Training Package Assurance

The Assurance Body is led by a non-statutory Executive Director in a different area of the department from the management of JSCs. We provide increased transparency, accountability, and confidence to VET sector stakeholders that training package products are compliant with training package product development rules.

We do this by:

• undertaking assessments of training package products against technical elements of the national standards and policy
• educating, engaging and consulting with JSCs on common issues.

We will take on this role for a limited time, until a final decision is made on the location of the Assurance Body.

JSCs are responsible for ensuring that the training package products they have developed have merit and reflect the needs of industry and stakeholders.

Training packages are a key feature of Australia's national VET system.

Training package qualifications are the occupational skills standards against which training delivery and assessment of competency take place. They are developed through a process of national consultation with industry.

Training packages contain the following nationally endorsed training products:

• units of competency, which specify the standard of performance required in the workplace
• assessment requirements associated with each unit of competency
• qualifications aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
• credit arrangements specifying existing arrangements between training package qualifications and higher education qualifications as described in the AQF.

Training packages also consist of the following non-endorsed training product components:

• skill sets
• companion volume implementation guides.

We assess training package products submitted by JSCs against the Training Package Organising Framework (TPOF). The framework contains the standards and policies set by Skills Ministers.

The framework includes:

• Standards for Training Packages (‘the Standards’)
• Training Package Products Policy (TPPP)
• Training Package Products Development and Endorsement Process Policy (TPPDEPP)

Assurance Assessment

Our business rules and processes have been developed to ensure the assurance assessment is conducted in a manner consistent with the TPOF requirements, providing detailed reports to JSCs on assurance assessment outcomes.

We recommend to Skills Ministers to endorse training packages that meet the framework’s requirements. Once it is endorsed the training package is updated on the National Register of VET training website so that it can be implemented within the VET sector.

The Approach to Assurance document provides more information about how we assess training package product submissions prepared by JSCs and produce recommendations with supporting rationale for Skills Ministers to inform their endorsement decisions.

Qualification Reform

Following advice from the Qualification Reform Design Group, Skills Ministers endorsed a new TPOF in December 2024 that embeds a purpose-driven approach to qualification development. The new TPOF will replace the existing TPOF on 1 July 2025.

• Training Package Organising Framework (from 1 July 2025)

The new TPOF combines the Standards, TPPP, and TPPDEPP into a single document, comprising of two elements:

• Product requirements – setting the overarching design and development requirements of training package products for endorsement by Skills Ministers and outlining the design rules that must be adhered to when developing or modifying a training package product.
• Process requirements – outlining the process for developing and seeking the endorsement of nationally recognised training package products.

The new TPOF will come into effect for all training package projects from 1 July 2025. The Standards, TPPP, and TPPDEPP will apply until 30 June 2025, and may continue to be applied to training package product development projects already underway (to be determined on a case-by-case basis).

Contact trainingpackageassurance@dewr.gov.au.

Publications

Following endorsement, training packages are published on the National Register of VET training website.

The Mandatory Workplace Requirements: Good Practice Guide provides training product developers with consistent and clear guidance for determining, justifying, and drafting mandatory workplace requirements for inclusion in training products.

See our Approach to Assurance guidance for information on how we assess training package product submissions.

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is the national policy for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training.