It appears an immigration racket has been going on for quite some time in Australia with similar scenarios involving ghost colleges presenting as training providers being exposed as schemes to provide dodgy qualifications that lead to work rights and permanent residency.
ASQA To Give More Provider Support
Summary —
The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) has received advice that the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to provide more information and guidance to Registered Training Organisations as to how it conducts its regulatory activities in order to improve ongoing understanding of and compliance.
Key Issues —
The Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System commissioned by the Australian Government reviewed the work of ASQA and made several recommendations concerning the regulator’s activities. ITECA has received advice from the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Sen. Hon Michaelia Cash, that a key recommendation concerning ASQA’s engagement with industry has been accepted.
The decision means that ASQA will be required to provide greater information and guidance to RTOs as to how it conducts its regulatory activities in order to improve ongoing understanding of and compliance with the regulatory requirements. The intended outcome is to reduce the cost and compliance burden to RTOs, something welcomed by ITECA.
During consultations undertaken to support the review, ITECA and key stakeholders were supportive, in-principle of ASQA as the national regulator for the VET sector. Across the sector there was a view that a single consistent national regulator is important for improving the reputation of, and confidence in, the vocational education sector. This was driven by an understanding that students and employers should be able to expect all RTOs meet the same standards across Australia.
The Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System noted with concern the quite surprising high levels of disquiet in the provider community about the way ASQA currently conducts its regulatory activity. Although there was an expectation that there is always some tension to be expected between the regulator and the regulated, the review concluded that the issues expressed in this case go beyond that sort of healthy tension.
ITECA supports the observation in the review that many providers worry whether ASQA will treat them fairly and reasonably during the audit process. Similarly, ITECA shares the conclusion in the review that providers have little understanding of the approach ASQA will take when it comes time for their next audit.
The Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System received advice that there was limited proactive engagement and guidance by ASQA and this left RTOs confused and worried about meeting requirements. Although ASQA’s regulatory standards are publicly available and the regulatory engages with the sector through regular newsletters, there is a feeling that the standards are difficult to understand and difficult to act on. Of some interest is that the Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System found the lack of information unsurprising. ASQA made it clear to the Review that it does not see its role as providing additional guidance and education to RTOs on its auditing process and compliance. It sees itself as purely a regulator and doesn’t believe it is funded to perform guidance and education functions.
The Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System determined that it is crucially important that guidance is provided by regulators to the regulated. The report commented that a measure of a good regulator is not so much who it catches out as ensuring that the whole regulated community is operating confidently and effectively within the regulations set by the governing jurisdiction.
Recommendation 3.2 of the Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System was that ASQA “to provide more information and guidance to Registered Training Organisations as to how it conducts its regulatory activities in order to improve ongoing understanding of and compliance with the Australian Skills Quality Authority requirements, and to reduce the cost and compliance burden to Registered Training Organisations”. This recommendation has been accepted by the Australian Government, a decision backed without qualification by ITECA.
ITECA is actively working with Minister Cash and the leadership of the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business on the implementation of the review to ensure that the experience and views of the ITECA membership are taken into account as the recommendations are implemented.
Member Engagement:
ITECA’s ability to play a lead role in matters associated with this issue rests on the advice and guidance of individuals serving on the ITECA Vocational Education Reference Committee.
Further Information:
For more information on this issue please send an email to vocational.education@iteca.edu.au or telephone 1300 421 017. Stay up to date via Twitter @ITECAust or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/ITECAust.
