TAC Update - Issue 60 - March 2021

TAC News TAC Update - Issue 60 - March 2021

TAC Update - Issue 60 - March 2021

16/03/2021

Issue 60 - March2021

Farewell to Ian Hill, Chairman of TAC

At the end of March 2021, the Training Accreditation Council will farewell Mr Ian Hill.

Ian was appointed to TAC in August 2003 and has served as the Chairman for almost 18 years.

The leadership, expertise and passion Ian has brought to TAC has been considerable and greatly valued, during what has often been a period of constant reform and review.

Ian’s professional and collaborative manner has ensured TAC has developed a strong reputation for its expertise and balanced regulatory approach, with highlights being TAC’s engagement with the sector and education program.

Since the announcement of Ian’s retirement, the Secretariat has been inundated with messages of appreciation and support, an indication of the high regard in which he is held.

TAC would like to acknowledge and thank Ian for his invaluable contribution and outstanding service to the VET sector and wish him well for the future.

Details on the new Chairperson will be provided in the next issue of the TAC Update.

What's in this edition?

TAC Education Program
Focus on quality - Amending Scope
Changes to the Amendment to Registration Application Process
Top 10 most viewed pages on the TAC Website
Other important updates

TAC Education Program - upcoming events

March

19 - The Course Accreditation Process

30 - Design and Development of an Assessment System

April

9 - Designing and Using Assessment Tools

Click here to view the full TAC Education Program schedule and/or register for an event:

PD Calendar

The full list of Education Program recordings and resources is available on the TAC Website

Focus on quality - Amending Scope

From time to time an RTO will need to amend their scope of registration due to updates or removal of training products or the addition of scope to meet client needs.

Managing scope and preparing applications to amend scope can be challenging for RTOs as the process involves the preparation of documentation for audit that demonstrates that the RTO is ready to deliver the new or revised training products.

The following four areas of non-compliance are the most common non-compliances experienced by RTOs in amendment to scope applications where an audit occurred.

TAC recommends that RTOs consider these common non-compliances and associated support materials to assist in the preparation of applications to TAC.

Assessment (1.8)

Meeting Training Package/Accredited course requirements, all the Rules of Evidence (validity, sufficiency, authenticity and currency) and all the Principles of Assessment (fairness, flexibility, validity and reliability) across all modes of assessment including RPL.

Further information on compliance in this area is available in the Assessment, Developing Training and Assessment Strategies and Recognition of Prior Learning Fact Sheets.

Amount of Training (1.1 & 1.2)

Reporting the extent of a typical learner’s engagement with the training product to achieve competence, and a discussion and analysis of variations for students who need a greater or lesser amount of training to reflect existing skills and knowledge, delivery modes and/or learning needs.

Further information on compliance in this area is available in the Amount of Training Fact Sheet.

Monitoring third-party arrangements (2.4)

Ensuring that there are suitable and sufficient systematic strategies to monitor third-parties to ensure compliance with the third-party written agreement and the Standards.

Further information on compliance in this area is available in the Third Party Arrangements Fact Sheet.

Protection of pre-paid fees (7.3)

Providing evidence of a suitable strategy to manage pre-paid fees that is consistent with Schedule 6 of the Standards.

Further information on compliance in this area is available in the TAC Users’ Guide.

Changes to the Amendment to Registration Application Process

TAC has recently reviewed the amendment application process. An outcome of the review is the reduction of evidence requirements to be submitted with an amendment application. The changes aim to streamline the amendment application process for RTOs.

Evidence is only required against the following clauses:

Mandatory clauses:

Standard 1 - 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.13, 1.14, 1.16
Standard 5 - 5.1, 5.3

Where applicable clauses:

1.15, 1.17 – 1.20 - Assessor only and Supervision arrangements
1.22 – 1.25 - TAE training
2.3, 2.4 - Third-party providers
7.3 - Protection of pre-paid fees over $1500
8.5 - Working With Children Police Clearances

The Amendment to Registration Application Guide has been updated to reflect these changes and the non-mandatory Self-Assessment Tool has been improved to provide additional support and guidance to RTOs on what evidence could be provided.

A TAC Clip has been produced to provide additional guidance to RTOs submitting the RTO2 Application form through the RTOPortal.

A workshop on Managing and Amending RTO Scope addressing some of the challenges faced by RTOs in managing scope and preparing applications for amendments to scope is also available to view.

Top 10 most viewed pages on the TAC Website

In case you missed it, the top 10 most viewed pages on the TAC Website in 2020 were:

Other important updates

National Industry Insights Report

Over 140 industry pages have recently been updated on the AISC's National Industry Insights Report.

These pages provide data and analysis on training patterns and employment trends, and identify the skills projected to be in highest demand over the coming years. Information on the impact of COVID-19 is also included where available.

NCVER posts 500th news release

NCVER, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, published its 500th edition of NCVER News in February 2021. The Centre is a leading source of in-depth analysis of the vocational education landscape in Australia.

Read NCVER News and subscribe