The new Standards for VET Accredited Courses 2021 came into effect on 23 March 2021. Key changes including course monitoring and evaluation processes are now included within the Course Standards, as well as updates to the course document and unit of competency template. Changes to the Standards include:

• Course Design Standards VAC 6.1 and VAC 7.1-7.13 are now Course Standards 9 and 10.1-10.15
• The monitoring and evaluation processes of the course are now included within the Course Standards (VAC 10.15)
• Minor changes to the course document, specifically Section B:2

Read more.

ASQA held an interactive webinar on 13 May 2021, which highlighted recent improvements to ASQA’s regulatory practice. For those who missed it or would like to learn more, the recording is now available on ASQA’s website.

View.

Volunteer work or work experience can provide an opportunity to show a current understanding of practices in the industry. Currency can also come from participation in workshops or seminars, professional development opportunities specific to the industry, or even dedicated reading of literature about current industry trends. Your engagement with industry representatives will help you determine what is sufficient and effective in achieving currency.

Read more.

In response to COVID-19, ASQA will not take regulatory action against providers that are unable to submit their 2020 quality indicator data. However, providers are still able to submit their data for the current reporting period up until 30 June 2021. The Data Provision Requirements (2012) typically require providers to provide an annual summary report of their performance against learner engagement and employer satisfaction quality indicators.

Read more.

Updated advice from the Australian Industry and Skills Committee regarding first aid training that was issued on 15 April 2020. AISC wishes to advise Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) of updated advice in relation to the delivery of first aid training:

• RTOs delivering cardiopulmonary resuscitation within the associated First Aid units must ensure a risk assessment is completed before delivery.
• In areas where no local transmission of COVID-19 has been reported, RTO’s who wish to resume training and assessing breaths directly into a manikin may do so.
• In local areas where community transmission of COVID-19 has been reported, or where an area has been declared a hot spot, RTOs are permitted to continue providing “reasonable adjustment” during the CPR assessment process and have students perform breaths to the side of the manikin.
• Assessors are to use their professional judgement in assessing the competence of a student’s capacity to perform CPR under these circumstances.
• RTOs must still assess students against all other aspects of CPR as per the unit of competency requirements set out in the HLT Training Package. All other Assessment Requirements, including the Assessment Conditions, must also be met.
• RTOs who decide to resume training and assessing breaths directly into a manikin must allow reasonable adjustment, as outlined above, for students who choose not to provide breaths directly into a manikin because of concerns about COVID-19.

Read the full update here.

The McGowan Government launched a free online platform to connect Job Ready workers with the growing list of job opportunities available with Western Australian employers. The platform guides graduates through the creation of an online profile highlighting their skills, experience, qualifications and accreditations; without the need for a resume. Employers are able to register for free on Job Ready Connect, to easily and securely search for and connect with candidates who have the skills and experience they require. Job Ready Connect is exclusively available to Job Ready program graduates and participating WA employers.

Read more.

Short-course training, often referred to as micro-credentials, is being seen as an increasingly important form of training, particularly as the world comes to terms with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A surprising amount of other, shorter, non-qualification training occurs in the VET sector, this report refers to them as ‘subject bundles’. In 2019 more than 2.6 million students engaged with VET by enrolling in subject bundles, representing 62.7% of all students that year. The analysis found that their typical engagement was short, with bundles of three subjects or fewer accounting for 89.5% of RTO-student pairs, and four subjects or fewer accounting for 94.5%.

Read the full article here.

Following COVID-19, a new governance structure was put in place which saw the cessation of the COAG Skills Council and the formation of the Skills National Cabinet Reform Committee. The VET Knowledge Bank has been updated to reflect these changes and provides a visual representation of the current network of skills ministers, government departments and training authorities, advisory bodies and agencies that play a role in governing and regulating the VET sector.

Read more.

Job advertisements increased by 1.9% (or 4,500 job advertisements) in May 2021 to stand at 245,400. This represents the 13th consecutive month on month increase in job advertisements which now exceed pre-COVID-19 levels by 46.0% and stand at their highest level in over 12 years (since October 2008).

View Report.

Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey (REOS) results in May 2021 suggest that labour market conditions continue to be relatively sound overall. More employers are recruiting but many have difficulty finding suitable staff. Expectations to increase staff numbers over the next 3 months, while still relatively strong, have eased slightly since April 2021.

This month’s Spotlight provides a breakdown of key results by sub-sector within the Health Care and Social Assistance industry, using data collected from August 2020 to May 2021. It shows that employers in Residential Care Services have a particularly high rate of recruitment (72%), while the recruiting employers in Child Care Services have a high rate of recruitment difficulty (55%).

Read more.

ASQA has recently approved an extended transition period for HLT54115 Diploma of Nursing. The extended training, assessment and certification issuance period for this qualification ends on 31 December 2023.

Read more.

‘No Frills’ provides an opportunity for networking and ideas sharing in a friendly and informal atmosphere with a cross-section of industry representatives, practitioners, researchers and policymakers. The conference also contributes to building capacity and capability in VET research by providing opportunities for engagement and learnings for early stage career researchers and more experienced researchers.

For further information, click here.

This new series will focus on assessment validation – a key tool for providers seeking to get the best results from their assessment systems. This series is dedicated to online content exploring assessment validation, including regulatory requirements, benefits, planning and conducting validation and process insights.

Register here.

Digital skills are a vital and growing area of interest within the Australian skills landscape. The majority of workforce roles now require generic digital skills, and there are increasing needs to technical digital skills. A facilitated discussion will be held about the role that Australian Apprenticeships have in delivering the digital workforce of the future.

Register here.