Australia’s VET sector
Vocational education and training (VET) enables students to gain qualifications for all types of employment, and specific skills to help them in the workplace.
The providers of VET include technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, adult and community education providers and agricultural colleges, as well as private providers, community organisations, industry skill centres, and commercial and enterprise training providers. In addition, some universities and schools provide VET.
Vocational education and training is provided through a network of eight state and territory governments and the Australian Government, along with industry, public and private training providers. These organisations work together to provide nationally consistent training across Australia.
VET Quality Framework
The vocational education and training (VET) Quality Framework is aimed at achieving greater national consistency in the way RTOs are registered and monitored and in how standards in the vocational education and training (VET) sector are enforced.
The VET Quality Framework comprises:
- Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015
- the Fit and Proper Person Requirements
- the Financial Viability Risk Assessment Requirements
- the Data Provision Requirements, and
- the Australian Qualifications Framework.
Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015
On 26 September 2014, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Industry and Skills Council agreed to new regulatory standards for training providers and regulators—the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015. These replaced the Standards for NVR RTOs 2012
ASQA uses the Standards to ensure nationally consistent, high-quality training and assessment across Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) system. Compliance with the Standards is a requirement for:
- all ASQA registered training organisations, and
- for applicants seeking registration.
ASQA uses the Standards to protect the interests of all students in Australia’s VET system. The Standards guide nationally consistent, high-quality training and assessment services in the vocational education and training system.
Standards for VET Accredited Courses
ASQA regulates accredited vocational education and training courses in accordance with the Standards for VET Accredited Courses 2012.
Accreditation means the course is nationally recognised and that an registered training organisation (RTO) can issue a nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) qualification or VET statement of attainment following its full or partial completion. Once a course has been accredited, it is listed on the national register, training.gov.au
The Standards for VET Accredited Courses 2012 include the course design standards that must be met for courses accredited and regulated by ASQA.
The Standards for VET Accredited Courses 2012 apply to all courses regulated by ASQA, including those courses that were accredited by referring state and territory course accreditation bodies prior to 2011.