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Newbery Consulting VET News – 26th October 2022
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| Hello and welcome to VET News,
Big news, last week while we were all distracted by the final week of the Block, The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations have released the draft revised RTO Standards. After a couple of initial reads, I am going early to call them the “Woke Standards”. They seem to crossover into areas covered by other legislative areas that I think it is questionable if ASQA has the jurisdiction to regulate. They water down some aspects of the regulation whilst introducing new requirements. It is a much more significant overhaul than I was expecting and that we have seen since the move from the National Recognition Framework to the Australian Quality Training Framework in the early 2000s.
Much of the prescription in the current standards has been removed making these proposed standards significantly more open to interpretation (and variable auditing). Maybe that is more viable in a softer regulatory environment, but there are clauses in there that you could drive a truck through. I am surprised there is nothing specific in relation to self-assurance. They have instead focused on mandating risk management as part of quality assurance and continuous improvement. The following is a quick explanation of the more significant changes:
- Proposed Clause 1.1.2 Removes the link to the AQF volume of learning and redefines “Amount of Training” as the quantity of learning activities provided to a learner, including classes, lectures, or tutorials as well as trainer-directed learning and practice, and workplace learning.
- Proposed Clause 1.2.3 Drops validity as a rule of evidence because apparently people provided feedback that “having two separate concepts of validity is confusing”!
- Proposed Clause 1.2.4 Introduces the requirement for pre-validation of assessment tools occurs prior to use. This is sensible.
- Proposed Clause 1.2.6b Removed the need for a statistically valid sample size as part of your validation process.
- Proposed Clause 1.4.2 Encourages the issuance of credit transfer if the student can provide evidence of “previously completed relevant training product which is determined to be equivalent in content and training outcomes”.
- Proposed Clause 2.2.1 Introduces the specified requirement for the RTO to review the existing skills and competency of the learner including their language, literacy and numeracy and digital proficiency prior to their enrollment.
- Proposed Clause 2.3.2 Introduces the requirement for the RTO to have policies and practices which create an equitable opportunity for training and are inclusive of the diversity of learners, the safety of children, young people and vulnerable cohorts and to provide cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Proposed Clause 3.1.1 Introduces a more flexible approach to demonstrating vocational competency moving away from mandating units of competency and instead recognising “qualifications and or skills and knowledge”.
- Proposed Clause 3.2.1 Introduces the requirement for trainers to undertake “structured learning” as part of their professional development in vocational education and training and assessment.
- Proposed Clause 4.2.1 Introduces the requirement for the RTO to form linkages with others in the community such as educational institutions, community groups, job networks and wellbeing support services to support progression through the training product and facilitate pathways into, through and from training where this is relevant to the learner cohort.
- Proposed Clause 5.1.2c Introduces the manditory requirement to identify and manage risks to the achieve the outcomes described in the Standards as a component of management accountability.
- Proposed Clause 5.2.1c Introduces the manditory requirement to apply risk management to achieve the outcomes described in the Standards as a component of continuous improvement. .
We will no doubt undertake a much more detailed analysis and provide a submission no later than 5pm AEDT, 31 January 2023 and would encourage you to do the same.
Thank you to those who provided feedback on our recent webinar on Admin in Support of Compliance. The feedback has been amazing and we are so please it is helping in your RTO.This week, we are please to announce the release of our new webinar on Observation Assessment which can be accessed at the link below.
Good training,
Joe Newbery
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Check-out our most recent Webinar on: Observation Assessment
Check-out our most recent Webinar on: Admin in Support of Compliance
Check-out our most recent article on: Competency Based Course Design |
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| Compliance & Regulatory News |
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| Release of the draft revised RTO Standards for consultation
The draft revised Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTO Standards) were released for public consultation on 2 November 2023 by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
ASQA encourages all providers and stakeholders to participate in the consultation process to ensure the draft revised RTO Standards are fit-for-purpose and effective in meeting the needs of the VET sector.
