Recent amendments to the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) have replaced existing legislation around monitoring, investigation, and enforcement. ASQA’s regulation of training providers will remain the same, with a commitment to best practice regulation to ensure quality outcomes and integrity in VET and ELICOS training. The regulatory implications for training providers are minor, however some changes include:

• the ways a penalty amount is calculated for an infringement notice
• allowances for person(s) to assist an Authorised Officer, and therefore exercise powers and use reasonable force in relation to things as required
• broadening of the definition of evidential material, aligning it more closely to the definition contained in the NVR Act.

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To provide an overview of the current delivery of VET delivered to secondary school students (VETDSSS) ASQA has published VET delivered to secondary school students scoping study. The study investigates the quality of VET delivered to secondary school students and will inform ASQA’s regulatory approach to ensure confidence in the integrity of VETDSSS qualifications.

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The TAC has released its Focus on Quality: TAC Regulatory Strategy 2021-2023 informing RTOs and VET stakeholders about the specific focus areas the Council has identified as posing the highest risk to the quality of VET and the regulatory actions to monitor and minimise those risks over the next two years. During 2021-2023, the Council will:

• continue to provide an education program that supports RTO business improvement and compliance practices; and
• focus regulatory activity on areas deemed to pose a risk to quality training outcomes. The focus areas are categorised under two main headings – Standards for RTOs and Training Products.

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The Return to VET Guideline supports the safe, phased return of face to face training for the VET sector.
The guidelines provide a structure for the return to face-to-face training delivery for registered training organisations (RTOs), TAFE, community colleges, group training organisations (GTOs), learners and employers. The Guidelines provide clarity and flexibility to manage the needs of different local government areas in response to changes in health advice.

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Employment-based training (EBT) is training for paid employees within a work setting, related to their role, and provided or supported by employers. The report explores alternative approaches to employment-based training including cadetships and internships, higher apprenticeships, and on-the-job structured training such as mentoring and their implications for VET content and delivery. It draws on international and Australian literature, supplemented by interviews with employers in the social assistance, construction and information technology industries.

Read the report here.

The National Skills Commission have released two reports with findings from the Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey (REOS).  In summary, the Impacts of COVID-19 on businesses has reported an increase in the proportion of businesses affected ‘a great deal’ by COVID-19 in July 2021 compared with June 2021, although it remains well below the proportion recorded in the early stages of the pandemic in April 2020.
The Employers perspectives on recruitment difficulty report has outlined that higher skilled occupations have generally been more difficult to recruit for across Australia, compared with lower skilled occupations. However, Hospitality Workers, a lower skilled occupation that has historically not experienced considerable recruitment difficulty, has been among the most difficult occupation groups to recruit for.

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Australian Jobs gives an overview of trends in the Australian labour market. It is designed to support students, career advisers, job seekers, those considering future training and work and people interested in labour market issues.

This publication provides a comprehensive analysis outlining employment opportunities across industries and occupations. It also provides a step-by-step process on how to find a job. From where vacancies are located, to what employers are looking for, demonstrating how formal education can help you achieve career goals and outlining what government programs are available to assist you.

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Recruitment activity increased across five states and the Northern Territory during September 2021. New South Wales recorded the largest increase in job ads, up by 10,400 (16.7%). This increase may reflect greater business confidence as the State approaches vaccination targets that will see restrictions progressively eased and also parts of the State emerging from lockdown in September. The level of recruitment activity nationally remains significantly elevated compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, up by 36.2%.

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The following training packages have been updated on training.gov.au:

• CSC: Correctional Services 
  Revised 22nd September 2021.

ASQA has recently approved an extended transition period for 52707WA Graduate Diploma of Dermal Therapies & 52709WA Graduate Diploma of Cosmetic Nursing. The extended training, assessment and certification issuance period for this qualification ends on 30 May 2022.

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ASQA has recently approved an extended transition period for CPC30318 Certificate III in Concreting. The extended training, assessment and certification issuance period for this qualification ends on 27 November 2022.

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