February 2020 - RTO Group

Are you looking for a VET professional to join your team? Or perhaps you are looking for your next career opportunity?

Specialising in recruitment Australia wide, Career Calling Jobs work with a large number of qualified and passionate candidates searching for the next challenge in their career within the VET sector.
Our platform receives an extraordinary number of applications from candidates who are specifically seeking employment in the industry.
We are currently working with professionals who are looking for new career opportunities in the following positions:
– Training Coordinators
– Trainers & Assessors
– Compliance Managers
– Administration Officers
– Business Development Managers
– RTO Managers
– CEO & Other Executive Positions
We help employers to find the best talent for their company. We recognise that hiring is a complex and costly process. However, it can be less complicated and completed on a budget by using our services.
We have various packages available depending on the needs of the organisation.

Advertising Only

$165

Advertising & Screening

$275

Advertising & Recruitment

$550*

Advertising, Recruitment & Employee Administration

$750*

Our recruitment team has extensive knowledge of the VET sector. Having worked in numerous roles within RTO’s for many years means, we appreciate the nature of the industry and the skills, knowledge and experience employers are looking for in staff. We understand exactly what competencies employees require to work effectively and maintain compliance.
We are dedicated to providing a quality service to both employers and candidates to ensure the outcome is long-lasting and successful. Allow us to help you find outstanding talent for your company so you can continue focusing on the success of your business.
Whether you are looking for the next member of your team or you are considering your next career move, we can help you.
To view all of our current vacancies or to view our packages in more detail, please visit our website at www.jobs.careercalling.com.au
To have a chat with our Recruitment Coordinator about our services please contact Claudia Simeone on 1800 266 160 or email jobs@careercalling.com.au

February 20, 2020 rtogroupsuperadmin News, VET Sector Comments Off

I paid for it – why don’t I own it? – the copyright trap, article by Margaret Ryan, Lawyer and Trade Marks Attorney

If your business commissions a graphic artist to create a logo and brand collateral for the business, who owns the copyright in the artwork? Have you thought about this?

It is important that businesses do think about this when commissioning third parties to create artistic works and literary works. These works can include:

logos;
artwork and wording on product packaging and brand collateral;
product information such as manuals;
photographs;
advertising; and
social media.

This is because the default position in Australia is that the author or his/her employer will own the copyright, not the commissioning party. This usually comes as a shock to most businesses because they assume that “if I pay for it, I own it”. In order to own the copyright, it is normally necessary to obtain a written copyright assignment from the author or his/her employer, such as the graphic design company or advertising agency.

It is best that this be done at the start of the engagement, when the business can exercise the maximum leverage over the author/employer. If the author is not prepared to assign the copyright, the business can go elsewhere.

If there has not been a copyright assignment, the business can still use the copyright material for the purpose for which it was prepared. However, problems can arise if the business wishes to use the material for a different purpose – for instance, instead of just using artwork on shopping bags, caps and T-shirts promoting the products, the business wants to use the artwork on a wide range of merchandise to be sold separately. Without a copyright assignment or an agreement from the author to use the artwork in such a broad way, the business would need to go back to the author and ask for permission to do this – and possibly pay an additional fee.

The question of ownership of copyright often comes up when someone else is copying the logo or collateral of the business. This may amount to a copyright infringement, which can be a useful claim for the business to be able to make to stop the infringing conduct. However, unless the business owns the copyright (or at least has a written exclusive licence to use the copyright) the business cannot make this claim. It is often at this time that a lawyer will suggest that the business try and get an assignment of the copyright. However, this may not be so easy if there is no ongoing relationship with the author or the author is difficult to locate. Alternatively, the author may be prepared to assign the copyright but only for a (sometimes substantial) fee.

It is recommended that a business think about copyright ownership at the outset of commissioning artistic or literary works so that they can agree in writing on who owns the copyright. This is best practice for businesses who understand that copyright is an important business asset.

29 January 2020

This article provides general information only, and is not intended as legal advice specific to your circumstances. Please seek the advice of a lawyer if you have any particular questions.

For more information, please contact Margaret Ryan at

Margaret Ryan

Lawyer and Trade Marks Attorney

IP by Margaret™

E: margaret@ipbymargaret.com.au

W: www.ipbymargaret.com.au

PH: 03 9402 0778

February 20, 2020 rtogroupsuperadmin News, VET Sector Comments Off

Understanding the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment Bill 2019

In 2017, the Hon Karen Andrews MP, the Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, commissioned a review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (NVETR Act) and its associated legislative framework. The review was part of the Australian Government’s commitment to ensure the quality of the national vocational education and training (VET) sector into the future.

