Verification of Competency (V.O.C.) Refresher Training Wollongong & NSW
Keep your civil infrastructure or construction projects moving. AOTA delivers rapid, fully compliant VOC assessments for heavy plant operators and high-risk workers. Book a fast-tracked practical evaluation at our Unanderra facility or let our mobile assessors come directly to your job site anywhere in NSW.
Minimise Project Downtime: The AOTA Rapid VOC Framework
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Dual Delivery Logistics: Bring your crew straight to our fully equipped Unanderra training base (275A Princes Hwy) to utilise our stationary heavy plant fleet, or coordinate a mobile dispatch where our accredited assessors evaluate your operators on your own live site machinery.
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Comprehensive Plant & High-Risk Coverage: We run synchronised VOC validations across all core earthmoving plant categories (Excavators, Skid Steers, Front End Loaders) alongside high-risk work classifications (Forklifts, Boom Lifts, Dogging, and Rigging configurations).
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Bulletproof Compliance Records: Walk away with crystal-clear validation data. Our structural assessment templates provide definitive, auditable evidence of operator competency, instantly satisfying company liability and WHS site parameters.
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Industry-Experienced Assessors: All evaluations are spearheaded by veteran local operators who understand live-site constraints, ensuring assessments are practical, fair, and thorough.
Current industry regulations require employers and ‘persons conducting a business undertaking’ (PCBU) to ensure their workers can clearly demonstrate their ability to perform the tasks related to their job role when plant is used. Refresher Training or, as it’s called in the industry, a ‘Verification of Competency’ (V.O.C.) is a method of assessment that can be used to demonstrate the worker’s ability to operate equipment and/or undertake the responsibilities of these roles.
V.O.C. is an assessment that covers all areas within a worker’s job description and requires them to demonstrate that they have retained sufficient knowledge and skills relevant to their role as specified by their employer or PCBU. The assessment takes place over 4 hours per unit of competency and must be conducted by an authorised RTO with experience in assessing competencies within the workplace environment
As a worker, you will often be asked by new employers to demonstrate your ability to operate the equipment and perform the tasks relevant to your job role. With the introduction of new regulations placing more responsibility on the employers to ensure their staff’s training is kept up-to-date, more and more companies are requiring workers to hold a Verification of Competency (V.O.C.) before they are able to commence work onsite.
*Note – an operator MUST hold a current High Risk Licence or Plant Ticket to qualify for a Verification of Competency. A current licence or ticket is one that is still acceptable in the relevant industry or still renewable by a Regulator.
Some jurisdictions allow 1 or 2 years for renewal after the stated expiry date of a Licence.
Some tickets do not have expiry dates. If in doubt please contact us to clarify.
It is the legal responsibility of the employer to ensure that the skills of staff working on site are up-to-date and compliant. In January 2012, a new set of Workplace Health and Safety laws were introduced, putting more responsibility onto the employer to undertake ‘all reasonably practicable measures to prevent the risk to health and safety occurring’. (Source: Safe Work Australia).
A licence or ‘ticket’ is no longer an adequate measure of your workers ability to perform their tasks and operate machinery in a manner compliant with regulations. In the unfortunate event there is an accident on site, will you be able to prove that you – as an employer – took every reasonable step to ensure the competency of your workers? Encouraging your employees and contractors to complete their V.O.C. training – preferably before commencing work on site – will allow you to demonstrate that reasonable measures have been taken to ensure the health and safety of all workers on site.
Please refer to the AOTA Student Handbook through the Student Info Menu , as well as:
Q: What exactly is a Verification of Competency (VOC) and why is it mandatory?
A: A VOC is a formal evaluation process used to confirm that an operator retains the active skills and safety awareness required to run specific machinery or execute high-risk tasks. While an operator may hold a national ticket or licence issued years ago, employers and principal tier-1 contractors mandate a recent VOC under the Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act to ensure current operational competency before granting site access.
Q: How long does a standard heavy plant VOC assessment take to complete?
A: A standard individual machine or high-risk VOC assessment generally takes 4 hours per operator, depending on the machine classification. This features an intensive verbal or written pre-start safety knowledge verification coupled with a direct practical demonstration of machine handling, load management, and shutdown routines.
Q: What prerequisites must operators provide on the morning of their VOC assessment?
A: Operators must present their current, valid Australian driver’s licence or passport alongside the original, nationally recognised RII Statement of Attainment or SafeWork High-Risk Work Licence matching the specific machine classification being verified. Operators must also be equipped with standard worksite PPE, including steel-capped boots and high-visibility apparel.