Projects
I am a freelance specialist in adult learning, development and performance. I work with diverse clients around the world and am currently based in Sydney, Australia.
This website showcases different ways I can help you or your organisation. These range from 1:1 coaching to large-scale projects.
I benefit from an amazing network of clients and colleagues whose expertise complements mine. For large or specialist projects I draw on these experts to ensure the best outcomes for clients.
Please enjoy your look around the site. I look forward to hearing from you.
Chemène is an impactful speaker, facilitator, coach and mentor.
Our TAE resources include everything your RTO needs to deliver and assess Cert IV TAE. Numerous RTOs using them have passed quality audits.
Chemène designs learning that works, develops assessments that measure what they should, and writes learning materials and other business documents that inform and influence.
I subscribe to the Vision Australia newsletter and have just read a fascinating article that I wanted to pass on. I am constantly on the lookout for ways to support adult learners. One way we can do t...
This image—doctored up as it is—reminds me of how amazing nature can be, and reminds me of how amazed I felt last night when I had my first proper look at some of the digital resources that Pop Ed...
I subscribe to Seth Godin’s daily blog. Each day my email inbox is treated to a short – and wise – message. In this recent post, Seth covers some useful assumptions for teachers th...
Registered training organisations (RTOs) with TAE40122 on scope are now in various stages of preparing for and commencing delivery of TAE40122. This process begins with choosing 6 elective units that...
This morning I noticed that ASQA has posted information about transition arrangements from TAE40116 to TAE40122, so thought I would pass it on. ASQA's post includes:
Welcome to 2023! I trust you had a relaxing break and your year is off to a good start. To ease you in to the new year I'd like to share this article from the World Economic Forum. It describes ...
I’m ecstatic to finally be able to announce that I have joined forces with Pop Education to develop a suite of TAE40122 learning and assessment materials to support diverse delivery modes. Why now, ...
The endorsement of the latest TAE Training Package (what I assume will be Release 5) is set to be announced at any minute. We have been working hard behind the scenes to plan our TAE40122 learning and...
Warning: This post contains jargon! It is for people with an interest in the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Read at your own risk! What survey!? In September I invited various TAE prov...
Two days of outstanding presentations and discussions at Community Colleges Australia‘s national conference has left me feeling energised and optimistic about changes that are starting to happe...
Q: Where’s an LLN specialist when you need one? A: At Velg Training’s National VET Conference in November! This year, LLN guru Jo Medlin and I get to chat about all things LLN and VET. In o...
What a year we had in 2021! We continued to work online – sometimes live, sometimes not. And we sometimes got to meet people in person, giving up our much-loved trackie daks for ‘hard pa...
‘Skills Urgency’ is the title of the Australian Industry Group’s most recent report on the skill needs of Australian employees. The report aims to prompt discussion about big changes t...
Live, online classes are here to stay As we emerge from isolation and return to ‘normal’, many in the adult education profession have debated what will the new ‘normal’ look li...
A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to Donna Purcell, Sarah Hayes and Lisa Le Van for generously sharing their expertise in human rights and in education for people with disability. Last month I facilitated a...
Learning should lead to performance… We, educators, hope that people will learn something from us, remember what they learned, and ultimately use what they learned to improve or extend their per...
This is my first post of 2019. It is long overdue, but the fact is, I simply haven’t had the time to write before now. This is because, since January, much of my time has been spent training a...
September 2018 was another good month for conferences – I attended (and presented at) Velg Training‘s National VET Conference (#2018NVC). This year I was lucky enough to work with not...
A good day out! If ever there was a time to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’, now is that time! Many thanks to the 18 people (from 12 RTOs) who helped me validate the draft of a new assessme...
In the past 6 weeks I’ve had the good fortune to attend two amazing conferences: The Association for Talent Development’s International Conference and Exhibition (ATD 2018) – May 6-9...
Today’s the day! Today is the deadline for submissions to PwC’s Skills for Australia, in support of the case for change to the TAE Training Package. I know the training and education indus...
Welcome to 2018! It’s that time of year when we reflect on the year that has just passed and look forward to the year to come. Professionally, this means forming a PD plan for the next 12 months. ...
