The education and training sector in Australia is one of the largest industries in the Australian economy. It employs almost 1.1 million people (8.4 per cent of the total workforce). Approximately half of Australians in the projected secondary school leaving age are enrolled in some form of education or training, whether formal or informal. Much more money is generated by the education and training industry than what goes into it through government funding.

As Coronavirus spread across the globe, it had a major impact on the Australian education and training sector. It has caused a significant change in the way that students learn, educators teach and businesses operate. As a result of this abrupt change away from the classroom in many parts of the world, some are wondering whether the acceptance of online learning would continue to grow post-pandemic, and how such a shift might affect the global education industry. Let’s first understand the main impacts of COVID on the Australian education and training sector.

The main impacts of COVID

This has caused many students to be affected by the virus, which has led to school closures, postponing exams, and other disruptions in the country’s education system.

When social distancing measures were implemented, they had a significant negative impact on apprentices and trainees. The National Centre for Vocational Education Research’s Apprentices and trainees 2020 – March quarter report indicates that apprentice and trainee commencements were down 11% (to 49 015) in the March quarter 2020 when compared to the same quarter in 2019. However, it is too early to determine the true impact of COVID pandemic on apprenticeship and traineeship activities.

A number of reports are released to examine the potential impact of learning from home on the educational outcomes of vulnerable students https://www.dese.gov.au/covid-19/schools

Because of social distancing requirements, remote learning is considerably more difficult for vocational education and training students who have practical or workplace components in their course that they are unable to complete.

1. Limited one-on-one interaction with instructors;
2. Difficulties determining student engagement levels;
3. Limited ability to evaluate individual student achievement;
4. A greater amount of parental and caregiver control is required (particularly for younger children)
5. Increasing social isolation and diminished capacity to promote student well-being
6. Help for children with additional needs experienced disruptions in their learning
7. Differentiated access to technology, including the internet and devices, for the purpose of facilitating learning.
8. According to research, online learning has been demonstrated to boost retention of information while also taking up less time, indicating that the changes induced by the coronavirus may be here to stay in the future.
9. Decreased learning capacity for students with chronic illnesses such as asthma or cystic fibrosis.

Also read:

Apprentices and trainers 2020, click here.

Learning at home during COVID-19: effects on vulnerable young Australians: independent rapid response report, click here.

Impact of learning from home on educational outcomes for disadvantaged children: brief assessment, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID‑19) information for schools and students, click here.

Supporting student wellbeing during COVID-19: tips from regional and remote Australia, click here.

COVID-19 and Young People, click here.

Job-ready graduates: higher education reform package 2020, click here.

Skilling Australia for a better future: supporting apprenticeships through COVID-19, click here.

Where next for skills?: how business-led upskilling can reboot Australia, click here.

Workforce-ready: challenges and opportunities for VET, click here.

COVID-19 advice for Registered Training Providers (including TAFEs) and training operations, apprentices and trainees, click here.

Introducing online training into your business through the use of technology and tools can help you increase productivity, reach new potential customers, provide great flexibility, increase sales, and help create more effective and productive learning sessions. It is, however, time-consuming and laborious to get every employee on board in an organisation that has never offered online training before. What can you do to improve the likelihood of an early and swift transition?

We all know that online training has become a popular option for training and assessment organisations that are looking to train and assess their learners across the globe. This is especially true when you consider that many organisations are moving towards a virtual office, thanks to the global pandemic and lockdowns. However, online training is not without its challenges. For one thing, it’s not always easy to integrate with other organisational projects or initiatives.

Change is a difficult process for organisations to undertake, and when they do it usually takes a long time because of a number of reasons including but not limited to the following:

• fear of the unknown and fear of failure
• not considered a matter of urgency: Not all changes happen as a result of urgency. As such, it is not surprising that managers often experience difficulty in communicating change and strategy to their employees.
• Poor communication about the strategies and why changes are required: It is hard to get everyone on board. Employees and stakeholders need collective buy-in and engagement from the entire organisation.
• changes take time, so it’s important that people know what their organisation stands for and what they want to achieve before any changes are made.

