TAC FAQs

The current Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 have been in place for almost ten years. Reviews of, and feedback from, the vocational education and training (VET) sector identified a need to better support high quality training and assessment across the sector. Stakeholder feedback also identified that the 2015 Standards are complex, difficult to navigate and drive a strong focus on administrative processes. They comprise a mix of macro and micro, compliance and input focused requirements, which do not all clearly link to quality VET or contribute to outcomes for students and employers.

Requirements for RTOs regulated by the Training Accreditation Council in Western Australia (TAC) are set out in the WA Vocational Education and Training Act 1996 and the Vocational Education and Training (General) Regulations 2009 (Regulations). Subject to timing of regulatory amendments, it is expected that TAC regulated RTOs will be required to meet the revised Standards (including the Outcome Standards, the Compliance Requirements and the Credential Policy) from 1 July 2025.

The Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 will continue to apply until that time.

This approach reflects early feedback from the sector that the mix of quality-oriented and compliance-focused requirements in the 2015 Standards causes 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 purpose of the Standards is to:

• support RTOs to deliver nationally consistent, high-quality training that leads to quality outcomes for students, industry, employers and the Australian community;
• ensure training and assessment delivered by RTOs meets industry requirements (as set out in training packages and accredited courses), and ensures students are well equipped for employment and further study; and
• ensure RTOs operate with integrity and consider the needs of both students and industry.

The draft Outcomes Standards are the foundation for quality training – describing key factors that contribute to quality VET. They set out the key elements of quality training and assessment, which organisations must demonstrate to be registered, and maintain registration, as a training provider.

The draft Compliance Requirements (including the Fit and Proper Person Requirements and NRT Logo Conditions of Use Policy) set out requirements relating to accountability, integrity of nationally recognised training products, and information and transparency that RTOs must meet at all times to protect VET students and support the integrity of Australia’s VET sector. 

The draft Credential Policy largely reflects existing requirements drawn from the current Standards for RTOs.  The policy operates alongside the Standards outlining the credentials required for delivering training and assessment and undertaking validation of assessment.

The Compliance Requirements and Credential Policy were published as drafts on 1 October 2024, with feedback sought from the sector through a public survey undertaken in October 2024. Over 100 responses to the survey were received, and this feedback has been considered in the drafting of the legislative instruments to enact the revised Standards for RTOs.   

The policy drafts have been developed over the course of the past four years, following significant consultation with the VET sector, and were agreed by the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council in May 2024. The legislative instruments will reflect the policy drafts, with some minor wording changes to give legal effect to the policy intent and to reflect key feedback received through the public survey on the Compliance Requirements and Credential Policy.

Please be aware, Registered Training Organisations are required to adhere to the legislative instruments and the Credential Policy, and this is what TAC will regulate against. It is important that providers take the time to become familiar with the instruments when they come into place in early 2025.  

The draft Credential Policy largely reflects existing credential requirements from the current Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (the Standards), which were last updated on 1 March 2024.

In addition to reflecting existing requirements, the following further changes are included in the draft Credential Policy:

• Enabling individuals who hold the 2010 version of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110) to deliver training and assessment without needing to hold the two additional units of competency in addressing adult language, literacy and numeracy skills and designing and developing assessment tools. 
• Expanding the term ‘diploma or higher-level qualification in adult education’ to ‘diploma or higher-level qualification in adult education or vocational education and training’, and inclusion of a definition to provide greater clarity and address existing confusion around this term identified in consultation feedback. This will help clarify that persons with vocational education and training qualifications can deliver training and assessment. 

The draft Credential Policy sets out the credential requirements for people delivering training and assessment and undertaking validation of assessment. RTOs are responsible for ensuring training and assessment are delivered in line with the Credential Policy. The Credential Policy seeks to ensure that only appropriately credentialled people, with current skills and knowledge in training and assessment, deliver training and assessment. This helps to uphold the quality of VET and ensure the integrity and validity of assessment.