This post is written by my colleague, Ann Leske. Ann and I work together on a joint venture called, LLN and VET Meeting Place. Lately, we have received loads of questions and cries for help from RTO...
It has been a long time coming, but I can now say that an… … ASQA-audited RTO that uses Blackwater Projects’ materials has added TAE40116 to its scope of registration! (Plain Englis...
Today’s post is quick! This morning, ASQA released more information about TAE40116 extension-to-scope applications....
Finally… TAE40116 off and running! The first RTO using Blackwater Projects’ TAE resources has successfully added TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to its scope of registra...
This is a post that I co-wrote with Ann Leske for our shared, LLN and VET Meeting Place site. I felt it was important enough to post here, also – writing skills are more critical than ever! ...
Happy new year! I trust that 2017 is off to a good start. The holidays gave me the time and space to reflect on comments and requests made by TAE clients. In this post I will outline two new product...
2016 has come and (almost) gone, yet there remain zero RTOs with permission to offer Australia’s (no longer new) 2016 version of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment… Whatthe!?...
It would appear that 7 years old is the equivalent of 777 years old in website age I’m excited to announce (and show you) the all-new Blackwater Projects website. My old website has served me well, ...
Did someone just forget to mention this? There are people like me in this world who actually read the Communiques that the AISC issues following its regular meetings. We believe that these Communiqu...
Happy new year! I trust that 2016 is off to great start. This post is for people interested in TAE40110 resources I have been developing. I spent the holidays updating the TAE40110 to a fresh ne...
Latest news! In case you haven’t heard, IBSA has released drafts of the revised assessment units from the Cert IV TAE. Visit the IBSA website for more latest information, or read my summary be...
Velg Training’s 2015 National VET Conference (2015NVC) took place in Adelaide on 17-18 September 2015. This annual conference has become ‘the place’ to go and hear latest news fro...
If you’re an RTO who is regulated by ASQA – and if you have TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment on your scope of registration – you likely already know this. But...
This post is by Ann Leske, Literacy expert from LLNandVETmeetingplace: If developing learners’ foundation skills is important to you or your RTO, this post will give you some practical ways to ...
Why didn’t Mum warn me against becoming a TAE specialist?She could have told me that the constant changes to Australia’s vocational education and training system would have me chained to m...
Help ACER trial FSAT!Who is ACER? ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) is looking for RTOs and learners to help them trial the new, FSAT (Foundation Skills Assessment Tool). What is FSAT...
Last time I checked, ‘tranche’ was French for ‘slice’. In this post I will summarise what was announced this past week as part of VET Reform, ‘slice 2’I atten...
This post is for RTOs, trainers & assessors currently using the Blackwater Projects learning and assessment materials. With the introduction of TAE40114 coming up, I’ll soon start re-writing...
What a difference a few days makes… On 17 April —ASQA put out a statement saying that TAELLN411 could NOT be included as one of the three TAE40110 elective units. Their rationale: &n...
What is included? TAELLN411 assessment tool version 2.1, including: Assessment booklet Instructions for use and marking guide Competency matrix Templates for participants to use when completing assess...
We’re starting to see more and more versions of training packages that meet the Standards for Training Packages going ‘live’. With this has come more questions about them....
Thought I’d write with a quick progress report on development of TAELLN411. Where I’m at Assessment tool is complete, validated, and has even passed an ASQA audit. Learning materials (part...
Thought you may be interested… Yesterday the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the results of the PIAAC (Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies) survey. PIAAC was an i...
A huge ‘thank you’ to the 13 people who helped me validate a new assessment tool to cover TAELLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills. Validation record coming soon, as ...
IBSA has added more detail to their website concerning recent changes to the TAE10 Training Package and introduction of the TAE Training Package. Information given in my previous post (29 August) rema...
TAELLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills has been endorsed and is available from the Training.Gov.Au website. Click here to view and download the unit. There are now 2 endo...
The NSSC yesterday confirmed that in its meeting on 15 August, they endorsed the TAE training package. This means that the TAE training package is now in the new, streamlined format. Read ...
Background Since 2012 IBSA has publicised its intent to add a unit focusing on language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) to the list of core units required to attain Certificate IV in Training and Assessm...
