ASQA allowed to seek civil penalties for breaches of the Standards for RTO’s
The NVR Regulation Amendment 2018 allows ASQA to seek civil penalties for breaches of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (the Standards), even in cases where a provider has since rectified that breach. The NVR also expanded the range of matters where ASQA may issue an infringement notice to include where an RTO does not comply with its Data Provision Requirements.
Prior to this amendment, ASQA could only seek the imposition of civil penalties by a court for a limited range of breaches of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011.
The above changes have been made effective from 18 July 2018.
On 12 July 2018, the Australian Government amended the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Regulations 2011. This amendment requires the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to publish additional information on the National Register of vocational education and training (VET) to improve the transparency of accredited courses. This amendment includes:
the titles and codes of units of competency or modules comprising a VET accredited course for current accredited courses and expired courses with training delivery reported through the Total VET Activity collections since 2015
a description of the course for those courses newly accredited or reaccredited from now, and
a reference to an earlier or later version if that version is accredited on or after 1 September 2018.
In the 2017-18 budget, the Australian Government announced a review of the AQF, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. The review will ensure that the AQF continues to meet the needs of students, employers, education providers and the wider community.
The NSW Government is investing $285 million over six years to fund the qualification fees for 100,000 new apprentices from 1st July 2018. The iniative will:
Remove upfront fees for students
Save employers from paying up to $2000 for training costs per apprentice
Improve living costs for appretencies by reducing potential debt.
The initiative will ensure NSW has a strong pipeline of skilled workers for the local job market, enabling NSW businesses to adapt more readily to the changing economic environment and respond to future jobs needs.
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) is bringing together leaders from key industries to explore current and future skills challenges caused by the changing world of work. A series of Industry Skills Forums around the country will be hosted by prominent journalist and author Kerry O’Brien. The Forums will feature panel discussions about future skilling in an age of digital transformation and new thinking about jobs and careers.
AIS Industry Skills Forums will be held in each capital city around the country from September to November, kicking off in Canberra on 11 September.
The 2018 National VET Conference will be held over two days on the 13th-14th September 2018 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Attendees will be given the opportunity to engage in a variety of plenary and elective sessions. There will be a wide variety of topics presented by industry professionals as well as the opportunity to meet with product and service providers and network with peers from across Australia. Pre-conference Master Classes will be held on Wednesday 12 September.
The No Frills Conference is where researchers and practitioners in the VET Sector come together to present, discuss and share information about key issues confronting the sector focusing on the Skills for a global future: working and learning together. The 2018 conference will be from 15th – 17th August in Sydney.
The Youth Pathways to Further Education & Employment Conference
The Youth Pathways to Further Education & Employment conference will bring together stakeholders from across education and employment to showcase practical strategies to improve pathways, partnerships and engagement for youth.The conference will be held on the 16th & 17th October at the CQ Function Centre in Melbourne.
This webinar focuses on Clause 2.3, 2.4, 4.1, 5.2 and 8.2 of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations as they relate to the delivery of services through a third-party arrangement.
The session will focus on the mandatory inclusions within a third-party agreement and the monitoring arrangements necessary to ensure a healthy partnership.
