Training: Standards 1.1 and 1.2

Standard

Training is engaging and well-structured and enables VET students to attain skills and knowledge consistent with the training product.

Performance Indicator

The RTO demonstrates:

1. training is consistent with the requirements of the training product
2. the mode(s) of delivery enable VET students to attain skills and knowledge consistent with the training product
3. training is structured and paced to support VET students to progress, providing sufficient time for instruction, practice, feedback and assessment
4. training techniques, activities and resources engage VET students and support their understanding
5. where the training product requires work-integrated learning, work placements or other community-based learning, necessary skills and knowledge are able to be attained in that environment. 

The design and delivery of training is critical to ensure students are engaged, recognising the diversity of students needs and learning styles, and enables students to build practical skills and competencies. Designing well-structured and engaging training is key to supporting students to progress through the training product.

In designing and delivering training, RTOs are responsible for:

Ensuring the training aligns with the requirements of the training product and the AQF

• While training products set out requirements in relation to core competencies, assessment, methods, etc they do not prescribe how an individual should be trained. RTOs must be able to demonstrate how their training design and delivery enables students to build the specified skills, knowledge and competencies.

Adopting a suitable mode of delivery

• Mode of delivery refers to methods for delivering training and/or assessment – for example, face-to-face, online, distance or blended methods.
• The mode of delivery must be appropriate for the skills and competencies being delivered through the training. For example, where the course requires students to build practical skills, the mode of delivery must enable practical application of the skills.

Identifying an appropriate training structure and pacing to support VET students to progress

• To do this, RTOs need to understand the student journey, including how long it should take students to develop competencies and how much time students will be required to commit to the training.
• The time required to achieve a qualification or unit can depend on a range of factors, including:
  • the student cohort
  • the mode of delivery and the resources, technology platforms and facilities available
  • the expectations of industry, employers and/or the community
  • the breadth and complexity of the skills and knowledge to be acquired.

Training techniques engage VET students

• Students are diverse and have varied learning needs, styles and preferences. Utilising a range of training techniques, activities and resources to deliver training enables RTOs to cater to these diverse needs and improves outcomes for students.
• Training should consider an array of training techniques and activities that seek to engage, interest, energise and involve students and enable them to build skills and knowledge in multiple different ways.

Ensure opportunities for work-integrated learning are fit-for-purpose

• Work-integrated learning and work placements enable students to gain skills and experience by working directly in or with an industry or community organisation as part of their training. By enabling students to develop and test their skills under realistic conditions, and in real‑world environments, RTOs can ensure that students’ competency reflects contemporary, industry-appropriate practice.
• If delivering training fully in a workplace, the RTO must ensure the student has access to the time, resources, facilities and relevant experiences to safely learn and practice all requirements in a unit of competency.

Considerations specific to certain types of RTOs

Assessment only RTOs will not generally be required to demonstrate compliance with this standard, as they do not design or deliver training. However, they must have an understanding of training strategies. This will help to ensure that the assessment system is fit-for-purpose and that students have an integrated end-to-end training and assessment experience. 

Self-Assurance Considerations:

In self-assuring against this standard, consider (among other things):

• how you ensure all aspects of your training delivery (eg quality assurance, engagement with industry etc), is fit-for-purpose and consistent with the requirements of the training product
• the inputs that have informed your training design, including the mode(s) of delivery, structure and pacing, training techniques, activities, facilities, staffing and resources
• how you monitor and evaluate training delivery to ensure it is effective, engaging and appropriately structured and paced for the student cohort
• how you understand your student cohort needs and preference and how to engage with them is allocated during instruction, practice, feedback and assessment.
• how you adjust the training structure, pacing and delivery based on the identified needs of different student cohorts
• how you identify and monitor work-integrated learning, work placements and other community‑based learning opportunities to ensure students have sufficient opportunity to gain the necessary skills and knowledge.

Standard

Effective engagement with industry, employer and/or community representatives informs the industry relevance of the training.

Performance Indicator

The RTO demonstrates:

1. how it identifies relevant industry, employer and/or community representatives and seeks meaningful advice and feedback from those representatives
2. it uses the advice and feedback to inform changes to training and assessment strategies and practices
3. training reflects current industry practice. 

Intent of Standard 1.2

VET is about skilling people for industry and for the workplace with the expectation that, at the completion of the training, the student is competent. This means that the training and assessment delivered by the RTO should reflect workplace requirements and meet the expectations of industry.

Industry expectations are reflected in training packages and accredited courses. These products are informed by industry representatives who help define the current skills and knowledge required for safe and productive employment. However, some training products include only high-level industry requirements, which ensures RTOs have flexibility to design training and assessment around their student cohorts and local industry need, provided this is in line with the high-level requirements in the training product. This also enables RTOs to adapt their practices as new evidence and technologies emerge in different sectors.

As such, it is critical that RTOs have mechanisms for ongoing industry engagement to ensure training remains relevant, fit-for-purpose and reflective of current industry practice. This helps to:

• ensure training aligns with current industry need, practice and expectations
• enable graduates to enter the workplace ‘job ready’, with the skills and knowledge required to succeed
• maximise students’ opportunities for employment, advancement or further education
• instil confidence (from employers, industry and students) in the integrity, currency and value of the qualifications issued by RTOs.

Self-Assurance Considerations:

In self-assuring against this standard, consider (among other things):

• your practice for how you identify relevant stakeholders and appropriate engagement mechanisms to ensure your RTO’s training continues to meet industry needs
• how you systematically identify and implement changes to the training based on the outcomes of engagement with industry, employers, and community representatives
• the quality assurance mechanisms you have in place to ensure that training reflects current industry practice
• if your RTO uses work- integrated learning, work placements or other community-based learning, how you capture and use on-going feedback to inform training practice

In considering the reflective questions, consider the extent to which your current practices are working and what if any, changes you could make to improve these. It may be helpful to think about examples.

1. What practices do you have in place to ensure your training design and delivery is fit-for-purpose and consistent with the requirements of the training product(s)?
2. How do you (1) identify relevant stakeholders and (2) engage with them to seek advice and feedback to ensure your training reflects current industry requirements?
3. What practices have informed your decision to determine that the structure and pace of the training is appropriate to support students to achieve the outcomes set in the training product(s)? How do you adjust this for different student cohorts?
4. What do you have in place to ensure your trainers are skilled to deliver training product(s)?
5. How do you monitor student feedback, engagement and progression and use this to inform improvements to training design and delivery?
6. What do you have in place to determine the success (or otherwise) of work placements being able to provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge?

Standard

• Standard 1.5 - assessment
• Standard 1.8 - facilities, resources and equipment
• Standard 2.1 - information provided to learners
• Standard 2.4 - training support
• Standard 2.5 - diversity and inclusion
• Standard 4.1 - leadership and accountability
• Standard 4.4 - continuous improvement

Compliance Requirement

• 12 & 13 - Transition of training products