VDC News readers will be aware that the revised Standards for RTOs were agreed by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers for VET (the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council) in late 2024.
Since then ASQA and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) have been providing advice to RTOs on the changes, but their advice has been in ‘draft’ format because the changes to the Standards needed to be written as formal legislative instruments, before ASQA could use them to regulate the VET sector.
Both ASQA and DEWR noted that there were likely to be some minor changes made in the process of turning the Ministers’ agreed policy intentions into the final versions of the Standards in the relevant legislative instruments.
And they were right – there have been many changes made in the legislative drafting process.
But before VDC News readers, and particularly those of you with responsibility for quality and compliance, feel too overwhelmed – you should be aware that the changes which have been made are quite minor.
So, you will need to update any materials which you have amended to reflect the draft version of the revised Standards – but ASQA and DEWR will have further advice out shortly and the VDC continues to offer a range of professional development activities to help you manage the transition.
VDC News readers which work in RTOs regulated by the VRQA and TAC will receive separate advice from their respective regulatory agencies, on how the changes will be incorporated into their regulatory requirements.
And a reminder that the new Standards do not take effect until 1 July 2025.
