Standard 2.1
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VET students have access to clear and accurate information concerning the organisation, the relevant training product, and students are made aware of any changes that may affect them.
Performance Indicator
An RTO demonstrates:
- all information provided to VET students by the organisation or any third parties is clear, accurate and current;
- how it identifies which information VET students require prior to their enrolment and how that information is communicated to VET students prior to their enrolment;
- the following information is easily accessible to VET students:
- the training product code and title, duration, modes of delivery, training delivery, location, training commencement dates, scheduling, any requirements to commence or complete the training product including assessment requirements, whether any licencing or occupational licence requirements apply, and details of any third party arrangements that apply to the delivery of the training;
- the training support services and wellbeing support services that are available to the VET student, and how the student can access those services;
- all fees, costs and charges associated with the provision of the training product which VET students may incur, including payment terms and conditions, any applicable refund policies and the availability of any relevant government training entitlements and subsidies;
- any obligations or liabilities which may be imposed on VET students undertaking the training product, including any obligations requiring VET students to acquire any materials, equipment or IT, any costs and processes associated with withdrawing from training, and costs and processes associated with obtaining a Student Identifier, and any requirements for VET students to undertake work placements;
- the organisation provides all VET students with documentation prior to enrolment or before any fees are required to be paid which sets out:
- the training which the organisation or third parties will provide the VET student;
- all fees, costs and charges which the VET student will be required to pay; and
- any obligations or liabilities which may be imposed by the organisation or third parties on the VET student; and
- that it informs VET students, as soon as practicable, of any changes to training products or the organisation’s operations that may affect VET students, including any changes relating to the transition of superseded, deleted, or expired training products.
Intent of Standard 2.1
The intent of Standard 2.1 is to ensure information provided to students is up to date, accurate, clear and easy to understand, and that students receive relevant and timely information that enables them to make informed decisions. RTOs are expected to provide prospective students with information prior to enrolment, including in relation to the training product, support services available, fees and costs, and student rights, obligations and requirements.
RTOs should ensure the information provided is sufficient to enable students to make informed decisions about whether the RTO and training product is right for them. It is critical that information does not misrepresent training or mislead students as to what they can expect in participating in training and assessment (for example, by understating the amount of hours involved in training, overstating the support services available to students or guaranteeing job outcomes, etc.)
Students must also be informed where there are any service changes that may affect them – for example, changes to course details, cost or duration, changes to third-party agreements, changes to support services available, transition arrangements where training products are superseded, etc.
RTOs are responsible for ensuring all marketing conducted on its behalf, including through a third-party arrangement, complies with the Standards, no matter who actually creates or publishes the material.
Self-Assurance Considerations
In self-assuring against this Standard, consider (among other things):
- how do you identify the information needed by students and the mechanisms for communicating this to them
- your quality assurance mechanisms for ensuring that information provided is clear, accurate, current and helpful to inform students’ decisions (including where information is provided by third parties)
- how changes are made to marketing materials and how this information is communicated to students
- how do you ensure that information is provided to students prior to enrolment or before any fees are required to be paid
Standard 2.2
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VET students are advised, prior to enrolment, about the suitability of the training product for them, taking into account the student’s skills and competencies.
Performance Indicator
An RTO demonstrates:
- taking into account the requirements of the training product – it has procedures in place to review, prior to enrolment, the skills and competencies of prospective VET students, including their language, literacy and numeracy proficiency and digital literacy; and
- based on the outcome of the review – it provides advice to each prospective VET student about whether the training product is suitable for them..
Intent of Standard 2.2
The intent of this standard is to ensure that students are able to make informed decisions about whether a training product is right for them, based on their skills, competencies and learning needs. This seeks to protect student wellbeing by minimising the risk of students unknowingly participating in training that is unsuitable for them, recognising the challenges faced by students who do not have the necessary foundation or other skills or attributes to successfully complete the training.
To enable this, RTOs are expected to, prior to enrolment:
- provide accurate and accessible information to prospective students about the foundation skills and competencies (or other attributes) needed to successfully participate in a training product
- review a prospective student’s skills, ensure they have the necessary language, literacy, numeracy and digital proficiency to undertake the intended training
- inform prospective students about the extent of support services available (including the limits of an RTO’s ability to respond to individual needs) to provide prospective students with the opportunity to decide if the RTO is able to meet their needs
- where a prospective student does not have the required skills and competencies needed to successfully participate in a training product, RTOs should advise the person on the suitability of the training products for them.
The intention of this standard is that a prospective student cannot be committed to a training product, or incur any financial burden in relation to that training product, until the student’s language, literacy, numeracy needs and digital proficiency have been identified and advice has been provided to the student on whether the training product is right for them. RTOs may do this in different ways, as suited to their delivery context and needs of their student cohort.
The system that is needed to review skills and competencies (and provide necessary advice to prospective students) will depend on the nature of the training product, the RTO’s context and the student cohort. For example, different strategies will be required by an RTO seeking to enrol a student in a one-year, full-time program compared to an RTO seeking to enrol a student in a low cost, short duration, online course. In each case, the strategies for reviewing skills and competencies (and providing relevant advice) should be adapted and proportionate to the context.
Self-Assurance Considerations
In self-assuring against this Standard, consider (among other things):
- how do you identify the foundational skills and competencies (and any other prerequisites) required to participate in a learning product prior to enrolment
- how you review the skills and competencies of prospective students to ensure the training product is suitable for them prior to enrolment
- the support and advice you offer prospective students where they do not have the skills and competencies to participate in the training product, and how you will identify alternative training products suited to them
- how you communicate, support and advise students where alternative training products have been suggested
- how do you advise students of the foundational skills and competencies (and any other prerequisites) required to participate in a learning product prior to enrolment
Standard 2.1-2.2 – Reflective Questions
Show moreIn 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.
- How do you identify the information prospective students need prior to enrolment to make decisions about the training product and the RTO?
- How do you ensure that information provided to prospective students is clear, accurate, current and sufficiently detailed to support informed decision-making and is easily accessible to prospective students?
- How do you inform students of any changes that impact them?
- What is in place for reviewing the skills and competencies of prospective students and advising them about the suitability of training products prior to their enrolment?
- what is in place to ensure any training product information provided by a third-party is clear, accurate and helpful to students?
