Why Does ASQA Use A Student-Centred Approach when dealing with existing and new RTOs?

In 2016 anyone that was starting a new RTO or wanted to become an RTO had to ensure they were across the new Student-centered approach. ASQA found that having a student-centred focus will improve a student’s experience and elevate our vocational education standards internationally.

Having undergone a period of tumult with a very small number of RTOs rorting the VET FEE-HELP scheme and its owners flagrantly structuring their operations to only benefit them and not their students or the wider Australian community, ASQA developed a student-centred model to weed out unscrupulous training providers and only allow for those who truly put a student’s best interests at the forefront of their strategies and plans. This new approach was good news for anyone that wanted to start a Registered Training Organisation for the right reasons – to help students learn. This was bad news for those that were becoming an RTO to try to take advantage of students and current incentives offered by the government. More information can be found via this website for the steps required when creating an RTO.

RTOs practices and behaviors

Under the student-centred approach, ASQA structures an audit around RTOs practices and behaviors with regards to marketing and recruitment, enrolment, support and progression, training and assessment, and completion. This audit is tailored to the intelligence ASQA holds on an RTO and the scope is decided on based on that intelligence they hold – including feedback received from current and former students and employees, feedback received from the industry, as well as information readily available from education agents, the media and on the internet concerning the RTO. Your compliance history and any funding arrangements you have in place such as if you are receiving any Government funding will also play a part in ASQA’s decision as to the depth and scope of the compliance audit, get the compliance advice your need by clicking here.

What are the key elements of the student experience?

The five key elements are:

1. Marketing and recruitment (Clause 4.1) – where an RTO’s marketing and advertising practices and activities are examined to confirm if accurate and factual information so that potential students can make informed decisions.
2. Enrolment (Clause 5.1-5.3 and 7.3) – where an RTO’s approach to ensuring only students who have the pre-requisite skills, knowledge and experience are able to enrol and undertake the nationally recognised training.
3. Support and progression (Clause 1.7) – where an RTO’s strategies and policies around supporting students show that they enable a student to progress through the course and are able to attain the qualification they set out to achieve. This includes any financial hardship or language challenges they may be experiencing.
4. Training and assessment (Clause 1.1-1.3, 1.8, 1.13-1.18 and 1.20) – where an RTO’s practices and tools are compliant and delivers the training and assessment as set out in the training package.
5. Completion (Clause 3.1) – where an RTO ensure that only students who are assessed as meeting the course or training package requirements are issued with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) certificates.