The changes we experience may be too swift for the organisation’s ability to adapt. However, that does not mean that change is impossible. Sometimes organisations settle into a state that they are resistant to change for very different reasons – cultural, physical, financial etc.

Some of the best ways in which companies can drive organisational change for adopting high-quality online training are:

1. Understanding online training can be one of the best ways to deliver quality training
2. Creating specific online modules and methods,
3. Assessing an organisation’s needs,
4. Motivating employees to collaborate with each other on the learning process while still preserving the importance of face-to-face interaction between people in an organisation.

Let’s now get into the specifics of these best practices, and look at the issues that organisations are facing and why they need to change their ways.

High-quality training comes with key challenges

High-quality online training is crucial to an organisation’s ability to produce quality content. The more the company invests in online training, the more time they save on creating new content for their target audience.

One of the key challenges with implementing this type of change is ensuring that it is not just a change in technology but also a cultural shift. It requires an understanding of the organisation’s culture, values, and needs in order for them to make high-quality online training work.

The next big challenge is the shift in learning focus from training to learning. The shift comes with the need for organisations to rethink how they provide employees with opportunities to learn and develop.

Marketing and sales can be included in this learning process as well as other aspects of the business such as employee relations, leadership, customer satisfaction and even health and safety practices.

Another challenge is that organisations often make big changes without considering how those changes will impact their training strategy or whether these changes will support the shift in the culture they are trying to achieve.

The other challenges include lack of leadership, poor communications, lack of knowledge and expertise, spending too much time on administrative tasks rather than thinking creatively to develop high-quality content and insufficient resources.

Organisational change is a challenge for any organisation. It brings new opportunities, but also creates new risks. These organisational changes can be implemented successfully or they can be problematic as many employees find themselves in a skill deficit leading them to this uncertain future.

Understanding online training can be one of the best ways to deliver quality training.

Understanding and embracing that online training can be one of the most effective methods of delivering high-quality training are essential in order to begin the process of organisational transformation. Learning and development experts must concentrate on the fundamentals of learning theories in order to provide high-quality training.

A large number of organisations are now seeking to bring change within their workforce through the use of online training programs. This is due to the fact that it has the potential to be both extremely scalable and cost-effective in nature.

Before any organisation can reap the benefits of online training, it must first recognise and accept the fact that high-quality online training is not only possible but also one of the most effective methods of delivering training and education to its learners. Because training organisations are now searching for higher-quality information, the job of the trainer should be modified accordingly.

The use of high-quality online training can assist organisations in lowering their learning expenses, increasing employee retention, and improving overall productivity. It also enables the organisation to respond swiftly to changes in market conditions and to remain competitive.

Creating specific online modules and methods

It can be hard for organisations to deliver high-quality training without using appropriate online delivery modules and methods. Organisations should explore using online methods and modules to offer their training courses in order to maintain quality and ensure that participants are actively engaged in the learning process.

An online module is a phrase used to describe the lessons and units that are delivered online. They help learners to follow a defined path through the learning process.

The modules should include the following features:

• To assist students in understanding how learning should be provided, provide direction and assistance.
• How the online learning should be implemented
• What methods should be used to examine and evaluate online learning

The term online methods refers to the various ways in which training can be delivered to learners using online delivery mediums.

Online methods should include discussion and agreement on:

• Visual, video and audio presentations should be used and experimented with.
• Employ the services of a virtual whiteboard
• Include flipped classroom strategies in your curriculum
• Attending the live interactive classes on a regular basis
• Participating in constructive group discussions and debates
• Screens and videos can be recorded using a variety of different tools
• Ensuring that all of the sessions are participatory, live, and engaging

The possibility to revolutionise the way training and assessment organisations improve their training and development through online learning is available to training and assessment organisations. The procedure is divided into three stages:

1. Gathering feedback from users
2. Establishing a training strategy, delivery plan, or session plan
3. Developing and delivering a high-quality online course

It is critical for organisations to have a clear concept of what they want to achieve from their training program in order to properly implement these methods and modules. This would assist them in developing an effective plan that would aid in the successful implementation of change, as well as laying the groundwork for future projects and initiatives.

