Early Changes to the Current Standards for RTOs

Changes to the Standards for RTOs to alleviate pressures on the VET workforce are now in effect, providing more immediate benefits to the sector ahead of the longer-term revisions.

Key changes

Given the implementation date of January 2025 for the revised Standards for RTOs, Skills Ministers agreed to progress some changes to the current Standards in advance of the broader revisions. These early changes are designed to address current pressures on the VET workforce and provide more immediate benefits to the sector. They are in areas that had broad sector support through previous consultation and are designed to place minimal burden on RTOs.

Reflecting new and updated training products from the updated Training and Education (TAE) Training Package
- Reflecting the updated TAE Training Package by:
  - Listing the updated Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and Diploma of VET
  - Enabling those holding a range of new and updated skill sets to deliver training under supervision:
    - Facilitation Skill Set (TAESS00021)
    - Volunteer Trainer Delivery and Assessment Contribution Skill Set (TAESS00030)
    - Volunteer Trainer Delivery Skill Set (TAESS00029)
    - Workplace Trainer Skill Set (TAESS00020)
    - Work Skill Instructor Skill Set (TAESS00028)
    - Young Learner Delivery Skill Set (TAESS00022)
- Trainers and assessors who currently meet the requirements of the Standards will not be required to update their qualifications.
Enabling people who hold an education degree to be engaged as trainers and/or assessors
- Those who hold a qualification that enables registration as a secondary school teacher in any state or territory are able to deliver training in any VET context under supervision.
- Those who hold a qualification that enables registration as a secondary school teacher in any state or territory and hold:
  - the Assessor Skill Set, or
  - the VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set
  are able to train and assess in any VET context without supervision.
- These individuals are still required to meet other requirements imposed on trainers and assessors under the Standards, including holding relevant vocational competencies, current industry skills and current knowledge and skills in vocational teaching and learning.
- This is supported by adjustments to ensure consistency between requirements relating to delivery of the Assessor Skill Set and the VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set, including requiring independent validation of assessment for delivery, and requiring those delivering the skill set to hold a TAE Diploma or a higher-level qualification in adult education.
Enabling people actively working towards the Certificate IV or Diploma from the TAE Training Package to deliver training and contribute to assessment under supervision
- To be ‘actively working towards’ an individual would need to be:
  - enrolled, and have commenced training in, an approved training and assessment credential (Cert IV or Diploma from the TAE Training Package), and
  - making satisfactory progress to enable the credential to be completed within two years from commencement.
- Individuals who are actively working towards a relevant credential are still required to meet other requirements imposed on trainers and assessors under the Standards, including holding relevant vocational competencies and current industry skills.
Enabling broader use of industry experts
- Enabling industry experts to also assist in the delivery of training alongside a trainer and/or assessor. This builds on the previous provision for industry experts to be involved in the assessment judgement, working alongside the trainer and/or assessor to conduct the assessment.
- To ensure the quality and integrity of training, RTOs will need to ensure industry experts have specialised industry or subject matter expertise, relevant vocational competencies and current industry skills directly relevant to the training being provided.
Aligning with recent changes to the Fit and Proper Person Requirements
- Clarifying RTOs’ obligations around fit and proper persons, to ensure RTOs assure themselves that high managerial agents and executive officers are appropriate to oversee the operations of the RTO, having regard to the considerations in the Fit and Proper Person Requirements.
Making minor clarifications and amendments
- Allowing people involved in delivery of training and assessment of the training product being validated to also be involved in the validation processes, provided they are not solely responsible for determining validation outcomes
- Changing the language in clause 1.27 to ‘training products’ instead of ‘training packages’ to also capture accredited courses, and
- Expanding the definition of ‘educational and support services’ to include ‘wellbeing services’ as a type of support service an RTO may provide.

The early changes have been developed and tested with key stakeholders, including states and territories, VET regulators, RTO peak bodies and industry stakeholders.