Professor Valerie Braithwaite from Australian National University conducted the review to determine the legislative capacity of the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to efficiently and effectively regulate the sector, evaluate if ASQA’s functions and powers are consistent with best regulatory practice and assess the ability of the system to meet industry and student needs. Professor Braithwaite was also asked to investigate reforms that could improve outcomes for students.

The review report is available here.

Another expert review of Australia’s vocational education and training sector was conducted by the Honourable Steven Joyce.

The review report is available here.

The National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment Bill 2019, suggested by the minister and VET stakeholders, is the result of the recommendations of Professor Valerie Braithwaite and Steven Joyce. We did our research and have identified that this bill is highly influenced by the Australian Skills Quality Authority’s submission to the Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011. The copy of the ASQA’s submission is available via the following link here:

This bill was introduced and read for the first time in the senate on 4th Dec 2019. The second reading debate occurred on the 5th February 2020. No proposed amendments have been suggested and/or made in the Amendment bill in the first or second debate. The bill is now almost ready to be introduced to the second house and the final text of the bill will be passed with or without any amendments by both the House of Representatives and the Senate which is presented to the Governor-General for assent.

It is important to understand this bill as it will be bringing a number of substantial changes to ASQA’s regulation of the vocational education and training sector.

It remains unclear how the proposed amendments will help the Australian Government and training and education sector to have a more transparent and balanced regulator that builds quality and capacity in the VET sector.

The suggested amendments are in relation to:

Training organisation’s registration requirements,

It appears under the amendment act the entry into the training market will be stringent. The total number of RTOs are already reasonably stable in recent years but these new changes will significantly reduce the number of organisations applying to become a registered training organisation (RTO). The proposed reform numbers one and two of ASQA’s submission are considered in full to make this change.

The organisations will be required to demonstrate a genuine purpose of a commitment to providing high-quality VET and capability to do so to be a training organisation. The training organisation will also be responsible to demonstrate the establishment of a sustainable business model, with a focus on ensuring adequate resources are readily available for the proposed scope of registration.

Conditions and decision timings relating to National VET Regulator (NVR) registered training organisations (NVR RTOs);

The amendment bill includes information about the period for which the condition will be imposed and how organisations should be notified.

Notification requirements for NVR RTOs in relation to changes to the operation of an NVR RTO or events likely to significantly affect an NVR RTO’s ability to comply with the VET Quality Framework;

The stringent notification requirements are suggested to be made mandatory. The legislation enforces a policy of continuous disclosure on an RTO, notifying ASQA when there are likely to be significant changes to an RTO or when an event occurs that is likely to significantly affect an organisation’s ability to be compliant.

Reviewable decisions made by the delegate of the NVR;

Section 203 includes information about the reviewable decisions made by the delegate of the NVR.

Compliance standards and conditions for accredited courses;

There are a number of compliance standards and conditions suggested for accredited courses. Such as section 47:

A person in respect of whom a VET accredited course is accredited must:

comply with the conditions set out in sections 47A, 47B and 47C; and
comply with any conditions imposed on the accreditation of the VET accredited course under subsection 48(1).

Preparation and publication of audit reports by the NVR;

ASQA will be required to publish audit reports to its own website. The format and timings of publication of these reports are not clear yet. The amendment bill states the following after section 17A:

17A Requirements for audits conducted in relation to applications for registration

1. 1. 1. The National VET Regulator must prepare a report of an audit conducted under subsection 17(3) in relation to an application for registration.
    2. The report must:
      - (a) be in a form (if any) approved by the Minister; and
      - (b) comply with the requirements (if any) prescribed by the audit report rules for the purposes of this paragraph.
    3. The report must not include personal information , unless the personal information is the name of:
      - (a) the applicant; or
      - (b) an N VR registered training organisation.
    4. The National VET Regulator must comply with the requirements (if any) prescribed by the audit report rules relating to the publication of the report.

Electronic sharing and publication of information authorised by the NVR;

The proposed changes suggest that no personal information should be made available through publication of the audit reports or electronic sharing. This change is to meet the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) and the Australian Privacy Principles (or APPs). For more information, please refer here.

