As many of you all know the NSSC is making moves for changes and as part of the changes, we will all have to get used to a new acronym – RTOs that issue vocational qualifications will be known as LTOs, or Licensed Training Organisations. LTOs that meet regulatory requirements will be awarded a licence to issue nationally recognised vocational qualifications. The licence will be valid for a period of up to five years.
The latest news from the NSSC states:
Progress on the review of the standards for the regulation of VET
The NSSC agreed that draft standards for Licensed Training Organisations and Australian Vocational Qualification System Regulators be provided to the Hon Ian Macfarlane MP, Minister for Industry and Chair of the Standing Council on Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment. The standards were drafted in line with the NSSC Standards Policy Framework, released in June 2013.
The next meeting of the NSSC is scheduled to be held in Melbourne, 25 February 2014.
Here are some more areas that will be changing with the system that may impact upon your business:
- Initial registration New entrants will receive an initial licence, for a period of up to two years. Towards the end of the two years, the LTO operating under an initial licence would then apply for a full, 5 year licence, subject to demonstrating to the regulator that its performance meets the standards.
- Internal quality assurance. The new standard will require LTOs to conduct an annual self-assessment and the results are to be made available to the AVQS regulator upon request.
- Written agreements. LTOs will enters into a written agreement with their learners. Ensuring a primary obligation to the learner remains and is documented.
- Transparency. Clear and accurate information is publically available.
- Trainers/teachers working under supervision. There are several changes proposed:
- require all individuals working under supervision to hold the enterprise trainer skill set, prior to delivering training;
- limit the number of individuals that can work under the supervision of an individual who meets the minimum training and assessment competency requirements (e.g. <5 staff); and
- limit the scope and type of training that a supervised individual can deliver (e.g. # of learners, mode of delivery, learner cohort, high risk and/or occupational licensing units or qualifications, etc.).
Partnering arrangements. Partnering arrangements will need to be formalised and registered with the AVQS regulator. All partnering arrangements will need to be formalised in a manner that incorporates a minimum set of requirements or standard terms, as set by the NSSC. Minimum requirements could include:
- Requiring LTOs, and partner arrangements, to undergo audits by an AVQS regulator;
- Complying with AVQS training and assessment standards;
- Defining any subcontractors to be used and that relationship (i.e. what training and assessment is to be delivered); and
- Demonstrating implementation and compliance with the LTOs quality assurance and systematic monitoring requirements.