Frequently Asked Questions

General

Will trainers and assessors be required to upgrade to the latest credentials in the Training and Education Training Package?

Trainers and assessors who already met the requirements of the Standards will not be required to update their credentials.
The credential-related early changes are in addition to the provisions in the current Standards existing provisions in the Standards.

How will quality and integrity be ensured while expanding the workforce pool?

The early changes seek to alleviate current pressures on the VET workforce through expanding the workforce pool and enabling the broader use of industry experts.
As well as providing greater flexibility, the changes impose clear parameters to maintain the quality and integrity of training. For example:
- A definition of industry experts has been introduced to provide greater clarity and ensure experts have relevant industry competencies, skills and knowledge and specialised industry or subject matter expertise.
- Individuals with education degrees will be able to be engaged as trainers and/or assessors, however they will be required to meet the other requirements imposed on trainers and assessors under the Standards.
- Requirements imposed on the assessor skill set around delivery and validation will also be imposed on the VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set.

What do RTOs need to do to prepare for the changes?

RTOs should familiarise themselves with the changes and supporting guidance. As the changes are expansionist in nature and seek to provide greater flexibility, they should not impose additional regulatory burden on RTOs.

Actively Working Towards

What constitutes ‘actively working towards’ a specified training and assessment credential?

‘Actively working towards’ means an individual is enrolled in, has commenced, and is making satisfactory progress towards completing within two years of commencement, the credential. This will allow for RTOs to engage would-be trainers and assessors to learn on the job undertaking training and contributing to assessment, whilst ensuring that the training and assessment is the subject of appropriate oversight and supervision from a fully qualified trainer and assessor.

What is considered satisfactory progress?

This would need to be determined on an individual basis, but would involve checking in to ensure the individual is on track to complete within two years of commencement, and any identified issues with the individual’s progress are addressed.

The intention is to prevent cases where an individual is perpetually working towards a credential without making any progress.

What level of supervision is required for people actively working towards a credential?

Consistent with existing supervision requirements enshrined in clause 1.20 of the Standards, the RTO will need to determine an appropriate level of supervision and any conditions or restrictions considered necessary based on the individual and where they are up to, noting the level of supervision is likely to evolve as the individual progresses. The RTO will also need to ensure that trainers providing supervision monitor and are accountable for the training and assessment undertaken by the person under their supervision.

Individuals with secondary teaching qualifications

What level of supervision is required for individuals with secondary teaching qualifications?

Consistent with existing supervision requirements enshrined in clause 1.20 of the Standards, the RTO will need to determine an appropriate level of supervision and any conditions or restrictions considered necessary on the individual’s involvement in the delivery of training and collection of assessment evidence. The RTO will also need to ensure that trainers providing supervision monitor and are accountable for the training and assessment undertaken by the person under their supervision.

Do individuals have to be currently registered as a secondary school teacher to deliver training and assessment?

Individuals with a qualification that enables registration as a secondary school teacher do not need to be currently registered as a teacher, they only need to meet the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher in at least one state or territory.

Do individuals need to meet the academic requirements for secondary teacher registration in the state or territory in which they live or work?

The credential would need to enable the individual to satisfy the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher in accordance with the registration requirements in at least one state or territory – this does not necessarily need to be the state or territory in which the individual currently lives or delivers training, recognising that many RTOs operate across multiple jurisdictions.

How current must the teaching qualification be?

As long as an individual satisfies the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher in at least one state or territory, this will be considered satisfactory for the purposes of the Standards.

How are we ensuring people with education degrees understand training packages and VET delivery?

The Assessor Skill Set and VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set, one of which individuals with a secondary teaching qualification will also be required to hold in order to train and assess independently, both contain units on assessing competence, participating in assessment validation, and using nationally recognised training products to meet vocational training needs. These skill sets bridge the gap with the necessary VET knowledge, as tested with VET regulators and other stakeholders. Providers will still ultimately be responsible for ensuring that people delivering training and assessment have current knowledge and skills in vocational teaching and learning.

