IBSA - Innovation & Business Skills Australia

Development of national units of competency and
Skill Sets for Intellectual Property (IP)

Background

Intellectual Property Australia (IPA) is an agency of the Australian Government, responsible for the following elements of intellectual property: patents, trade-marks, design and plant breeder’s rights. Copyright is the responsibility of the Attorney-General's Department and will also be a part of this project as an element of intellectual property.

Why is this project being undertaken?

In 2007 IBSA conducted a scoping review on behalf of Intellectual Property Australia (IPA). The key findings were that:

• there is a high perceived importance of IP and a strong stated need for competency based related training, with especially strong support for the development of formal accredited training at the basic application and awareness levels;
• there is a lack of availability of competency based training in the VET sector with no courses available with the name "intellectual property" and with only a few units in Training Packages addressing copyright; and
• the appropriate structure of training should take the form of units of competency rather than qualifications, targeted at basic awareness and skills application to be delivered at the Certificate I to IV levels.

Project overview

The project will develop a cohort of units of competency for IP (6 to 9 units) to be endorsed by the National Quality Council and used within the national VET system. IBSA has undertaken to seek to have all or some of these units inserted in existing qualifications as elective units and/or preferably as core units.

In developing these units the project will:

• consider the needs of industry sectors which will use these units to ensure these needs are met;
• ensure that the units are of such a character to meet the needs of all industry sectors to enable insertion in existing qualifications;
• ensure that the cohort of units are developed and configured in a way which increases the skill development options for individuals and enterprises; and
• meet the requirements of the specifications detailed in the Training Package Development Handbook, DEEWR 2008.

The development of these endorsed components involves a 4 stage process. The first stage concerns preparation and preliminary research analysis which includes a review of any relevant reports and the establishment of a National Project Reference Group (NPRG).

The second stage relates to the development of new units of competency in IP which are expected to be applicable in all industry sectors and across all Training Packages, although the units will be housed within the BSB07 Business Services Training Package.

Stage 3 will occur after the initial development work and the incorporation of changes resulting from early consultation processes when the suite of units will be validated and then prepared for submission to the NQC for endorsement.

The final stage involves submitting the developed units and their configuration within BSB07 and in any existing qualifications as core or elective units to the NQC for endorsement.

IP Competency Units

Eight units of competency focusing on IP have been developed for inclusion in the BSB07 Business Services Training Package, to be endorsed by the National Quality Council (NQC).

The 8 draft units are:

• BSBIPR601A Develop and implement strategies for intellectual property management
• BSBIPR501A Manage intellectual property to protect and grow business
• BSBIPR405A Protect and use intangible assets in small business
• BSBIPR404A Protect and use innovative designs
• BSBIPR403A Protect and use brands and business identity
• BSBIPR402A Protect and use new inventions and innovations
• BSBIPR401A Use and respect copyright
• BSBIPR301A Comply with organisational requirements for protection and use of intellectual property

IP Skill Sets

Precision Consultancy has developed 6 Skill Sets for Intellectual Property. The Skill Sets are:

• Intellectual Property Strategic Management Skill Set
• Copyright Skill Set
• Trade Mark Skill Set
• Patent Skill Set
• Design Protection Skill Set
• Small Business Intellectual Property Skill Set