Facilities: Standard 1.8

Standard

Facilities, resources and equipment for each training product are fit-for-purpose, safe, accessible and sufficient.

Performance Indicator

The RTO demonstrates:

1. how it identifies the facilities, resources and equipment required to deliver the training product, including which of these will be provided by the RTO or third parties
2. where facilities, resources and equipment are provided by the RTO or third parties, how it ensures:
   1. the ongoing suitability and safety of the facilities, resources and equipment for the VET student cohort
   2. that VET students have access to the resources and equipment they need to participate in the training and assessment
3. where training involves work-integrated learning, work placements, or other community-based learning, strategies are in place to manage any risks associated with these facilities, resources and equipment.

Intent of Standard 1.8

The intent of this standard is to ensure that facilities, resources, and equipment are fit-for-purpose and safe to use, and that resourcing is sufficient and appropriate to ensure students can effectively complete their training.

The adequacy and appropriateness of facilities, resources and equipment cannot be considered in isolation. It will be influenced by a wide range of factors, including:

• the training product requirements
• feedback from industry, employers, community, staff and students
• the student cohort, including diversity of the cohort and needs
• the number of students enrolled
• the mode of training delivery.

RTOs will be expected to demonstrate how they identify the necessary facilities, resources and equipment to deliver the training, taking all of these matters into account.

Work placements and work integrated learning present different challenges because RTOs will not always control the setting or the risk to the student. RTOs are however expected to work with employers to assess the risks and to identify how these risks will be managed. In some cases the risk could be managed by informing the student of the risk so that they can take the necessary risk mitigation steps, in some cases the workplace may assume responsibility for management of the risk. In all cases it is expected that the RTO would have policies in place for identifying and managing the risk, a risk escalation pathway such that the students and employers / placements coordinator could report risk to the RTO and risk registers to record risk.

Considerations for different RTOs

This standard applies to all RTOs, including those that deliver training and assessment purely through online delivery modes or by distance. While there may not be physical facilities – RTOs are still responsible for ensuring the safety, suitability and accessibility of the online learning environment and resources.

Self-Assurance Considerations

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

• how you identify facility, resourcing and equipment needs
• how you determine whether your facilities, resources and equipment are sufficient for the student cohort
• the strategies you have in place to ensure the ongoing suitability and safety of your facilities, resources and equipment
• how you support students to access resources and equipment
• how you work with employers to identify risks associated with work-integrated learning and put strategies in place to address these

Standard 1.8 – Reflective Questions

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 is your practice for ensuring the facilities, resources, or equipment are available for each learner to achieve competency as specified in the training product?
2. What other factors influence the facilities, resources and equipment required? For example, how has industry, employer, community, staff and student feedback influenced the facilities, resources and equipment to be used?
3. How do students access the facilities, resources and equipment? Do all students have equitable access?
4. How do you determine any potential risk associated with the facilities, resources, and equipment and how are these risks?
5. Thinking specifically about work-integrated learning, work placements, or other community-based learning, are there any specific associated risks and how are these identified and managed?

Related Standards

Standard

• Standard 1.1 - training
• Standard 1.3 - assessment
• Standard 4.1 - leadership and accountability
• Standard 4.2 - leadership and accountability
• Standard 4.3 - risk management
• Standard 4.4 - continuous improvement

Compliance Requirement

• 1 & 2 - information management requirements
• 12 & 13 - transition of training products
• 16 & 17 - third party