Feature Article: How using industry advisory committees can benefit RTOs

In the ever-changing landscape of the VET sector, training providers face the ongoing challenge of ensuring that their VET courses remain relevant, engaging, and compliant with regulatory obligations. Leaders of both public and private RTOs know that maintaining strong connections with industry partners is crucial to success. However, many RTOs struggle to fully harness the potential of these connections, leading to a disconnect between the VET courses they offer and the skills needed in the workforce. By forming and leveraging Industry Advisory Committees (IACs), RTOs can bridge this gap, ensuring the delivery of industry-aligned, future-proof education that prepares students for work and strengthens the reputation of your organisation. Here are some potential benefits RTOs can realise by using IACs to gather industry feedback on their VET courses.

Ensuring Industry-Relevant VET Courses:

One of the most significant benefits of IACs is their ability to guide RTOs in the development of their VET courses. Comprising experts and representatives from various sectors, these committees provide invaluable insights into the latest trends, technologies, and skill requirements. By actively engaging with IACs, RTOs can continually refine their courses to reflect the current and future needs of the industries they serve, thereby ensuring compliance with relevant standards and equipping students with the practical knowledge and skills needed for work.

Strengthening Industry Partnerships and Collaboration

IACs not only provide RTOs with valuable insights into industry needs but also serve as a platform for building strong, lasting partnerships with key stakeholders. Through ongoing collaboration with IAC members, RTOs can forge strategic alliances with businesses, industry associations, and other organisations, which can lead to the development of mutually beneficial initiatives such as work-integrated learning opportunities, joint projects, and even customised training programs tailored to the specific needs of industry partners.

Enhancing RTO Reputation and Credibility:

The active involvement of industry experts and representatives in the decision-making processes of RTOs sends a strong message to students, employers, and community about your commitment to delivering industry-relevant VET courses. This not only enhances your RTO’s reputation but also increases your credibility in the eyes of potential students and industry partners, as they can trust that your training programs are informed by real-world insights and designed to meet the evolving needs of the workforce. By embracing the use of IACs, RTOs can unlock numerous benefits, including industry-relevant VET courses, strengthened partnerships, and enhanced credibility. In an increasingly competitive VET sector, RTOs should harness the full potential of industry advisory committees to deliver education that results in quality outcomes for students and industry.

References:

https://www.asqa.gov.au/how-we-regulate/self-assurance/building-shared-understanding-self-assurance

https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/skills-reform-overview/quality-reforms

https://www.asqa.gov.au/rtos/focus-compliance

https://www.asqa.gov.au/rto/responsibilities

https://www.asqa.gov.au/rtos/users-guide-standards-rtos-2015/chapter-4-training-and-assessment

October 1, 2021

Feature Article: Secrets to implementing an effective RPL strategy in your RTO

The SRTOs 2015 in Clause 1.12 requires RTOs to offer RPL to students unless there is a regulatory or licensing reason prohibiting them from doing so. Many providers struggle with resourcing RPL sufficiently in their organisations and assessors find it challenging to manage effectively. Here is some practical advice to guide you in saving time and money in your RPL processes and prevent non-compliances occurring in your RTO assessment system.

Allocating resources to RPL:

RTOs can provide effective RPL services by having dedicated staff for this assessment pathway that offers reliable touch points for candidates so the experience is personalised for each individual. RTOs should treat RPL with the same importance and urgency as other assessment pathways. In doing so ensure you assign dedicated and experienced RPL assessors to take care of your RPL clients. If you expect inexperienced assessors who lack confidence in their abilities to conduct this type of assessment it can impact negatively on your clients and RTO’s reputation. Additionally, be careful in assigning RPL to assessors who are already oversubscribed with students caseloads and avoid expecting them to do it in-between their primary responsibilities. Your chosen RPL assessors need to be given sufficient time to manage their caseloads and should be adept at developing relationships with RPL candidates and their employers. These specialists need to be capable at establishing rapport with RPL clients and supporting them throughout the process. RTOs need to ensure their RPL assessors have the expertise in collecting appropriate RPL evidence that meets the unit of competency requirements, principles of assessment and rules of evidence.

RPL systems:

RTOs need to have RPL frameworks in place as part of their assessment system to undertake RPL effectively and implement effective processes for assessment only pathways. By investing in RPL expertise you can ensure you are providing adequate and on-going training for your RPL assessors. To do RPL well it must be recognised as a specialised skillset and sufficient resources allocated to managing it. Students should not be discouraged from seeking RPL just because you don’t have appropriate mechanisms in place to provide the RPL pathway. Your RPL should ensure you engage industry in providing input into RPL resources so you don’t lose opportunities to upskill the workforces of industry clients. By placing value on RPL as an assessment only pathway you can expand the services your RTO can provide to employers and experienced student cohorts.

RPL processes:

Your learner cohorts with existing knowledge and skills are ideal candidates for RPL and your RTO should implement processes to identify opportunities to upskill and reskill your clients using assessment only pathways. Ensure your RTO provides sufficient information or advice to prospective students about their RPL processes when they make enquiries. Other processes to consider include providing clear instructions and resources that outline expectations for RPL candidates. Your RPL assessment tools should not be too dense or over complicated requiring your candidates to interpret training package terminology. RTOs need systems for monitoring completion of RPL steps so as to keep the process moving and to be able to track achievement of milestones of tasks and timeframes associated with RPL activity.

