New Standards for Training Organisations

and VET Regulators

Stephanie TrestrailExecutive Officer TAC

Key Themes

• The new standards introduce important changes such as strengthening requirements for registered training organisations (RTOs) to engage with industry and to use that engagement to inform their training and assessment strategies and a greater focus on delivery.

• Reducing costs and regulatory burden for RTOs is a key theme of the VET reform agenda. The new standards represent a first step towards establishing a transparent VET system that rewards high quality providers.

Key Themes

• The standards also focus on providing clarity to RTOs so they have a clear understanding of what it means to be compliant while allowing VET regulators to better deal with poor providers.

• The standards introduce stronger requirements around information provision and marketing of training courses to consumers to enable them to make informed decisions about their training.

• Greater clarity around the role and responsibility of regulators.

• Recognition that a one size fits all approach is not working.

• Requirement for regulators to provide general education and guidance materials to providers to assist them to comply with the standards.

Regulator Standards

• The new standards introduce greater clarity to regulatory requirements and expectations. This is in conjunction with the VET regulator standards which will require regulators to provide general education and guidance materials to assist RTOs to understand what they need to do in order to be compliant.

Changes to the Standards

Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015

• These Standards consist of eight Standards. Under each Standard is a set of Clauses of the Standard.

• To comply with a Standard, the RTO must meet each of the Clauses. A person applying to register as a new RTO must demonstrate the capacity to meet these Standards for all of the person’s intended scope of registration.

• For each Standard a context statement is also included. The context does not form part of the Standard itself, and has been included to provide background information to help readers understand the Standard.

• Industry engagement and relevance• Strengthening the link between

training packages and delivery• Minimum requirements for trainers

and assessors• Delivery of the Certificate IV in

Training and Assessment• Validation

Changes to the Standards

Changes to the Standards

• Example Standard 1.3• The RTO has, for all of its scope of registration, and consistent with its training

and assessment strategies, sufficient:

• trainers and assessors to deliver the training and assessment; • educational and support services to meet the needs of the learner

cohort/s undertaking the training and assessment;• learning resources to enable learners to meet the requirements for each

unit of competency, and which are accessible to the learner regardless of location or mode of delivery; and

• facilities, whether physical or virtual, and equipment to accommodate and support the number of learners undertaking the training and assessment.

Changes to the Standards

• Example Standard 1.3• Educational and support services may include, but are not limited to:• pre-enrolment materials;• study support and study skills programs;• language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) programs or referrals to these programs;• equipment, resources and/or programs to increase access for learners with

disabilities and other learners in accordance with access and equity;• learning resource centres;• mediation services or referrals to these services;• flexible scheduling and delivery of training and assessment;• counselling services or referrals to these services;• information and communications technology (ICT) support;• learning materials in alternative formats, for example, in large print; • learning and assessment programs contextualised to the workplace; and• any other services that the RTO considers necessary to support learners to achieve

competency.

Standards 1.21,1.22,1.23,1.24

• Trainer & Assessor Requirements - To deliver AQF qualifications or skill sets from the Training and Education Training Package (or its successor)

Prior to 1 January 2016Hold the training and assessment qualification at least to the level being delivered; orHave demonstrated equivalence of competencies From 1 January 2016Hold the training and assessment qualification at least to the level being delivered From 1 January 2017 – To deliver the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or its successor Hold the TAE50111 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training or its successor; orTAE50211 Diploma of Training Design and Development or its successor; orA higher level qualification in adult education; or Work under supervision of a trainer who holds the above qualifications

Standard changes

• Amount of training required (Standard 1.2)It is now the responsibility of the RTO to determine the amount of training required by each learner to enable them to meet the requirements for each unit of competency or module in which they are enrolled.

• Validation (Standard 1.9 – 1.11)• The RTO must ensure that validation is conducted by persons with a degree of independence at

specified intervals. Additionally, the validation process for each training product must be documented in regards to:

• when validation will occur;• for which products;• by whom; and • how the outcomes will be documented and acted upon.

Standard changes

• RPL (Standard 1.12)Whereas previously there was only a requirement to recognise Qualifications and Statements of Attainment issued by other RTOs, there is now a specific requirement for RPL to be recognised.

• Units, skills sets or qualifications that are no longer current (Standard 1.26 – 1.27)The RTO is now required to meet specified time frames in relation to the issuing of qualifications for units, skills sets or qualifications that are no longer current, although an exception exists for the transfer or issuing of certification where a training package requires the delivery of a superseded unit of competency.

• Third party providers (Standard 2.3)In instances where RTOs engage a third party to provide services on its behalf, there is now a requirement for the RTO to ensure that those services are subject of a written agreement.

Standard changes

• Certification documentation (Standard 3.3 – 3.5)RTOs are now required to issue a learner with AQF certification documentation within 30 days of them being assessed as meeting the training product’s requirements, providing all fees have been paid. In the case of prior learning, where authenticated VET transcripts are presented as evidence, these must be accepted and used as a basis for providing credit.

• Marketing Material (Standard 4.1)The new Standards have far more prescriptive regulation surrounding information that must or must not be disclosed in promotional material and the products that may be marketed.

• Informing learners (Standard 5.1 – 5.4)It is the responsibility of the RTO to advise the prospective learner as to which training product meets their needs. Where there are to be any changes to the agreed services, the RTO must communicate these to the learner.

• TAC recognise that training providers will need time to develop systems to support the new requirements and have therefore decided that the transition date to the new standards will be 1 April 2015 for all RTOs, both prospective and existing.

• The new Standards can be accessed on the Department of Industry website or through the following link http://www.industry.gov.au/

Implementation and transition

Implementation and transition

• TAC will be developing a User Guide• Mapping between Standards• Frequently asked questions• Workshops• Minimise impact on risk rating