The revised Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) (the revised Standards).
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These revised Standards have been shaped over the course of the past 4 years through an extensive program of sector consultation on revisions to the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015. In addition to this, DEWR has worked with the states and territories, VET regulators, and sector peak bodies, to strengthen the focus on quality outcomes for learners and employers, provide greater clarity, and allow for more flexibility and innovation in training delivery.
The revised Standards represent a step change in all Governments’ shared ambition to lift quality and integrity across the entire sector, through enabling a more flexible, robust, and quality-driven approach to regulation. Together, Commonwealth and state and territory Skills Minsters have endorsed the revised Standards for RTOs for public release.
Changes to the Standards are designed to better reflect the diversity of the VET sector and ensure the Standards are fit-for-purpose across different RTO settings. This will help to embed quality aspirations and ensure the Standards clearly articulate characteristics required of RTOs to foster a shared understanding of what constitutes high-quality delivery for all users of the VET system.
The revised Standards provide a clearer and more direct link between the requirements RTOs are expected to meet and the outcomes they are expected to deliver.
The revised Standards will come into full regulatory effect from 1 July 2025. The Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 will apply until then.
Policy Guidance has been developed and is available to support training providers, trainers and assessors in understanding the intent behind changes to the revised Standards.
Structure of the revised Standards for RTOs
To facilitate clear and outcome-focused Standards that go to the heart of quality training delivery, the revised Standards for RTOs comprises of 3 elements:
- the Outcome Standards
- the Compliance Requirements (including the Fit and Proper Person Requirements and NRT Logo Conditions of Use Policy), and
- the Credential Policy.
This approach reflects early feedback from the sector that the mix of quality-oriented and compliance-focused requirements in the current 2015 Standards causes an undue focus on prescriptive compliance at the expense of good organisational practises that deliver quality outcomes for learners and employers, and that the current Standards are complex and difficult to navigate.
The revised Standards build on the early changes to the current Standards that came into effect on 1 March 2024, to alleviate VET workforce pressures and provide more immediate benefits to the sector.
Feedback on the Credential Policy and Compliance Requirements
A short survey seeking feedback on the Credential Policy and Compliance Requirements was released on 1 October 2024. The survey sought to ensure the documents are clear, that their purpose is understood, and to identify any concerns with how RTOs might meet the requirements.
This survey closed on 20 October 2024, and feedback received has been considered in the development of the legislative instruments to enact the Standards. The department thanks all those who took the time to provide a response to the survey, or who have sent through their questions via the form available below.
It is important to acknowledge that responses to the survey reflected the vast diversity of views that exist across the VET sector regarding the Standards, in particular in relation to the draft Credential Policy.
For example, there were mixed views around enabling people actively working towards the Certificate IV or Diploma from the Training and Education (TAE) Training Package to deliver training and contribute to assessment under supervision. Another area where there were mixed views were the draft changes to enable people with the 2010 versions of the TAE Certificate IV to deliver training and assessment without completing additional units of competency.
The department has carefully considered these views, and balanced changes to RTO requirements with the need to maintain a focus on ensuring the revised Standards provide a foundation for lifting quality and integrity across the sector through enabling a more flexible, robust, and quality-driven approach to regulation.
For the most, adjustments to the Credential Policy made in response to feedback from the sector focus on improving the clarity of the document.
Key changes in response to feedback from the sector, include:
Credential Policy
- clarifying that individuals with a secondary teaching qualification require additional credentials to be able to deliver training and assessments without direction (under 1A of the Credential Policy)
- clarifying section 1D of the Credential Policy (on training and assessment under direction), to specify this section applies if a person does not hold the credentials listed under 1A, which would permit them to deliver training and assessment without direction
- clarifying the description of 1C - Actively working towards a training and assessment credential by removing wording that individuals working under direction are not prohibited from making assessment judgements if they are otherwise permitted under section 1B, based on feedback indicating this wording was causing confusion.
Compliance Requirements
- Amending the Compliance Requirements to revert the proposed requirement to retain copies of all AQF certification documentation issued to VET students for a period of 7 years back to 30 years, based on feedback from the sector in support of retaining the 30 year timeframe.
Enacting the Standards
Final agreement to the legislative instruments to enact the revised Standards for RTOs will be sought from Skills Ministers, to enable the revised Standards to be in place in early 2025, coming into full regulatory effect from July 2025.
Please note the exact wording of the policy drafts of the revised Outcome Standards, the Compliance Requirements, and the Credential Policy may be subject to change in order to meet formal legislative drafting requirements.
Transition to the revised Standards
The revised Standards will come into full regulatory effect from 1 July 2025.
For further information on how to prepare for the implementation of the revised Standards, please visit the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) page, Preparing for the revised Standards.
Standards for RTOs: Outcome Standards - Policy Guidance
Policy Guidance has been developed and is available to support training providers, trainers and assessors in understanding the intent behind changes to the revised Standards. Importantly, a key focus of the policy guidance is to describe the policy intent of the Outcome Standards to support a consistent understanding and application of these among training providers.
Separately, an overview of revisions to the Compliance Requirements and Credentials Policy is also available.
These resources will be updated in early 2025 to reflect the legislative instruments once they are in place.
Following your review of the guidance, should you have additional questions or feel that further clarification is required, please reach out to DEWR via the Online Questions Form below.
Please be aware VET Regulators will release more detailed supporting resources over the course of the coming months, which will provide further information on self-assurance, and adhering to and demonstrating compliance with the Standards.
ASQA is preparing guidance for providers to support a smooth transition to the revised Standards, in partnership with peak bodies, the ASQA Stakeholder Liaison Group and DEWR.
Ahead of releasing the full suite of guidance materials, a Preparing for the revised Standards document is now available.
This outlines areas to consider when assessing and self-assuring your operations against the revised Standards. There will be further opportunities to have your say on these supporting resources as they become available, to help ASQA tailor and improve their educative materials to meet your needs. We encourage you to regularly visit ASQA’s Revised Standards for RTOs webpage for the latest information and resources.
Policy Guidance Videos
Coming soon
Frequently Asked Questions
Visit Revised Standards for RTOs – Frequently Asked Questions.
Online Questions Form
The purpose of this form is to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to ask questions about the policy intent of the revised Standards and to provide feedback on the Standards for RTOs: Outcome Standards - Policy Guidance document. Questions will not be responded to individually, but the results will be aggregated to identify broad patterns or trends so these can be addressed through resources such as the Frequently Asked Questions section of this webpage. These questions and themes may also be shared with VET regulators to inform the development of further guidance and education materials.
Any personal information you provide as part of this form will be managed in accordance with the department’s Privacy Policy. Your personal information is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988.