by Matthew Dale | Mar 21, 2016 | ACPET, ASQA, Audit Express, Compliance Consulting, Registered Training Organisation, Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, Training and Assessment Strategy, Training Package, VET Fee Help, Volume of Learning, VRQA
Extension of training package transition period for RTOs
As many of you will know too well, there has been a surge in the number of training packages effected by the transition to the Standards for Training Packages. As a result many training packages have been endorsed by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC). This has resulted in a massive workload for many RTOs across Australia. To support RTOs to manage the transition and implement the revised training packages, the Australian Government, the Minister for Vocational Education and Skills and state and territory Skills Ministers have agreed to temporarily increase the period allowed to transition students to the updated training package qualifications under Standard 1.26 (a) of the Standards for RTOs 2015. [emaillocker id=6291]
RTOs will now have 18 months for transition, instead of the usual 12 months from the date the superseding training product was released to transition existing students to the updated training package qualifications, or to allow students to complete their studies and issue the appropriate qualification or statement of attainment.
It is important to note that this provision only applies for training products endorsed by the AISC from September 2015 until March 2016. You can review the full list of relevant qualifications by clicking on this link.
For more information on transitioning arrangements for superseded qualifications visit the Departments website or contact AuditExpress
Email: info@auditexpress.com.au
Phone: 1300735541
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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
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by Matthew Dale | Jun 24, 2015 | Internal Auditing, Registered Training Organisation, Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, VET Fee Help
The awaited changes to VET Fee Help are here.
The Australian reports that today Federal Training Minister Simon Birmingham will announce a crackdown on aggressive recruitment practices among RTOs.
From the 1st of July, training providers will be banned from fining or charging “administrative’’ fees for students who decide to withdraw from a course of study before the census date. Training providers will also be banned from marketing courses as “free’’ or “government-funded’’.
The Australian has quoted Senator Birmingham… [emaillocker id=6291]
- “We want every incentive for training companies to enrol students for the purest of reasons,’’
- “Some students are being enrolled for the wrong reasons: purely to access government-provided loans without providing quality training. Nobody should be taking out a VET Fee-Help loan for any reason other than undertaking high-quality training that will enhance their employment prospects.’’
- Students must be told they will have to repay their loan in instalments once they earn $54,126 a year. “It’s a loan and there is every expectation it should be paid back during the course of your working life,’’
We applaud Senator Birmingham’s stance on the matter and the changes being made. This simple yet effective change is likely to clean up some of the worst practices that we have seen across the sector with VET Fee Help over the past few years.
The team at AuditExpress are forecasting a significant increase to the regulation and scheduling of audits of both VET Fee Help RTOs and those RTOs with State based funding contracts in the 2015/2016 financial year. The time to check your compliance is now.
You can read the full Australian article here >>>
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/training-colleges-to-be-banned-from-fining-drop-out-students/story-e6frgcjx-1227413423177?login=1
You can read Senator Birmingham’s full press release here >>>
http://www.senatorbirmingham.com.au/Latest-News/ID/2748/Withdrawal-fees-banned-for-courses
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![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.
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![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.
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As many of you will know too well, there has been a surge in the number of training packages effected by the transition to the Standards for Training Packages. As a result many training packages have been endorsed by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC). This has resulted in a massive workload for many RTOs across Australia. To support RTOs to manage the transition and implement the revised training packages, the Australian Government, the Minister for Vocational Education and Skills and state and territory Skills Ministers have agreed to temporarily increase the period allowed to transition students to the updated training package qualifications under Standard 1.26 (a) of the Standards for RTOs 2015. [emaillocker id=6291]
