Integrity of Nationally Recognised Training Products

Requirement

9. Issuance of AQF certification documentation

1. A registered training organisation must not issue AQF certification documentation to any person unless the person is a VET student who the organisation has assessed as meeting the requirements of the training product.
2. Where a registered training organisation has assessed a VET student as meeting the requirements of the training product in accordance with subsection (1),  the organisation must ensure the AQF certification documentation is issued to the VET student within 30 calendar days from the completion of the assessment, provided the VET student:
   1. has completed the AQF qualification or completed one or more units of an AQF qualification which they have subsequently withdrawn from; and
   2. has paid to the organisation all agreed fees associated with the training product.

Related Standards

Standard

• Standard 1.4 - assessment
• Standard 1.6 - assessment
• Standard 1.7 - credit transfer

Compliance Requirement

Requirements

10. Records of AQF certification documentation and assessments  

A registered training organisation must:

1. maintain a register in accordance with the AQF Qualifications Register Policy of all:
   1. AQF qualifications it is authorised to issue; and
   2. AQF qualifications and VET statements of attainment the organisation has issued to VET students;
2. retain records, in accordance with the AQF Qualifications Register Policy, of all AQF certification documentation issued to VET students for a period of thirty years;
3. retain records of all assessments submitted by a VET student to the organisation or a third party for a period of 2 years after the student has completed the training product;
4. ensure VET students – including those previously enrolled with the organisation – are able to access copies of their AQF certification documentation retained under paragraph (b); and
5. upon request from the VET Regulator, provide a report of all AQF qualifications and VET statements of attainment the organisation has issued during the period specified in the Regulator’s request. 

Related Standards

Standards

Requirements

11. Issue of VET qualifications and VET statements of attainment 

1. All VET qualifications issued by a registered training organisation must comply with the AQF Qualifications Issuance Policy and must include:
   1. the name, registration code and logo of the organisation;
   2. the code and title of the AQF qualification;
   3. the NRT logo – in accordance with the requirements of the NRT Logo Conditions of Use policy;
   4. the signature of an individual who the organisation has authorised to sign the AQF qualification;
   5. the organisation’s seal, corporate identifier or unique watermark;
   6. the following statement: “The qualification is recognised within the Australian Qualifications Framework”, or any Australian Qualifications Framework logo authorised by the Conditions for the use of the Australian Qualifications Framework Logo policy;
   7. where the AQF qualification has an industry descriptor as listed on the National Register in the corresponding training product – the industry descriptor;
   8. where the AQF qualification has an occupational or functional stream listed on the National Register under the corresponding training product – the title of the stream in brackets after the code and title of the AQF qualification;
   9. where the AQF qualification has been obtained by a VET student in the course of undertaking an Australian apprenticeship – the statement: “Achieved through Australian Apprenticeship arrangements”; and
   10. where any part of the AQF qualification has been delivered in another language – the statement: “these units of competency/modules have been delivered and assessed in [insert relevant language]” followed by a list of all units of competency or modules that have been delivered in the relevant language.
2. All VET statements of attainment issued by a registered training organisation must comply with the AQF Qualifications Issuance Policy and must include:
   1. the name, registration code and logo of the organisation;
   2. the full title and national code, as set out on the National Register, of:
      1. each unit of competency to which the statement relates; or
      2. if no units of competency exist – each module to which the statement relates;
   3. the NRT logo – in accordance with the requirements of the NRT Logo Conditions of Use policy;
   4. the signature of an individual who the organisation has authorised to sign the statement;
   5. the organisation’s seal, corporate identifier or unique watermark;
   6. the statement: “A VET statement of attainment is issued by a registered training organisation when an individual has completed one or more accredited units or modules”;
   7. where the units of competency form part of a VET course or qualification – the following statement: “These competencies form part of [code and full title of the relevant VET course or qualification]”;
   8. where the units of competency have been attained in the course of completing a VET course – the following statement: “These competencies were attained in completion of [VET course code] course in [full title of the VET course]”; and
   9. where any of the units of competency or modules listed on the statement have been delivered in another language – the statement: “these units of competency/modules have been delivered and assessed in [insert relevant language]” followed by a list of all units of competency or modules that have been delivered in the relevant language.