The other changes include the following:

information that the NVR is required to enter on the National Register;
the NVR’s powers to request documents in electronic form, use of enforceable undertakings and to allow for regulatory decisions to be stayed while under reconsideration;
cancellation of VET qualifications and statements of attainment;
the minister’s powers to issue directions to, and determine certain fees charged by, the NVR;
certain offence provisions relating to the delivery of a VET course;
processes for the appointment of acting Commissioners, the Deputy Chief Commissioner and the Chief Commissioner of the NVR; and the NVR’s annual operational and corporate plans; and to make a number of technical amendments; and National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Transitional Provisions) Act 2011 to provide for transitional arrangements.

For more information regarding the changes and how they will affect you, contact us at info@caqa.com.au.

February 20, 2020 rtogroupsuperadmin ASQA, News, VET Industry News Comments Off

The pillars of Quality Assurance – Part 1 of Part 3

Quality Assurance (QA) is a way of preventing mistakes and defects in manufactured products and avoiding problems when delivering products or services to customers; which ISO 9000 defines as “part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled”. QA is, therefore, the process of quality planning plus quality control.

The quality assurance process in education and training

Quality assurance involves the systematic review of educational provisions to maintain and improve quality, equity and efficiency. It encompasses organisational self-evaluation (internal audits), external evaluation (including inspection), the evaluation of staff (trainers, support staff and management), and evaluation of learner training and assessments. Developing and implementing a strong quality assurance systems is crucial to building and supporting high-quality, inclusive education and training.

The difference between QA and QC

Quality Assurance and Quality Control are two terms that are often used interchangeably. Although similar, there are distinct differences between the two concepts.

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance can be defined as “part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled.” The confidence provided by quality assurance is twofold—internally to management and externally to customers, government agencies, regulators, certifiers, and third parties. An alternate definition is “all the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system that can be demonstrated to provide confidence that a product or service will fulfill requirements for quality.”

Quality Control

Quality control can be defined as “part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements.” While quality assurance relates to how a process is performed or how a product is made, quality control is more the inspection aspect of quality management. An alternate definition is “the operational techniques and activities used to fulfill requirements for quality.”

Conceptualising quality in education and training

Harvey and Green (1993) explore the nature and usage of quality in relation to higher education and point out that quality is a relative concept. Harvey (2004–12) provides definitions that are summarised below.

The exceptional view sees quality as something special.
Quality as perfection sees quality as a consistent or flawless outcome.
Quality as fitness for purpose sees quality in terms of fulfilling a customer’s requirements,needs or desires.
Quality as value for money sees quality in terms of return on investment.
Quality as transformation is a classic notion of quality that sees it in terms of change from one state to another. In educational terms, transformation refers to the enhancement and empowerment of students or the development of new knowledge.

Another perspective on the concept is offered by Cheng (2001), who states that the worldwide education reforms have experienced three waves since the 1970s. He proceeds to identify three paradigm shifts in quality improvement in education:

internal quality assurance,which ‘makes an effort to improve internal school performance,particularly the methods and processes of teaching and learning’;
interface quality assurance, which emphasises ‘organisational effectiveness, stakeholders satisfaction and market competitiveness and makes an effort to ensure satisfaction and accountability to the internal and external stakeholder’;
future quality assurance,which is defined ‘in terms of relevance to the new school functions in the new century as well as relevance to the new paradigm of education concerning contextualised multiple intelligences, globalisation, localisation and individualisation’.

Quality assurance in a training organisation

In a training organisation, quality assurance is part of almost everything from industry engagement, development of training and assessment strategies, advertisements and marketing, student enrolment and admission, identifying and categorising individual student needs, provision of assistance and support, developing and delivering quality training and assessment, recording and awarding of certification to data archival processes.

We will focus on the main pillars of Quality Assurance in our coming series of articles and include the following three pillars:

Responsibility and accountability
Documents and records control
Continuous improvement

February 20, 2020 rtogroupsuperadmin ASQA, News Comments Off

The VET Sector News- February 2020

Coronavirus travel ban sees Chinese students miss start of university, Australia’s tertiary education sector scrambling

More than 100,000 Chinese students will not be able to start their university and TAFE classes in Australia because of the travel ban put in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.

On Saturday, the Federal Government banned anyone arriving from, or transiting through, mainland China from coming to Australia.

With most university classes due to start next week, the ban has thrown Australia’s higher education sector into chaos.

For more Information, please visit here.

SA Govt invests in vocational education and training

More young South Australians are in training and on the pathway to new jobs due in part to strong investment and reforms in South Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) system.

The latest data from the Productivity Commission’s annual Report on Government Services (ROGS) reports that the Marshall Liberal Government delivered the highest boost to skills training and funding in the nation in percentage terms in VET in 2018, boosted non-government training providers, and delivered improved employment outcomes for students.

Highlights for South Australia include:

An additional $54.3 million in State Government recurrent funding, or a 38.1 percent increase in 2018.
Non-government providers were supported by an additional $11 million or a 28 percent increase from 2017, the largest increase in the nation in percentage terms.
5 percent of government funded VET graduates aged 20 to 64 improved their employment status after training in 2019 -above the national figure of 64.7 per cent.

For more Information, please visit here.

ACT has highest student participation and employment

The ACT has the highest participation in education across early childhood, tertiary, vocational and graduate training, according to the 2020 Report on Government Services, enabling Canberrans to secure good jobs and valuable skills.

“The ACT is the knowledge capital of the nation and these results show the ACT Government’s is successfully supporting Canberra students to reach their full potential,” said Chief Minister and Minister for Tertiary Education Andrew Barr.

Vocational education and training

“For the sixth year in a row, the ACT had the highest number of government-funded vocational education and training students participating in courses at Certificate III to Diploma level or above,” said Minister for Tertiary Education Andrew Barr.

“We also continue to have the nation’s highest number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students employed and/or undertaking further study after completing a course.

“The ACT Government remains committed to investing in high-quality vocational education and training programs.”

“We are investing in a new state-of-the art ICT campus to be built in Woden. CIT Woden will provide a modern, purpose built campus that’s expected to bring an extra 6,500 students to the Woden town centre each year to support local business and industry.”

For more Information, please visit here.

Report on Government Services 2020

The Australian, State and Territory governments’ recurrent expenditure (including user cost of capital) on VET totalled $6.0 billion in 2018 — a real decrease of 4.0 per cent from 2017.

Nationally in 2018:

an estimated 4.1 million students participated in total VET, and around 1.1 million students participated in government‑funded VET
there were 3830 registered VET training organisations delivering nationally recognised training in Australia. Around 1747 government funded VET providers delivered nationally recognised, locally developed and non-nationally recognised training, at 30 485 locations in Australia
around 722 200 qualifications were completed by total VET students aged 15—64 years — equivalent to 44.1 qualifications per 1000 people. Around 346 800 qualifications were completed by government-funded VET students aged 15—64 years — equivalent to 21.2 qualifications per 1000 people.

Nationally in 2019:

88.6 per cent of all government-funded 2018 VET graduates were satisfied with the overall quality of their training
67.0 percent of 20—64 year old total VET graduates from 2018 improved their employment status after training.

The VET system aims to deliver a productive and highly skilled workforce through enabling all working age Australians to develop and use the skills required to effectively participate in the labour market and contribute to Australia’s economic future. To achieve this, the Australian, State and Territory governments aim to create a national training system that:

is accessible to all working age Australians
meets the needs of students, employers and industries
is high quality.

Governments aim for a national training system that meets these objectives in an equitable and efficient manner.

For more Information, please visit here.

‘Energising Tasmania’ agreement signed

The Australian and Tasmanian Governments have signed an agreement that will support thousands of Tasmanians through the delivery of fee-free training to develop a skilled workforce for the renewable energy and related sectors.

The Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, the Hon Michaelia Cash, said the $17 million Energising Tasmania project will equip Tasmanians with the skills to support the Battery of the Nation initiative.

“The Morrison Government is removing the barriers that inhibit people in Tasmania from taking up further skilling through the vocational education and training (VET) sector such as upfront costs of training,” Minister Cash said.

“In addition, we are supporting Tasmania to establish a local industry advisory group, build capacity in the training market and undertake dedicated workforce planning activities – all aimed at building the skills needed for the critically important Battery of the Nation initiative.

“The advisory group will engage with employers and registered training organisations to support the development of the workforce needed for the renewable energy and related sectors more broadly.”

Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships, the Hon Steve Irons MP, said Energising Tasmania will support the delivery of high-quality training in priority areas.

“Energising Tasmania will deliver up to 2,500 fully subsidised training places, including traineeships, apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, in areas of identified skills need, Assistant Minister Irons said.

Assistance of up to $1,000 per learner will also be available to cover costs associated with training, such as books and materials, and student amenity fees.

Energising Tasmania is part of the Australian Government’s $585 million Delivering Skills for Today and Tomorrow package.

For more Information, please visit here.

Malaysian university seeks partner for short-term study abroad program in Australia

A Malaysian public research university seeks an Australian university partner for a study abroad program for undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts.

For more Information, please visit here.

Singapore’s first undergraduate health degree in speech and language therapy

Australian universities will now face intense competition for allied health enrolments as a Singapore institute launches the market’s first degree program in speech and language therapy. Australia has long been a top destination for Singaporean students seeking speech therapy qualifications.

For more Information, please visit here.

Mitchell Institute releases new report and sounds VET funding alarm

The Mitchell Institute recently shared the results from the Australian Investment in Education: Vocational Education and Training report, showing that funding for vocational education and training (VET) is at its lowest level in more than a decade, leaving Australia at risk of failing to properly provide high-quality training for the estimated 45 per cent of new jobs needing VET qualifications in the next five years.

The findings will be of particular interest to the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector in light of publicised workforce shortages which fall at a time when state governments are rolling out initiatives which will require more qualified educators to meet initiative demands.

Every state and territory government, the report found, had cut VET funding over the past decade, with overall funding falling to 15 per cent below levels in 2006. New South Wales has experienced one of the largest declines, report authors said, with a decline in recurrent funding of 21 per cent in real terms compared to 2006, while Victoria has seen its funding almost halve since 2012.

Mitchell Institute Education Policy Fellow Peter Hurley warned that the funding crisis was “making it especially difficult for quality VET providers to sustain high course standards”.

Ensuring a quality education for VET students, and meeting the growing demand for skilled workers is only possible, Mr Hurley said, when governments increase funding for VET courses.

For more Information, please visit here.

VET Student Loan Caps Lifted

The Australian Government has announced that the VET Student Loan limits have been increased for a number of courses, with the changes scheduled to come into effect from today, 29 January 2020. More than one hundred courses have seen the VET Student Loan cap increase, reflecting advocacy undertaken by ITECA and other stakeholders to ensure students have access to loans that more closely reflect the cost of delivery.

For more Information, please visit here.

Coronavirus advice for RTOs

The Department of Health has released updated advice to RTOs in relation to the coronavirus outbreak.

If a student or staff member has travelled to Hubei Province, China, within the past 14 days, isolation is recommended for 14 days after leaving Hubei Province.

If a student or staff member has been in close contact with a confirmed case of novel coronavirus, isolation is recommended for 14 days after last contact with the confirmed case. Students and staff in these circumstances should not attend college and must avoid contact with other students and staff.

If a student or staff member travelled to mainland China in general but not Hubei Province, the Department does not currently recommend self-isolation. The development of cases outside of Hubei Province is being closely monitored and this advice will be updated if necessary.

For more Information, please visit here.

Five things RTOs need to know in 2020

Every ASQA registered provider needs to stay on top of the basics of registration.

Here is how you can keep track of some of your key obligations this year.

For more Information, please visit here.

The new ASQA website

If you’ve visited asqa.gov.au before, you will probably notice that the page layout looks a little different. Here are some changes to be aware of:

Simplified main menu labelling and added ‘Students’ tab.
Relocated information about making a complaint under the ‘About’ heading.
Both the Users’ guide to the Standards for RTOs 2015 and Users’ guide to the Standards for VET Accredited Courses can be accessed from any page on the site, via links in the top left of the page header. In addition, the Users’ guide to the Standards for RTOs 2015 can now be browsed by either subject chapter or standard—whichever you prefer.
The FAQs are now grouped by popular topics. You can now also browse FAQs alphabetically by topic.
Search results can now be filtered by content type.
An Upcoming events page, it’s now easier to find out details of the next webinar or presentation.
Edited website content to be easier to read and reorganised information to follow logical user pathways.

For more Information, please visit here.

Australian visas exploited by “criminal people smuggling syndicates”

In her speech to the annual John Curtin Lecture, Labor’s immigration spokesperson, Kristina Keneally, spoke about the surge in bridging visas under the Coalition’s term in office, which has been fuelled by “criminal people smuggling syndicates… running a work scam”:

For more Information, please visit here.

These are the 15 most in-demand skills in Australia right now, according to LinkedIn

Whether you’re looking to get a new gig, a promotion or a pay rise, what you can do for an employer will always be the most important thing you can bring to the table.

“Learning not only helps Australians build skills and improve in their roles, it has a strong correlation to a change in mindset, boost confidence and open doors to new opportunities,” LinkedIn Learning Asia-Pacific senior director Jason Laufer said in a release.

It’s in this vein that LinkedIn has revealed the 15 most sought-after skills in the country right now, and made some of its own courses free for the rest of January.

“By sharing insights about the most valuable skills in the workplace today, our goal is to help more professionals own their careers, cultivating the essential soft skills and most current hard skills.”

For more Information, please visit here.

February 20, 2020 rtogroupsuperadmin News, VET Industry News Comments Off