For those with a secondary teaching qualification only, they will need to work under the supervision of a fully qualified trainer and assessor who monitors and is accountable for the quality of training and assessment they are involved in.

How can RTOs evidence that trainers and assessors with eligible teaching degrees meet the academic requirements for teacher registration?

RTOs are not expected to contact teacher registration bodies to obtain evidence or to confirm an individual’s eligibility to satisfy the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher. For RTO verification practices for compliance, please refer to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) website.

Do the changes enable individuals with overseas teaching qualifications to deliver training and assessment?

No. Due to the requirement that the credential be issued by a higher education provider as defined in section 16-1 of the Higher Education Support Act, individuals who hold overseas qualifications are not able to deliver training and assessment with their teaching qualification.

Industry experts

What do the changes around industry experts mean for RTOs?

Previously, industry experts were able to work alongside a trainer and assessor to conduct assessment, for example by giving feedback or making observations. The early changes expand the role of industry experts by allowing them to also assist a fully qualified trainer and assessor in the delivery of training.

Although the early changes enable the broader use of industry experts, they also impose parameters to maintain the quality and integrity of training. A definition of ‘industry expert’ has been introduced to clarify obligations for RTOs around the use of industry experts, and RTOs will need to ensure experts have specialised industry or subject matter expertise, relevant vocational competencies and current industry skills directly relevant to the training being provided.

It is important to note that where an RTO engages an industry expert, they will continue to be required to work together with a fully qualified trainer and assessor in the delivery of training and assessment, and qualified assessors will continue to be responsible for making assessment judgements.

What constitutes an industry expert?

An industry expert is an individual who has relevant specialised industry or subject matter expertise who is engaged by the RTO on the basis of that expertise. Industry experts must have relevant vocational competencies and have current industry skills directly relevant to the training and assessment being provided. Industry experts can be involved in training and assessment, but only qualified assessors will be able to make assessment judgements and determine learner competency.

What does working alongside a trainer and/or assessor mean?

Working alongside means that industry experts will be able to assist fully qualified trainers and assessors to deliver training and/or assessment. This language is consistent with the previous provision in the Standards, which allowed industry experts to be involved in assessment working alongside the trainer and/or assessor. Arrangements might include an industry expert providing specialist expertise to assist in the delivery of training or providing specific feedback on a process or observation as part of the assessment process. Where industry experts are involved in training and assessment, the trainer and/or assessor they are working with must still be fully qualified, meet the thresholds required by the Standards and be responsible for making the assessment judgement.

Fit and proper persons

What do the changes to the Fit and Proper Person Requirements mean for RTOs?

These changes seek to clarify that RTOs have an ongoing obligation to ensure high managerial agents, executive officers and any persons who exercise a degree of control of influence over the management or direction of RTO are appropriate to oversee the operations of the RTO.

What constitutes persons who exercise a degree of control of influence over the management or direction of RTO?

As this will vary between organisations, it is expected that RTOs use their discretion to determine which persons exercise a degree of control of influence over the management or direction of the organisation in their particular organisational context. This includes but is not limited to managers and directors of the organisation.

Other

What does the inclusion of ‘wellbeing’ services as part of education and support services mean for RTOs?

Given this is a non-exhaustive definition, this does not oblige RTOs to deliver wellbeing services, but rather includes it as a type of service RTOs may offer to highlight the importance of learner wellbeing. It is envisaged that wellbeing services could include personal support services and resources to assist with learners’ physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

Online Questions Form

The purpose of this form is provide stakeholders with the opportunity to ask questions about the policy intent of the early changes to the Standards. Questions will not be responded to individually, but the results will be aggregated to identify broad patterns or trends so these can be addressed through resources such as the Frequently Asked Questions section of this webpage. These themes may also be shared with VET regulators to inform guidance and education materials.

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