Welcome to the August TAC Update
The Council maintains close and ongoing engagement with VET and industry stakeholders to inform the Council on issues that impact the quality of VET in Western Australia. This engagement also assists in the design and delivery of Council’s Education Program so that the information provided to RTOs remains relevant and responsive.
A recent example of this stakeholder engagement is the successful collaboration between the Council, the Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL), the Reading Writing Hotline and the Western Australian Adult Literacy Council (WAALC) in the review of TAC guidance materials on an RTO's requirements to identify and meet learner needs.
This collaboration has resulted in a new podcast Identifying and Meeting Learner Needs containing an interview with the President of WAALC and an update to the Council’s Fact Sheet. These resources will assist RTOs to meet the literacy and learning needs of their students and the Council appreciates the assistance and expertise of ACAL and WAALC in the development of the materials.
The podcast and Fact Sheet are available at the TAC Education Program homepage.
TAC Education Program - upcoming events
August
31 - Understanding Training Packages
September
8 - Reasonable Adjustment and Inclusive Practice
14 - Becoming an RTO
20 - The Course Accreditation Process
Click here to view the full TAC Education Program schedule and/or register for an event.
The full list of Education Program recordings and resources is available on the TAC Website.
Focus on quality - Dealing with Complaints
Under the Standards for RTOs (2015), training providers must implement a transparent complaints and appeals policy (Clause 6).
For many RTOs, receiving a complaint from a learner or other stakeholder may be confronting, however responding to complaints can be a useful and important process for an RTO.
Complaints are a window into the workings of your RTO and provide an understanding of your clients’ expectations and experiences. They can contribute to the continuous improvement of the services you provide, to the reputation of your RTO, and to the reputation of VET.
The best remedy for complaints is prevention. This can be achieved by making sure that:
- learners are fully informed of the services you offer or don’t offer;
- learners understand their rights and their responsibilities;
- encouraging discussion and resolution when a grievance is felt; and
- continuously monitoring your RTO’s activities, learner reactions and showing a willingness to listen and act where appropriate.
But no RTO is perfect and complaints may still happen. When they do, your RTO will need a complaints process that:
- reflects natural justice principles;
- is accessible, prompt and open;
- is supportive, fair and responsive;
- is documented and accountable; and
- leads to meaningful outcomes and actions.
Even then, some complaints may persist and in these circumstances you may need to advise the complainant to take their complaint to an external party, such as the Council.
Once the complaint is settled, it's important to reflect upon the complaint and its outcomes as part of your RTO's quality assurance process so that the likelihood of the complaint arising again is reduced.
For further information on complaint handling and appeal processes, please refer to the TAC Fact Sheet: RTO Complaints and Appeals.
New TAC podcast
TAC has released a new podcast titled Who is TAC and what is its role?
To listen to this and other TAC Talks podcast episodes on aspects of compliance and quality, click here.
Annual Declaration on Compliance
RTOs are reminded of the requirement to complete and submit their Annual Declaration on Compliance by 30 September 2022.
An email containing a link to commence the Declaration has been sent to the Legally Responsible Officer at the RTO. Click here for more information about the RTO Annual Declaration on Compliance 2021-2022.
If you have any questions regarding the Declaration, please contact TAC on (08) 9224 6510 or via email at tac@dtwd.wa.gov.au.
Finalists announced for the WA Training Awards
Congratulations to the finalists in this year's WA Trainer of the Year Award, as sponsored by the Council. The winner will be announced at the WA Training Awards presentation to be held on 21 September 2022.
For the full list of the 2022 WA Training Awards finalists click here.
Other important updates
National Foundation Skills Framework 2022 to 2032
In August 2020, all Australian governments agreed to provide stronger support for foundation skills to all Australians with low levels of language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy.
The National Foundations Skills Framework 2022 to 2032 sets out a 10 year model for collective action by governments working with stakeholders to further improve the foundation skills of Australian adults.
'Foundation skills' are core skills or competencies that underpin workforce participation, productivity, and social inclusion and are often referred to as language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills (LLND), and employability skills.
The Framework supports government commitment to improve foundation skills for all Australians and to Closing the Gap.
Latest NCVER Reports
NCVER have released a number of new reports including:
- Latest VET statistics
- Journeying through VET: a case study of foundation skills learners
- Completion and attrition rates for apprentices and trainees 2021
- Total VET Students and Courses 2021