Read more
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ASQA reminds providers delivering to overseas students they are responsible for ensuring that their education agents act ethically, honestly and in the best interest of overseas students and uphold the reputation of Australia’s international education sector. ASQA calls on anyone who has intelligence or information about unethical, dishonest or non-genuine arrangements that place students at risk and undermine confidence in quality VET to contact ASQA by email
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ASQA has tabled its Annual Report 2021-22 in the Australian Parliament. The report is a record of ASQA’s activities and performance in the previous financial year, and is a collective statement about who ASQA are as the national regulator, what they do, what stakeholders can expect of them, areas where they have improved, and where they need to continue to focus their efforts.
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| Government funding of VET 2021 – November 2022
This publication provides information on the flow of government funding for vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. The publication is based on 2021 data provided by the Australian, state and territory government departments responsible for administering funds for Australia’s VET system.
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| 2023 Apprentice and Trainee Training Fund
The 2023 Apprentice and Trainee Training Fund is now open to eligible training organisations to provide subsided training of apprentice and trainees across the state.
The Apprentice and Trainee Training Fund significantly reduces the cost of providing dedicated vocational training for apprentices and trainees to build a more highly skilled workforce in Tasmania. More than 400 nationally recognised qualifications are available for funding.
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| Legislation Update- October 2022
On 27 October 2022, legislation to establish Jobs and Skills Australia, and repeal the National Skills Commissioner Act, passed both houses of Parliament.
Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) will build on the work started by the National Skills Commission (NSC) and have a broader remit, focusing on workforce planning and fostering working partnerships with state and territory governments, unions, industry, and education providers.
It will continue to provide advice to government and publish data and other information, including on Australia’s current and emerging labour market, future skills and training needs and priorities, and the adequacy of the vocational education and training system.
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Around the world, cyber-attacks are increasing. Several Australian companies have recently reported that personal details of their customers have been exposed.
USI want to assure customers that their systems have not been affected and the personal data attached to your account is secure.
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Government expenditure on VET climbed to $10.4 billion in 2021
The Australian and state and territory governments spent $10.4 billion on vocational education and training (VET) in 2021, according to the latest statistical report from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)
Government funding of VET 2021 shows that government expenditure on VET increased by $2.9 billion or 38.6% from 2020.
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| Labour Market Trend Updates |
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September 2022 Recruitment Insights Report
In September 2022, 58% of employers reported recruitment activity. This was 2 percentage points higher than last month, and 22 percentage points higher than in September last year. In Capital Cities, the recruitment rate increased by 4 percentage points to 58%, while in Rest of State areas the recruitment rate eased by 1 percentage point to 57% Jan-22. The recruitment difficulty rate eased by 7 percentage points to 67% of recruiting employers (representing 38% of all employers). While a notable decline over the month, it remains higher than the difficulty levels seen in 2021.
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| Extended transition period for qualifications in MEM05 Metal and Engineering Training Package
ASQA has recently approved an extended transition period for qualifications in the MEM05 Metal and Engineering Training Package for CRICOS registered RTOs delivering the specific training product listed below. The extended training, assessment and certification issuance period for these qualifications ends on 31 January 2024: –
- MEM30205 – Certificate III in Engineering – Mechanical Trade (for international students only)
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The qualifications in the MEM05 Metal and Engineering Training Package listed above will remain on ASQA’s CRICOS registered RTOs scope of registration until the end of the extended transition period unless the RTO chooses to withdraw it from scope prior.
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| Training Package Updates
The following training packages have been updated on training.gov.au:
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Revised 3rd November 2022.
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| Extended transition period: UEE30811 – Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician
ASQA has extended the transition end date for current apprentices completing their third or fourth year of study in the qualification UEE30811 Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician to 31 January 2024 for all ASQA registered RTOs.
The extended training, assessment, and certification issuance period for UEE30811 – Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician qualification will end on 31 January 2024. The UEE30811 – Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician qualification will remain on ASQA registered RTOs scope of registration until the end of the extended transition period unless the RTO chooses to withdraw it from scope prior.
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