Client service:

Good management of RPL services should ensure responsiveness to client enquiries and enable conversion to enrolment. RPL is done best when assessors engage with candidates from the beginning and throughout the process. RTOs should accommodate RPL candidates as they are often working full-time in industry and need flexibility and support in the process, therefore, assessors need to be flexible with candidates and their other commitments. RTOs should ensure contact with RPL candidates is maintained at regular intervals not just when the candidate initiates it due to lack of communication.

References:

https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/training-assessment/clauses-1.8-to-1.12

https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/marketing-recruitment/clause-4.1

https://www.asqa.gov.au/faqs/should-rtos-provide-recognition-prior-learning-rpl-or-training-and-assessment-highly-qualified

https://www.asqa.gov.au/faqs/part-our-strategy-training-and-assessment-my-rto-clusters-assessment-units-competency-do-i-need

https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/exploring-the-recognition-of-prior-learning-in-australian-vet

August 27, 2020October 27, 2020

Feature Article: Step by step guide to managing transition from superseded training products

On 12 August 2020 the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) approved updates to 16 training packages including the AUR; BSB; FNS; CPC; AMP; MAR; TLI; HLT; and UEE packages. It is expected that they will be released on TGA in October with a 12 month transition period. RTOs with training products on scope within these training packages should commence projects as soon as possible in anticipation of transitioning from the superseded training products to the replacement training products as these changes will require a significant amount of work for providers to implement.

Planning:

RTOs should subscribe to the National Register of VET (TGA) to receive notifications when changes to training products are published including:

When a new version of a training package becomes available; or
When a training product is superseded

When a notification of change to a training product is received, RTO managers should schedule an initial planning meeting to commence a project to transition. Identification of the intended time frame to deliver the replacement training product should be discussed and agreed as early as possible as preparation will impact on your ability to market the replacement training product and recruit your student cohorts. Additional processes such as additions or changes to CRICOs registration or VSL approvals need to be considered to be ready to deliver as planned.

Resource development:

RTOs need to ensure that prior to commencement of delivery of a replacement training product they are resourced to deliver what is on scope and can demonstrate compliance with the SRTOs 2015 and the ASQA General Direction. Create a plan for development or updating of learning and assessment resources for all units identified in the training and assessment strategy for the replacement training product/s.

For existing learning and assessment resources the plan should identify required upgrades and improvements
Where no learning and assessment resources exist the plan should identify how they are to be developed (including purchasing of off-the-shelf resources)

The plan should clearly outline time frames for completion of development well before delivery of specific units of competency need to commence.

Transitioning students:

RTOs must transition learners from superseded training products within specified time frames to ensure only currently endorsed training packages and accredited courses are delivered. Training products that lead to licensed or regulated outcomes may need to meet additional requirements. RTO management will need to identify the numbers of students currently enrolled in the superseded training product and if they will complete prior to the transition end date or if they will need to be transitioned to the replacement training product. The most effective way to identify what students need to be transitioned is to undertake a student transition mapping. If international students are undertaking a superseded training product and need to be transitioned into the replacement training product you need to consider CRICOs requirements and the impact on Confirmation of Enrollment (COEs). RTOs can continue to enroll students in superseded training products during the transition period so long as it is permissible under funding / contractual arrangements and the student is able to complete the training within the transition period.

Adding training products to scope:

When a new version of a training product is deemed equivalent to its predecessor it will be identified on TGA as “superseded and equivalent to” the previous version and will automatically be added to an RTOs scope of registration. If a training product is deemed not equivalent to its predecessor it will be identified on TGA as superseded and RTOs will need to make an application to ASQA to add the new version to their scope of registration.

In preparation for adding a replacement training product to scope RTOs should:

Develop strategies for the delivery of training and assessment that have been developed through effective consultation with industry
Ensure that trainers and assessors possess all of the relevant and required vocational and training/assessment competencies and can demonstrate industry currency in relation to the units of competency they will train/assess;
Ensure that sufficient, industry-relevant resources, facilities and materials to train and assess all units of competency in the training product are available

References:

https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/training-assessment/clauses-1.26-1.27

https://www.asqa.gov.au/resources/general-directions/learner-transition

https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/faqs/transition-training-products

https://www.asqa.gov.au/rto/change-scope/transition-items

Tag: SRTOs

Feature Article: How using industry advisory committees can benefit RTOs

Ensuring Industry-Relevant VET Courses:

Strengthening Industry Partnerships and Collaboration

Enhancing RTO Reputation and Credibility:

Other feature articles:

References:

Feature Article: Secrets to implementing an effective RPL strategy in your RTO

Allocating resources to RPL:

RPL systems:

RPL processes:

Client service:

Other feature articles

References:

Feature Article: Step by step guide to managing transition from superseded training products

Planning:

Resource development:

Transitioning students:

Adding training products to scope:

Other feature articles:

References: