Vocational Education and Training sector update: autumn 2023

By Julian Hammond, Alexandra Lane and Gabrielle Fee

In the autumn edition of our vocational education and training sector update, we:

• outline the key learnings that have emerged from ASQA’s recent strategic review of online learning in the VET sector, and how it proposes to address these risks;
• provide details on new resources developed by ASQA to assist providers with registration renewal, as well as the development of other guidance material; and
• comment on a recent review by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of a decision made by the Chief Executive Officer of ASQA to reject AbilitySeer’s application for accreditation of its proposed vocational course in ‘National Disability Insurance Scheme Support Coordination’.

A key theme we are seeing at the moment is a focus by ASQA on how it may better regulate the VET sector, and what it can do to best support the providers and community. This will be particularly relevant as the sector navigates the changing learning landscape of a post-COVID environment.

We explore these themes and other issues in further detail below.

ASQA news

Pathway and Perspectives – VET sector newsletter

ASQA has released Pathways and Perspectives, a new publication that provides an overview of the VET sector, the opportunities it creates and the central role it plays in the Australian economy. You can read the latest issue of Pathways and Perspectives on the ASQA website.

Strategic review of online learning in the VET sector

ASQA has undertaken a strategic review of online learning in the VET sector, to address a regulatory risk it identified in ASQA’s Regulatory Strategy 2020-22 and in the 2021-22 Regulatory Risk Priorities. The review analyses the opportunities and risks of online learning and identifies how it will respond to these risks.

ASQA has now released the final report titled ‘Strategic Review of Online Learning in the VET sector’.

The strategic review identifies the following:

• VET courses can be successfully delivered online, and there is no single issue or feature of online learning that poses either a greater or lesser risk to quality of the education in doing so;
• after the COVID-19 pandemic, many students now prefer the flexibility of blended learning. It allows providers an opportunity to expand their offering and provide students with more choices across the market; however
• the shift to online learning has increased the prospect of some providers operating in the market with immature risk assessment and self-assurance systems in place.

ASQA has committed to the following actions to address the risks of online learning:

1. to undertake performance monitoring of a sample of providers delivering products of concern online;
2. to strengthen existing educational products and guidance to support providers to self-assure their operations;
3. to develop guidance for its quality assessors to support consistent application of the Standards and ensure assessment practices are up to date;
4. to better support English language qualifications as a planned approach, to return to compliance with Standards; and
5. to consider the risks associated with delivering online learning, when assessing the overall risk of any application or registered provider.

You can read a snapshot of the review's findings on the ASQA website.

RTO registration renewal

A registered training organisation (RTO) registration renewal application is available in the Asqanet portal 12 months prior to the registration expiry date, and the application can be made up to 90 days before expiry.

To assist providers with answers to their questions, the ASQA Service Centre has created a new list of frequently asked questions around the renewal of a provider’s registration, including details about the cost of the renewal, the length of the application, and the required documents. To access this useful guide, visit ‘Renewing RTO registration’.

Guidance to providers

As part of ASQA’s commitment to continuous improvement, it has reviewed the suite of general directions available to providers, and integrated these with its other guidance material available online.

The intention of ASQA’s general directions is to provide the best resources to help providers understand their obligations as registered training organisations.

The updated guidance material includes information about:

• learner transitions;
• quality indicators;
• resourcing requirements;
• retention requirements; and
• third-party arrangements for training and/or assessment of VET courses.

We recommend providers are regularly reviewing this guidance material, and ensuring they are compliant with each of the processes listed.

Annual Declaration on Compliance – 17 April 2023

The Annual Declaration on Compliance 2023 is a regulatory requirement and can only be completed by the person who is legally responsible for the registration of the RTO (the Chief Executive Officer).

On 17 April 2023, all RTO Chief Executive Officers (CEO) will receive a unique weblink to the online declaration. Before this date, it is encouraged that all RTO CEOs ensure the records are current and accurate, that any incorrect information is updated, and that each RTO CEO conducts an assessment of its compliance with the Standards and conditions of registration.

The compliance process will close on 17 May 2023.

Recent enforcement proceedings by ASQA

AbilitySeer Pty Ltd and Australian Skills Quality Authority [2022] AATA 2129

• This matter concerns a merits review by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) of a decision made by ASQA to reject accreditation of AbilitySeer’s proposed VET course in ‘National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Support Coordination’ (Course).