Outcome
VET students are trained, assessed and supported by people who are qualified, skilled and committed to professional development.
Overview of Quality Area 3
Quality Area 3 comprises two focus areas and three standards that shape the way an RTO’s workforce is configured to deliver quality training and assessment.
| Focus areas | Standards | |
|---|---|---|
| VET workforce management | 3.1 | Effective workforce management ensures appropriate staffing to deliver the services. |
| Trainer and assessor competencies | 3.2 | Training and assessment is delivered by credentialled people with current skills and knowledge in training and assessment. |
| 3.3 | Training and assessment is delivered by people with current industry skills and knowledge relevant to the training product. | |
Intent of Quality Area 3
Quality Area 3 focuses on the VET workforce, including how RTOs plan and manage the VET workforce and ensure trainers and assessors are appropriately skilled and credentialled to deliver training and assessment.
Quality training and assessment requires RTOs to have sufficient numbers of appropriately skilled, qualified and experienced staff to support its operations.
Effective workforce planning enables RTOs to strategically consider their workforce needs – both now and into the future. As part of this, RTOs should identify the roles to be filled, the knowledge, skills and experience required for each role and the number and mix of staff required to deliver its operations and meet its obligations (including these Standards). Recruitment and retention strategies will be critical to ensure RTOs have a sufficient number of skilled staff to deliver quality training and assessment, particularly in light of workforce shortages.
RTOs must also consider how they will monitor staff performance and support staff to continuously develop their skills and experience. This enables staff to continue to perform their roles effectively, builds a more robust and capable workforce and improves staff satisfaction (improving retention).
RTOs are responsible for ensuring training and assessment are delivered by credentialled people, in line with the Credential Policy. The Credential Policy outlines the credentials required for undertaking validation of assessment (in line with Standard 1.5) and for delivering training and assessment, including for training products from the TAE Training Package (in line with Standard 3.2). This seeks to ensure that only appropriately credentialled people, with current skills and knowledge in training and assessment, deliver training and assessment.
RTOs are required to ensure that all trainers and assessors undertake continuing professional development to maintain the currency of their skills and knowledge. This includes ongoing professional development in relation to industry skills and knowledge and also in relation to training and assessment practices, skills and strategies. This helps to equip trainers and assessors to effectively engage and support students who may have varying needs and backgrounds.
It is critical that trainers and assessors (and any experts engaged to support trainers and assessors) have current industry competencies, skills and knowledge relevant to the training product. This helps to ensure students receive training and assessment that is grounded in current industry practice and provides them with the skills and competencies needed for employment or further study.
