VET News

A New Commitment to VET Quality Reform

Further opportunities are arising for us all working within Australia's VET Sector to have our say and contribute towards the future quality of vocational education and training.

Skills Ministers have committed to raising the quality of training delivered within the VET sector through revising the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (the Standards), improving the capability and capacity of RTOs for continuous improvement, and developing a VET Workforce Quality Strategy.

These reforms aim to improve the quality of training across Australia and help ensure the quality of training delivery goes beyond compliance  with the requirements of the Standards and towards excellence in training provision. The reforms will lead to a shared understanding across the sector of what high quality training provision looks like.

A key focus of the reform work will be to strengthen the Standards, to ensure they are focused on outcomes and that the minimum level of quality that an RTO must meet in order to operate within the national training system, set by the Standards, is sufficient to ensure positive outcomes for learners.

The development of a VET Workforce Quality Strategy (the Strategy) recognises the important contribution trainers and assessors make to a high-quality VET sector. Trainers and assessors are at the front line of training delivery and have a vital role in passing on industry relevant knowledge to learners to meet Australia’s employment and productivity needs. The Strategy will aim to support RTOs and trainers and assessors to promote high quality, consistent training and assessment and support the diverse workplace roles within the sector.

These reforms build on findings from recent reviews within the vocational education and training (VET) sector such as the Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Braithwaite Review), the Expert review of Australia’s vocational education and training system (Joyce Review), and the Rapid review of the Australian Skills Quality Authority’s regulatory practices and processes (ASQA Rapid Review), which have highlighted opportunities to enhance quality in the VET sector.

More detailed information on these reforms to support feedback from the sector can be found here:

• RTO quality (including the Standards)
• VET Workforce Quality Strategy

Through the Skills Reform Consultation, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment would like to hear the views of all stakeholders in the system.  From RTOs, employers, trainers and assessors, to learners and their parents and carers, to schools and universities.  All participants in the VET sector are welcome to provide feedback

Quality Reform Surveys currently open include:

• Training Experience Survey - 12pm AEDT Monday 22 February 2021
• RTO Standards Survey - 12pm AEDT Monday 22 February 2021
• RTO Quality Survey - 12pm AEDT Monday 22 February 2021, and
• Support VET Workforce Quality Survey - 12pm AEDT Monday 8 March 2021 (NEW)

Furthermore, VET practitioners have been working with the current Standards now for 6 years and we all have a plethora of 'on the ground' experience that can support the near future of VET sector legislation and support mechanisms as we know it.  As these channels for feedback begin to open, now is the time to take advantage to provide constructive feedback and suggestions that you feel will strengthen the quality of nationally recognised training in Australia in the years to come. 

Date posted Jan 21, 2021