Well-qualified trainers and assessors play a vital role in educating and skilling Australia’s workforce.
Current requirements
The requirements for trainers and assessors delivering nationally recognised training at an RTO are set out in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (the Standards).
To be compliant with the Standards, training and assessment must be delivered by people who have one of the following credentials:
- TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, or its successor,
- TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment,
- TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, plus: Either TAELLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills, or its successor, or TAELLN401A Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills, and
- Either TAEASS502 Design and Develop Assessment Tools, or its successor, or TAEASS502A Design and Develop Assessment Tools, or TAEASS502B Design and Develop Assessment Tools,
- A credential issued by a higher education provider that would enable the individual to satisfy academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher in, at least, one state or territory, plus:
- TAESS00011/TAESS00019 Assessor Skill Set, or
- TAESS00024 VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set, or
- A diploma or higher level qualification in adult education.
The Standards also specify particular credential requirements where a person conducts assessment only, and where an RTO in delivering training and assessment engages an individual who is not a trainer or assessor to work under the supervision of a trainer.
RTOs are responsible for ensuring that their trainers and assessors meet the requirements of the Standards, including other requirements relating to holding vocational competencies and current industry skills, as well as undertaking professional development.
Recent changes to the Standards expand the VET workforce pool and alleviate current pressures on the workforce, including reflecting updates to the Training and Education (TAE) training package, which took effect from 1 March 2024.
Trainers and assessors who currently meet the requirements of the Standards are not required to update their qualifications.
Further information about these changes is available on the Quality Reforms webpage.
TAE training package
An updated version of the TAE training package (Version 5) was endorsed by all Skills Ministers on 18 November 2022 and released on the National Register on 13 December 2022, following a review that aimed to improve alignment with the current skills needs of the VET sector and provide greater pathways into the profession.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) approved an extended transition period of 2 years, ending on 9 December 2024, for all ASQA-registered RTOs for the following qualifications:
- TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment,
- TAE50116 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training, and
- TAE50216 Diploma of Training Design and Development.
Further information about the TAE training package is available on the National Register and ASQA’s website.
Further information
Further information on current trainer and assessor requirements is available from the VET regulators at:
- Australian Skills Quality Authority
- Western Australia Training Accreditation Council
- Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
Broader revisions to the Standards are currently being progressed to ensure the Standards are clear, lead to quality outcomes for learners, and enable RTOs to deliver flexibly and innovatively. Further information about these revisions can be found on the Quality Reforms webpage