I’m looking for about 5-6 people available this Thursday morning (30 May) to help me validate the draft of a new assessment tool for TAELLN401A. The validation would be conducted online. T...
This is an interesting LinkedIn discussion. Thanks for starting it, Sandie!Click here to check it out....
Providers and clients of Cert IV TAE are showing a lot of interest in the unit, TAELLN401A Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills. This no surprise, since a ‘L...
So much for three-letter acronyms…On 26 March 2013, DIISRTE (the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education) became DIICCSRTE (the Department of Industry, Innov...
Blog re-launchThank you to people who have asked me to re-launch this blog. After almost 3 years of inactivity, there seems to be enough going on in VET and TAE that we need to keep track of, to...
I have recently learned that a Victorian Purchasing Guide for TAE10 has been produced. The guide contains nominal hours for the TAE40110 qualificaion. Click here to download a copy. Our TAE40110...
In response to requests from clients, we have now produced more detailed competency maps for our TAE40110 assessment tools. A quick comparison: Previous competency mapsMapped assessment to elements an...
Finally…No-one is happier than I am to say that a complete suite of learning and assessment resources to support TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment will be available from 23 July...
ISBA has just sent out an announcement to clarify the NQC’s position on the implications of AQTF 2010 Standard 1.4 for trainers and assessors. It may help you answer the question:“Do...
Yesterday I joined about 20 other VET professionals at the first NSW-based IBSA workshop for the TAE10 Training Package. Participants included VETAB auditors, publishers, trainers and assessors,...
We have finished developing a recognition kit for candidates with TAA40104 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. We want our resources to be user friendlyWhen we started work on our RPL Kit, we s...
Queensland is the ‘first’ cab off the rank, with over 20 QLD-based RTOs now with TAE40110 on their scope of registration. Meanwhile in NSW… VETAB has announced the transition p...
Following our validation on 13 May, I have been updating the TAE40110 assessment tools to address feedback obtained in the validation. I’m happy to say that the final ‘version 1’ of ...
Thanks to KSR for letting us know that TAE10 is now downloadable from the NTIS website. Click here to go straight to the TAE10 Training Package details on NTIS. A tip:I couldn’t access TAE10 or ...
Found this information on the IBSA website. Gives an overview of the qualifications and skill sets in the new TAE10 training package, plus more… Click here to see the detail. Chemene...
Yesterday we had a fabulous day… Fifteen awesome TAA/TAE people (plus me), representing 10 different RTOs, engaged in robust, ‘professional’ dialogue as we validated the all-new asse...
We’ve just had word that TAE10 has just been endorsed. So, it’s official. Next step is to find out transition arrangements for RTOs. Timing couldn’t be better… tomorrow m...
This from IBSA website: Endorsement Delayed TVET Australia has advised that the NQC will consider the endorsement of the TAE10Training and Education Training Package at a meeting on 12 May 2010. And s...
Just got this information, distributed by VETAB (State Training Authority for NSW)… Some datesmy summary of what VETAB said The proposed TAE10 Training and Education Training Package is due to b...
This minor update posted on the IBSA website: The NQC secretariat notified IBSA on the 14 April that the Case for Endorsement for the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (and the wider Training ...
Thanks to all those who completed our survey, asking for thoughts on the 3 preferred electives for TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. The results are in, and they were close! Top 3 pr...
This just out from IBSA… Following a final consideration of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment by the States and Territories, the new TAE10 Training Package has now been submitted to ...
Latest news from IBSA about TAE10 plus timelines for submission to NQC are out. First, I have to emphasise… this isn’t final! Information on this blog post gives a summary of IBSA’s ...
I have just received: the latest draft of the packaging rules for TED40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment a zip file with the lastest versions of the new TED10 units. Remember that these ar...
I have just set up a quick on-line survey to gather thoughts about which TED40110 elective units you think may be most appropriate for you/your RTO.I’ll gladly get the thoughts of anyone–t...
TED40110 Certificate IV in Training and AssessmentIBSA has just released approved qualification packaging rules for the qualification to replace TAA40104 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. The...
Hi there, and welcome to my blog. I’ve launched this blog to: share the latest news relating to the development of the TED10 Training Package and (in particular) the qualification to replace the...