This webinar is aimed to increase your understanding of observation assessment. Joe will explore the common problems with observation assessment, explore criterion referenced assessment as a foundation assessment method and talk through designing observation tools and mapping observation assessment. Benchmarking will also be discussed, along with the dos and don’ts of recording observation evidence. This webinar is packed full of valuable information that will help ensure that your students are receiving the benefit of valid criterion referenced assessment according to a nationally consistent standard and of course to develop a proactive and positive RTO compliance culture.

Have you ever been tasked with developing a nationally recognised course to deliver a qualification? If you have never done this before and have not particularly had any formal training, it can be a very daunting task. I regularly encounter people working on a course development and this primarily has them customising commercially acquired learning / assessment resources without much thought to the actual course design. This is common. In my view, the skill of “course design” has been lost to our sector and I think it is something we need to find and develop as a capability within every RTO. In this article series, I want to try and address this and provide an easy to follow guide for designing a basic unit-by-unit VET course in support of achieving a qualification.

Are you a guru in RTO compliance? It's time to put yourself to the test and take the Newbery Compliance Quiz. This 10 question quiz will be refreshed once each fortnight with new random questions drawn from a bank of over 200 questions and growing.

Test your knowledge and understanding of RTO compliance. The quiz is time limited and you have only 5 minutes, which is actually heaps of time if you know your stuff. Good luck.

Observation assessment is one of those classic functions within the RTO where there is a constant competitive dynamic between quality and efficiency. It is efficient to purchase commercially designed assessment tools and not waste additional time and resources on pre-assessment validation and customisation and to allow these assessment tools to be administered by assessors without oversight. Of course, this generally results in assessment tools being utilised which were not compliant to begin with and assessment recorded by tick and flick. I have just described the single most prominent systemic risk to the quality and reputation of VET. On the quality side of the dynamic, it requires an investment in time to validate and improve the observation assessment design, to educate trainers about their use and to establish assessment quality controls to ensure that no assessment gets through to outcome reporting unless it is right. 

Registering an RTO is a complex undertaking. There are many requirements in the application evidence which rely on in-depth knowledge and experience in RTO compliance for a successful RTO registration. Our strong recommendation is to get some experienced advice, keep your application as simple as possible and be prepared to provide evidence of your readiness to deliver your nominated courses on request. Do not submit the application until you are ready. We have prepared this checklist to provide you a guide in navigating the RTO Registration process from start to finish. We hope this information is helpful and would ask that you consider our various products and services in the registration of your RTO.

The most recent of these trends is the regulatory focus on fees paid in advance for services being delivered. In the past three or four months, I have noticed a spike in audit outcomes that include findings in relation to fees paid in advance. I have also received an increased number of questions from clients about the rules relating to students paying fees in advance for services being delivered particularly in relation to the shift toward virtual service delivery. Clause 7.3 of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, specifically says the following:

“7.3. Where the RTO requires, either directly or through a third party, a prospective or current learner to prepay fees in excess of a total of $1500 (being the threshold prepaid fee amount), the RTO must meet the requirements set out in the Requirements for Fee Protection in Schedule 6.”

Newbery Consulting has been supplying student management software for over 10 years. Our RTO Data Desktop software has been hugely successful and much loved by the many RTOs that have used it to operate their RTOs and comply with reporting requirements. But, it was time for us to move to the next stage of this system’s evolution and it was a logical progression to redevelop our software as a cloud based service. This has been two years in development and takes account of over a decade of lessons learned and understanding client requirements. We think that RTO Data Cloud will change the landscape of the Australian student management system market. We are proud to offer it to you and it would be our pleasure to offer you access as a trial user and if you like what you see, come on over.

Newbery Consulting is sincerely committed to supporting the Australian VET Sector and promoting high quality training and assessment. We are also committed to enabling RTOs to deal with the subjective nature of regulatory audits conducted by the National VET Regulator. Your readiness to deal with not only the core evidence requirements applicable to the standards but being ready to deal with the auditor’s personal preferences that they will no doubt impose on the audit, will mean the difference between a positive or a negative audit outcome. Check out our free guide to compliance with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015.

Newbery Consulting is please to offer our pre-recorded webinars on compliance and training and assessment best practice. These webinar sessions allow you to access professional development aimed at those who manage compliance in their RTO and for trainers and assessors. Participants will receive a certificate of achievement following the session which will assist in meeting their professional development compliance obligations. Once you have registered, you will receive an email that provides you a link to register for the webinar and what follows, is pure PD bliss! Check out the next scheduled session.