Related Standards

Standard

Compliance Requirement

• 11 - NRT logo
• Schedule 2 - Nationally Recognised Training Logo Conditions Of Use Policy

Requirements

12. Student identifier requirements

1. A registered training organisation must
   1. not include any individual’s student identifier on a VET qualification or VET statement of attainment; and
   2. request the Registrar to verify that any student identifier provided to it by an individual belongs to that individual before the organisation uses the identifier for any purpose.
2. Subject to subsections (3) and (5), a registered training organisation must not issue a VET qualification or a VET statement of attainment to a VET student unless the student has been assigned a student identifier.

Exemptions given by the Minister

3. The Minister may, in writing and as agreed by the Ministerial Council, specify an issue to which the requirement in subsection (2) does not apply, by reference to one or more of the following:
   1. the organisation doing the issuing;
   2. the VET qualification, or VET statement of attainment, being issued; or
   3. the VET student to whom the VET qualification, or VET statement of attainment, is being issued.
4. Where an exemption described in subsection (3) or subsection 53(3) of the Student Identifiers Act 2014 applies – a registered training organisation must inform the VET student prior to the completion of enrolment or commencement of training and assessment, whichever occurs first, that the results of the training:
   1. will not be accessible through the Commonwealth; and
   2. will not appear on any authenticated VET transcript prepared by the Registrar.
5. Subsections (2) and (3) only apply to registered training organisations that are not constitutional corporations.

Related Standards

Requirements

13. Nationally Recognised Training logo

A registered training organisation must ensure that it uses the NRT logo in accordance with the requirements specified in the NRT Logo Conditions of Use policy.

Related Standards

Requirements

14. Transition of training products

1. Unless otherwise approved by the National VET Regulator a registered training organisation must ensure:
   1. where a training product is superseded:
      1. no individuals are enrolled in the superseded training product from the period commencing one year from the date the replacement training product was included on the National Register; and
      2. all VET students enrolled in the superseded training product have completed the training product and been issued the relevant AQF certification documentation or have been transferred into the replacement training product in a timely manner;
   2. where an AQF qualification is no longer current and has not been superseded – all VET students enrolled in the training and assessment leading to the qualification have, within a period of two years from the date the qualification was removed or deleted from the National Register:
      1. completed the qualification; and
      2. received all AQF certification documentation relating to the qualification;
   3. where a skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course or module is no longer current and has not been superseded – all VET students enrolled in the training and assessment have, within one year from the date the training and assessment is deleted from the National Register:
      1. completed the training and assessment; and
      2. have received all AQF certification documentation relating to the training and assessment.
2. A registered training organisation must ensure the organisation does not allow individuals to commence training and assessment in a training product that has expired, been removed or deleted from the National Register.

Related Standards

Websites

• Unique Student Identifier
• Student Identifiers Act 2014
• The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
• AQF Certification Documentation

FAQ

Q: A student has completed all the requirements for a qualification and paid all fees but fails to, or refuses to, provide a USI within 30 days of completion. Should the RTO issue the qualification?

A: No. From 1 January 2015, your RTO may only issue a qualification or statement of attainment to a student after that student has provided you with a verified USI, or after your RTO has applied for a USI on the student's behalf.

To avoid delays in issuing certification documentation, it is recommended you apply for, or verify the learner's USI at the time of enrolment.

A student can apply to be granted an exemption from the USI Office. You can issue a qualification or statement of attainment to a student that holds an exemption, but you will first need to sight and verify the exemption with the USI Office. For further information on applications for individual exemptions from the USI, please refer to the USI Website.