by Matthew Dale | Sep 15, 2015 | ACPET, ASQA, Audit Express, Funding Contract, Senator Simon Birmingham
When ASQA became the (national*) regulatory body for the vocational education and training (VET) sector on the 1st of July 2011, the VET sector was sold the vision of Australia moving towards a true national VET system. Fast forward four years to 2015 and it is pleasing to see that there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel.
The opportunities associated with the Australian VET sector are endless. With the slowing Australian mining industry, the right education policy reform could see education rise to be our largest and most successful industry over the next 10 years.
There are an increasing number of opportunities in the VET sector, including: [emaillocker id=6291]
- Global international students wanting to experience our reputable, quality education system both here in Australia and offshore in their home countries.
- The ongoing demand to meet the skilling needs of our own nation
- The opportunity to compete with NZ, UK and the USA education providers to meet the skilling needs of our neighbours across the wider Asian-Pacific region. This in itself is a multi billion dollar opportunity.
Senator Simon Birmingham has worked hard at this important piece of education reform that will strengthen our current fragmented and disjointed sector. It is also really pleasing to see that the Australian Council of Private Education and Training is also playing an active role in campaigning and lobbying for the much needed reform that our sector is crying out for across the nation.
AuditExpress look forward to continuing our work with ACPET in seeing this much needed reform passed through parliament in this term of government.
You might like to take a look at the following Financial Review article that was recently published about Senator Birmingham’s work on this important reform:
http://www.afr.com/news/policy/education/simon-birmingham-makes-progress-in-reforming-vocational-education-20150908-gjhxxp
We will leave you with this quote:
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new” [/emaillocker]
by Matthew Dale | Jul 7, 2015 | ACPET, ASQA, Best Practice, Certificate 3 Guarantee, Funding Contract, Future Skills Fund, Industry Skills Fund, Internal Auditing, Marketing, Registered Training Organisation, Skilled Capital, Skills for All, Skills Fund, Smart and Skilled, Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, User Choice, VET Fee Help, Victorian Training Guarantee, VRQA
Future Proofing Your Business [emaillocker id=6291]
Audit Express have partnered with Circulus Education to deliver the October VET Industry Drinks: Future Proofing Your Business
Times are changing in the VET sector. We are facing a major shift in the overall structure, regulation and funding of the VET sector. Attend our event on the 14th of October to learn more about future proofing your business.
You can register to attend here >>>
http://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/oct-vet-industry-drinks-future-proofing-your-business-tickets-16307689739
[/emaillocker]
![AuditExpress present on ‘Compliance with Marketing in VET’.]()
by Matthew Dale | May 26, 2015 | ASQA, Audit Express, Best Practice, Certificate 3 Guarantee, Funding Contract, Future Skills Fund, Industry Skills Fund, Marketing, Registered Training Organisation, Skilled Capital, Skills for All, Skills Fund, Smart and Skilled, Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, VET Fee Help, Victorian Training Guarantee, VRQA
AuditExpress present at Circulus & Fairfax Media Networking Event on ‘Compliance with Marketing in VET’.
Audit Express Director Matthew Dale presents at Circulus and Fairfax Media VET Networking Event.
Director of AuditExpress, Matthew Dale presented at Circulus Education & Farifax Media VET Networking Event held last night in Melbourne. [emaillocker id=6291]
A massive thanks to the teams at both Circulus and Fairfax Media for organising such a great event, with close to 150 guests turning out to network and discuss improving overall quality and compliance in the Australian VET Sector.
In case you missed the event or did not get the chance to take down any notes, here are the key messages from Matthew’s presentation on how you might comply with with marketing requirements for RTOs.
1. Know your standards
- Take the time to sit down and work through your RTO Standards and Funding Contracts or Agreements
- Identify the marketing requirements from document and make it standard practice to understand how it all fits in place with your RTO
Know the standards and contracts relevant to your RTO. Understand the marketing requirements of each standard and funding contract
2. Take a systematic approach to marketing
- Implement an approval process for marketing in your RTO
- You might like to use a one page approval form to record the staff that have proof read draft marketing material and checked for compliance
- Use a marketing checklist to verify that draft marketing material meets your RTOs compliance requirements
- Maintain a marketing register to record all advertising and marketing in your RTO. I recommend recording everything… even your RTOs social media updates
How to comply with marketing requirements.
3. Become an RTO known for implementing best practice
- Ensure that your RTOs approach to marketing is structured and well documented.
- Implement an internal approval process
- Maintain a marketing register
- Develop a social media strategy
- Consider what digital compliance means to your RTO
Take a Best practice approach to marketing in VET.
[/emaillocker]
![AuditExpress present on ‘Compliance with Marketing in VET’.]()
by Matthew Dale | Jan 27, 2015 | ASQA, Certificate 3 Guarantee, Funding Contract, Future Skills Fund, Industry Skills Fund, Internal Auditing, Registered Training Organisation, Skilled Capital, Skills for All, Skills Fund, Smart and Skilled, Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, Uncategorized, User Choice, VET Fee Help, Victorian Training Guarantee, VRQA
If your Registered Training Organisation (RTO) delivers training with access to government funding, ask yourself the following two important questions:
1) Is your RTO compliant with the requirements for each of its funding contract(s) ?
2) Is your RTO audit ready ?
With government funding for the VET Sector receiving recent significant media attention in relation to poor quality training providers, low completion rates and concerns around the practices of some RTOs using the VET Fee Help scheme, the time to check your RTOs contract compliance is now! [emaillocker id=6291]
See the following articles:
• http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/audit-flagged-for-vfh/story-e6frgcjx-1227178735160
• http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/concern-as-online-vet-course-completion-drops-enrolments-rise-20150116-12r4tx.html
Far too often RTOs reach out for help with compliance only days or weeks before they are due to receive an audit from the regulator or the relevant government department. This leaves little time to conduct an internal audit and even less time to take action on addressing any non-compliances. We see the best outcomes at audit when an RTO has a systematic approach to conducting regular internal audits across its entire operation.
With government funding contracts available across all states and territories it can be difficult for RTOs to keep up to date with the maze of compliance requirements, here are just a few examples of government funding that RTOs can now access across Australia:
If your RTO is delivering training with access to government funding and wants to take a best practice approach to its management and operation, you should be conducting an internal audit of your RTOs compliance in-line with the contractual requirements of each government funding contract at least every 12 months.
It is always best to take an holistic approach to conducting internal audits, whereby you systematically review your RTOs policies, procedures, business processes, records, student management system, student files and staff files. Following the audit you should identify any gaps, areas for improvement, strengths and non-compliances. Also, be sure to build an action plan to document any rectification work that may need to be carried out to achieve full compliance.
[/emaillocker]