Standard 3.3 also requires all trainers and assessors to have industry competencies, skills and knowledge that are relevant to, and at least to the level of, the training product being delivered and/or assessed. 

Yes, individuals who hold the 2010 version of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110) will be able to deliver training and assessment without needing to hold the two additional units of competency in addressing adult language, literacy and numeracy skills and designing and developing assessment tools.

This change is designed to alleviate VET workforce pressures and to align with the latest Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122), given that the updated versions of the additional units are no longer core units in the qualification.

To ensure currency of skills and quality training for those with the older qualification, the Standards will still require all trainers and assessors to undertake professional development to ensure current skills and knowledge in training and assessment, and to hold relevant industry competencies, skills and knowledge.

The draft Outcome Standards outline the requirements for industry experts at Standard 3.3. The draft Credential Policy outlines the credentials required for trainers and assessors, including those providing direction to individuals working under supervision.

The use of industry experts is outlined in draft Outcome Standard 3.3 which provides that training and assessment is delivered by people with current industry skills and knowledge relevant to training product. The RTO is required to demonstrate that where an expert is engaged to support trainers and assessors, this is based on a specific need for expertise related to the training product or VET student cohort, and there is a system for ensuring:

1. the expert has relevant industry competencies, skills and knowledge and specialised industry or subject matter expertise,
2. the expert works under the direction of a person with the credentials specified in the Credential Policy and, where the expert is involved in the assessment judgement, they work alongside the trainer or assessor to conduct the assessment,
3. sufficient oversight of the expert to ensure the quality of the training and assessment.

Under Section 1A of the draft Credential Policy, to deliver training and assessment, including making assessment judgements, an individual with a secondary teaching qualification must also hold one of the following credentials to deliver training and assessment without direction:

• TAESS00011 Assessor Skill Set, or
• TAESS00019 Assessor Skill Set or its successor, or
• TAESS00024 VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set or its successor.

Under Section 1D of the draft Credential Policy, a person who holds a secondary teaching qualification must deliver training and conduct assessment under direction.

The early changes to the Standards that commenced in March 2024 enabled the use of a range of new and updated skill sets for delivery training under supervision. The draft Credential Policy builds on these earlier amendments to the Standards, which reflect the skill sets within the TAE Training Package that were designed to enable delivery of training and assessment. Skill sets that were designed for trainers and assessors to upskill, but not enable people to deliver training or conduct assessment in their own right, have not been included.

Changes have been made regarding the transition of training products that have been superseded. The requirements to transition existing students within 12 months has been removed. Instead, RTOs are required to transfer students into the replacement training product in a timely manner. This recognises that the appropriate transition time will vary for different training products, including those of different durations. It is also designed to minimise disruption for students and reduce administrative burden on RTOs (including to reduce the number of requests that need to be made for extensions to the transition period). Further guidance to support RTOs to consider appropriate timeframes for transition will be provided by VET regulators.

Further information on the transition plan for TAC regulated RTOs will be released at a later date.

In the meantime, the TAC Education Program and online guidance hub will focus on assisting RTOs to prepare for the revised Standards. 

TAC encourages RTOs to become familiar with the draft Outcome Standards, draft Compliance Requirements and the draft Credential Policy.

The following may also help RTOs:

• Focus on ensuring your governance arrangements are in place and meet the requirements.
• Identify what your organisation does to deliver quality training and assessment such as  staff with the correct credentials to deliver training and carry out assessments.
• Identify what your organisation does to deliver quality training and assessment such as ensuring staff have the correct credentials to deliver training and carry out assessments.
• Identify what systems you have in place to gather feedback from your stakeholders (staff, students, employers) and ensure you have systems in place to demonstrate continuous improvement based on this feedback. 

To ensure integration of training and assessment approaches and systems, many RTOs may choose to develop detailed training and assessment strategies that holistically describe the training (including how it has been developed and informed) and the assessment (including how it is conducted and quality assured) in line with the training product.

Under Standard 1.2 - the RTO demonstrates:

(b) it uses the advice and feedback to inform changes to training and assessment strategies and practices