Using SkillsTracer  |  Add a Skills Package to your Toolkit  |  Enter Evidence Against Skills  |  Wait for Evidence to be verified  |  Build a customised resource  |  Watch your SkillsTracer Toolkit grow!

Using SkillsTracer

How do I get started?

Before you can use SkillsTracer, you will need to add a Skills Package to your SkillsTracer Toolkit.

A Skills Package is a cluster of 'skills' which you may or may not already be able to demonstrate. Against each skill in a skills package, you have the opportunity to give 'evidence'. Your Verifier (lecturer/assessor) can then look at this evidence and make a decision about whether or not you do already have a particular skill.

If your evidence proves you do have a skill, you have no need to study that skill again. If your verifier believes you do not yet have a particular skill, SkillsTracer will enable you to purchase a learning resource containing the information you require to gain the skill.

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Add a Skills Package to your Toolkit

How do I add a Skills Package to my SkillsTracer Toolkit?

  1. Your Verifier (lecturer/assessor) will need to give you a code.
  2. When you are logged into the Jigsaw Publications website (contact your verifier if you do not have a log in for the site), you will see a SkillsTracer menu on the left of the page.
  3. Within this menu, click on SkillsTracer Toolkit.
  4. Click the Add Skills Package button at the bottom of the screen.
  5. Enter the code you were given and click the Search button.
  6. The title of the Skills Package should be shown. Select the Skills Package by clicking the box next to its title, then click the Add Selected to Toolkit button.
  7. You will be returned to your SkillsTracer Toolkit, where you will now see the Skills Package listed in your SkillsTracer Toolkit Contents .

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There are many documents you may choose to upload to your SkillsTraker Toolkit to use as evidence of your ability. Here are some examples:

  • Job descriptions:
    • Current position
    • Previous position
    • Position in organisation, eg: Organisation chart.
  • Work diary.
  • Daily/weekly/monthly operating schedules.
  • Business reports.
  • Workplace memos/internal correspondence.
  • Minutes of workplace meetings.
  • Business books or files.
  • Correspondence with clients.
  • Sample of completed work, eg:
    • Workplace appraisals prepared on applicant
    • Workplace appraisals prepared by applicant
    • Statutory Declaration.
  • Letters of recommendation from:
    • Past employers
    • Managers, supervisors
    • Peers or colleagues
    • Customers.
  • Work related courses or seminars you have attended (attach copies of content and objectives/outcomes).
  • Company or newsletter articles about your work.
  • Photographs.
  • Details of participation in groups/organisations outside of the workplace (eg: involvement in volunteer activities and other community bodies such as Sporting Clubs, Boards, School Councils, Local Government etc).

Remember to be careful that you have not included confidential information.

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Enter Evidence Against Skills

How do I upload Evidence Documents?

Once you have gathered documents you would like to use as evidence on SkillsTracer, you will need to make sure they are in a format that can be uploaded to the Internet.

If your evidence is an electronic file (such as a PDF, a word document, or an image file), you will need to make sure it is stored somewhere on your computer.

If you only have a hardcopy of your evidence, you will need to scan the document and save it onto your computer. If you do not have access to a scanner, contact your verifier or your local Library to ask for assistance.

All of your evidence can then be uploaded to your personal document storage space on the Jigsaw Publications website. This is a private document storage space, and no one can read anything your store in here without your permission.

Log in to the Jigsaw Publications website.

  1. Click the My Documents link on the left of the page. You will be taken to the Manage My Documents screen.
  2. At the bottom of the page, there will now be a section titled Upload. Click the Browse button to locate the files on your computer that you would like to add.
  3. A Choose File window will open. Find and double-click the required file.
  4. Click the Upload button and wait for the file to be added to the list at the top of the screen.
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 to upload any further files.

How do I Delete Documents?

To delete files that are no longer required, select the file by clicking the box shown next to the file name, and the click the Delete button shown below the file names.

How do I enter Evidence into a Skills Package?

  1. When you are logged into the Jigsaw Publications website (contact your verifier if you do not have a log in for the site), you will see a SkillsTracer menu on the left of the page.
  2. Within this menu, click on SkillsTracer Toolkit.
  3. Click on the title of the Skills Package you would like to work on. The content of that Skills Package will then be displayed.
  4. Look at the list content of the Skills Package. If the title within the Skills Package sounds like a ‘skill’ or area of knowledge you believe you have, click on the title to open the Enter Evidence page.
  5. At the top of the Enter Evidence page, you will see information about the skill/area of knowledge. This information is a guideline to the kinds of things you should know and be able to demonstrate if you have that skill/knowledge.
  6. Use the text boxes on the Enter Evidence page to describe to your verifier why it is you believe you already have this skill/knowledge. Give as much detail as you can.
  7. You may wish to direct your verifier to a document which you have uploaded to your My Documents page, eg: if you have a letter of reference from your supervisor at work that contains information about you having the skill. Under the text box, use the drop-down menu to select the required document, then click the [+] button to add the document as evidence.
  8. If you have a document which you have not yet uploaded to My Documents, use the Browse button to locate the document on your computer hard drive, then click Upload to add the document as evidence.
  9. Take your time. If you want to think about the evidence you have provided before submitting it to your Verifier, you can use the Save to Complete Later button, and return to submit further evidence when you are ready.
  10. When you are satisfied you have given enough evidence to demonstrate your ability in regard to the skill/area of knowledge, click the Submit Evidence button to allow your Verifier to view the information you have provided.

