Course accreditation is the formal recognition of a course by an accrediting body. In Western Australia, the course accrediting body is the Training Accreditation Council (TAC or the Council). Accredited courses fill a gap in skill requirements that are not covered by national industry training package qualifications. They must be developed in accordance with the AQTF2021 Standards for Accredited Courses.
Once a course is accredited it is listed on the National Register at www.training.gov.au. This means that the course is nationally recognised and can only be delivered by a registered training organisation (RTO). RTOs wishing to deliver an accredited course must first obtain copyright permission from the course owner.
Accredited courses are granted accreditation for a specified period and have an expiry date. The Council usually accredits courses for five years.
Reaccreditation is about renewing the accreditation of a course before it expires so that it can continue to be delivered. Applications for reaccreditation must be submitted to the Council at least three months before the expiry of accreditation.
It is the course owner's responsibility to ensure that applications are lodged in time. As a courtesy, the TAC Secretariat will issue reminder notices to course owners before expiry of accreditation.
Accrediting a course within the VET sector is a significant undertaking for an organisation. Further information on the accreditation process is available at one of TAC's professional development sessions available at the link below:
