VET policies and guidelines
This section contains policies and guidelines useful to VET practitioners.
It includes information on:
- standards and legislation;
- VET FEE-HELP;
- reporting requirements; and
- the Unique Student Identifier.
National policy and standards
The National VET Regulator Act 2011
This Act establishes and sets out the role of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator, called the Australian Skills Quality Authority.
The Vocational Education and Training Quality Framework
This framework covers regulation and quality of training and assessment by RTOs. It aims to achieve greater national consistency in the way RTOs are registered and monitored. RTOs must be able to meet all the requirements of the framework through registration and audit conducted by the VET regulator. It comprises:
- Standards for National VET Regulator registered training organisations;
- fit and proper person requirements;
- financial viability risk assessment requirements;
- data provision requirements; and
- Australian Qualifications Framework.
Standards for RTOs 2015
These standards set out the requirements that an organisation must meet in order to be an RTO and maintain registration. They aim to ensure that that the training delivered by RTOs meet employer needs and provide mechanisms to protect the interests of the student.
Standards for training packages
These standards ensure that training packages are of high quality and meet the workforce development needs of industry, enterprises and individuals. The Standards apply to the design and development of training packages which are then endorsed nationally.
Training packages
Training packages are a set of nationally endorsed standards and qualifications for recognising and assessing skills in a specific industry, industry sector or enterprise. They are developed by Industry Reference Committees, supported by Skills Service Organisations. Training packages are downloadable from the training.gov.au website – the national register for training packages.
Australian Qualifications Framework
The AQF describes qualification levels and their learning outcomes for all regulated and nationally recognised qualifications in Australia. The AQF covers qualifications provided by schools, RTOs and higher education providers including universities, and assures qualification outcomes are consistent.
Standards for VET regulators 2015
These standards set out the requirements for VET regulators regulating RTOs and accrediting VET courses to ensure the integrity of nationally recognised training. The aim is to ensure VET regulators are consistent in implementing and interpreting the Standards for RTOs and the Standards for VET Accredited Courses and are accountable and transparent in undertaking regulatory functions.
View the Standards for VET regulators 2015
AQF levels and qualifications
The following table outlines the AQF levels and qualifications as they apply across the schools, VET and higher education sectors.
| AQF level | Senior secondary school | VET | Higher education |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Doctoral Degree | ||
| 9 | Masters Degree | ||
| 8 | Graduate Diploma Graduate Certificate |
Graduate Diploma Graduate Certificate Bachelor Honours Degree |
|
| 7 | Bachelor Degree | ||
| 6 | Advanced Diploma | Associate Degree Advanced Diploma |
|
| 5 | Diploma | Diploma | |
| 4 | Certificate IV | ||
| 3 | Certificate III | ||
| 2 | Certificate II | ||
| 1 | Certificate I | ||
| Senior Secondary Certificate of Education | |||
State (WA) legislation
The following legislation applies to VET in Western Australia.
The Vocational Education and Training Act 1996
This Act governs the State training system for the effective and efficient provision of VET to meet the immediate and future needs of industry and the community.
Vocational Education and Training (General) Regulations 2009
Vocational Education and Training (Colleges) Regulations 2006
These VET Regulations dictate how the provisions of the VET Act are applied.
View the Vocational education and training (General) Regulations 2009 online
View the Vocational education and training (Colleges) Regulations 2006 online
Reporting requirements for RTOs
Collecting and reporting data on all nationally recognised training is now mandatory. Data must be collected and reported into the national VET provider collection, either:
- in accordance with existing reporting arrangements with the Department; or
- directly to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research; or
- a combination of both.
Although a limited number of exemptions for some short courses and eligible RTOs are in place, if you are delivering training under a funding agreement with the Department of Training and Workforce Development you must continue to report all of your contracted delivery to the Department.
Additional requirements for private providers
Private registered training providers need to report the non-contracted remainder of your activity (including fee-for-service) directly to NCVER. This is in accordance with the national Australian VET Management Information Statistical Standard.
These changes are part of a set of reforms that were introduced to improve the comprehensiveness and quality of data available about nationally recognised training including the implementation of a unique student identifier. All payments to providers in relation to publicly subsidised training are now conditional upon the provision of a valid national student identifier.
What do I need to know about the Unique Student Identifier?
All new and continuing students undertaking nationally recognised vocational education and training courses are required to have a Unique Student Identifier. A USI is an account (or reference number) made up of numbers and letters that allows students online access to their training records and results through a transcript service.
As outlined in the Standards for RTOs, there are a number of requirements in relation to the USI. In particular, RTOs must ensure that they have a valid USI for an individual, prior to issuing them with a qualification or statement of attainment. Importantly, in Western Australia all payments to providers in relation to publicly subsidised training are conditional upon the provision of a valid national student identifier.
How is the USI linked to reporting and payments?
The USI is a mandatory data field for reporting nationally recognised training. All payments to providers in relation to publicly subsidised training will be conditional upon the provision of a valid national student identifier.
For further information on reporting requirements, visit the Commonwealth Government website pages on VET activity reporting.
Travel and accommodation allowance
Through TAA, the Department assists apprentices and trainees with travel and accommodation related to the completion of their off-the-job training component. Assistance is also available to lecturers and employers whose travel and accommodation arrangements meet the requirements of the policy.
Further information about TAA is available in the Apprenticeship and traineeship policy
The policy and the procedures documents, as well as all application forms, are available in the Policy guidelines section of our website.
For enquiries relating to TAA, or to submit application forms, please contact taa@dtwd.wa.gov.au.
VET student loans
VET Student Loans commenced on 1 January 2017, replacing the VET FEE‑HELP scheme, which ceased on 31 December 2016. The VET Student Loans program assists eligible students enrolled in approved higher level vocational education and training courses to pay their tuition fees.
Training providers may apply to the Commonwealth Government to become a VET Student Loans provider. You can find out about eligibility, application information and requirements and how to become a provider at the Commonwealth Government website.
Note: As part of the transition, existing VET FEE-HELP students can opt-in to continue receiving a VET FEE-HELP loan in 2017. Please check the website for more information.