Repeat the above steps to enter evidence against as much of the Skills Package as you can. When you have finished, you may wish to let your Verifier know (send them an email or give them a call) so that they know to login to SkillsTracer and view your submitted evidence. If you’re not in a hurry, you don’t need to contact your Verifier – they will be notified of the evidence awaiting their approval next time the login to SkillsTracer.

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Wait for Evidence to be verified

How do I know when my Evidence has been Verified?

You can view the status of your Skills Packages at any time.

  1. When you are logged into the Jigsaw Publications website use the SkillsTracer menu on the left of the page and click on SkillsTracer Toolkit.
  2. Click the title of a Skills Package to view the contents.
  3. If the evidence has not yet been verified, you will see TBV (To Be Verified) next to the title of a skill.
  4. If any of the evidence you submitted has been verified, you will see the verifier’s name, the result of the verification and a date next to the title of a particular skill.
  5. If the skill has been marked CA (Competency Achieved), congratulations! Your verifier agrees that you are already able to demonstrate that skill, and that you do not require further study in this area. You can click the title of the skill to view any comments the verifier may have left in response to your evidence.
  6. If the skill has been marked CNA (Competency Not Achieved), your verifier believes that the evidence you provided did not show that you have the required level of skills/knowledge in this area, and that you need to complete further study to gain this skill/knowledge. Again, click the title of the skill to view the verifier’s comments.
  7. If there is a SFE (Submit Further Evidence) marked next to a skill, the verifier has requested that you give them some extra information. Click the title of the skill to view the verifier’s comments, and respond by typing in or uploading the information they have requested. You will then need to click the Re-submit Evidence button, so the verifier can view the extra evidence you have provided.

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Build a customised resource

What now? Build a customised resource!

When you have completed entering all of your evidence and your verifier has completed verification of the evidence you have provided, you can use the information in your SkillsTracer Toolkit to automatically build a customised resource.

Because SkillsTracer now knows what skills/knowledge you already have, your customised resource will only contain the information you require to ‘fill the gaps’ in the Skills Package you are working on.

If you are ordering and purchasing the customised resource yourself:

  1. When you are logged into the Jigsaw Publications website use the SkillsTracer menu on the left of the page and click on SkillsTracer Toolkit.
  2. Click the title of a Skills Package to view the contents.
  3. Click the Build Customised Resource button.
  4. You will be taken to the Resource Builder. Information (we call them Mini Publications) you require to learn the Skills you need to complete a Skills Package will be gathered from the Jigsaw Publications database.
  5. You can re-order the contents of your customised resource using the arrows next to the Mini Publication titles. You can also give the resource the title you would like it to have, and you will also need to give it a code.
  6. Click the Proceed to Next Step button, and you can chose the cover you would like printed for your resource.
  7. Again, Proceed to Next Step, and you will be shown the cost of your customised resource. You may wish to preview a PDF of your resource. Click the Preview button to do so.
  8. When you are ready to order, click the Add to Basket button.
  9. In the top-right of the page in a green box you will see a link titled Proceed to Checkout. Click this, and follow through the steps to place your order.
  10. Jigsaw Publications will receive your order, print your customised resource, and get it posted out to you within two working days.

If your Verifier (lecturer/assessor) is ordering and purchasing the customised resource on your behalf:

  1. When you are logged into the Jigsaw Publications website use the Skills Tracker menu on the left of the page and click on SkillsTracer Toolkit.
  2. Click the title of a Skills Package to view the contents.
  3. Click the Build Customised Resource button.
  4. Your lecturer will receive notification that you have built your customised resource, and they will place an order with Jigsaw Publications for the resource to be printed and posted out to a specified address.

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Watch your SkillsTracer Toolkit grow!

For how long can I keep my Evidence on SkillsTracer?

SkillsTracer is a tool to help you to keep a track of the skills you know you have, and to enable you to use this information to fast-track your study now and in the future.

The more you learn, and the more evidence of skills you enter and have verified, the more your SkillsTracer Toolkit will grow. As long as you stay an active user of SkillsTracer (by logging in at least every six months), the information in your Toolkit will remain.

Jigsaw Publications will never delete your information without first trying to contact you and gain your permission to do so.

We do request that you respect Jigsaw Publications by only uploading documents to My Documents for the purposes of SkillsTracer. If Jigsaw Publications deem you to have violated the free online storage space provided, you may have your use of SkillsTracer terminated indefinitely.

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