Assessing an organisation’s needs

The world is rapidly moving in the digital age. As a result, there is a greater need for high-quality online training courses. It is critical for businesses to adopt new technology in order to remain competitive and up to speed with the times.

The key to achieving organisational change is to understand what the drivers of change are, how we can move towards them, and what the pain points are associated with adopting high-quality online training. Most importantly, you must understand what the needs of the organisation are and how you can assess and support them in order to achieve change.

The process of determining an organization’s requirements begins with a thorough understanding of its drivers for change, the difficulties associated with implementing high-quality online training, and how it contributes to organisational success, all of which will assist in driving organisational change.

A clear and compelling value proposition that corresponds with corporate objectives and is acceptable to employees is the most common and effective method of increasing the adoption of high-quality online training.

Generally speaking, change agents can be classified into two categories: those who will drive the change themselves and those who will need to be persuaded to do so. It is imperative that both duties are fulfilled in order to achieve this goal.

High-quality online training is quickly becoming a must for businesses, as it assists them in achieving their core business objectives, such as raising productivity or taking on new responsibilities. However, these benefits come at the cost of spending money on this form of training which can often be difficult for businesses with limited resources.

Motivating employees to collaborate with each other on the learning process while still preserving the importance of face-to-face interaction between people in an organisation

The human factor is the most important aspect of this equation. The human factor can either make or break a change management program. It has been proven that the best results happen when a business partner helps their employees understand how to learn and use a tool, rather than having an instructor teach them everything from scratch.

In order to achieve organisational change for adopting high-quality online training, companies should invest time in understanding their needs and goals as well as looking at why they want this change. In addition, they should also be prepared for employee resistance as this comes with any kind of change management program.

Some organisations still struggle to adopt online training as they want to keep their employees in-house for face-to-face interaction. That’s why these organisations need an alternative approach that would drive organisational change without creating too much disruption.

One such approach is to start by creating a mixed model that provides both types of learning opportunities – one offline and one online – for those who want to take advantage of both.

The following training products are now available for public review and feedback:

• TAEDEL405 Plan, organise and deliver e-learning (unit of competency)
• TAEASS404 Conduct e-assessment of competence (unit of competency)
• TAESS00019 E-learning and E-assessment Skill Set

You can download and access the materials through Draft-E-learning-and-E-assessment-Training-Products

Click on the following link to provide your feedback to PWC https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdXj3HV71y3wTyOScInI7krag6EOJdMga7XqPw8ABmYBJKEGg/viewform you can also email your feedback through email to info@skillsforaustralia.com. The feedback should be submitted before COB Friday 12 November 2021.

In order to get an accurate picture of how a learner is performing, trainers and assessors should try to conduct personal observations or direct observations. The problem with doing this is that it can be difficult for trainers and assessors to observe students if they are not performing or demonstrating their skills in a traditional assessment demonstration and performance setting.

We cannot ignore the fact that we can not make a learner competent without ensuring the learner has:

• All knowledge and skills required to successfully perform certain tasks, duties and responsibilities
• The attitude, behaviour, and manner in which specific tasks, duties, and responsibilities should be carried out
• Addressed and met all compliance and regulatory standards required to demonstrate competence for specific activities, roles, and responsibilities

The importance of this becomes even more apparent and challenging to do when trainers and assessors are required to actually observe the learners executing a specific task or activity in an online learning environment.

Direct Observations in the Online Learning Environment

In order for all learners to demonstrate their performance effectively, understand where they are falling short, and provide suggestions to close those gaps in a professional and competent manner, trainers and assessors must be directly observed when they are performing any activity or task in the online environment. Trainers and assessors must be able to record any actions, attributes, behaviours, conversations or opinions regarding their learners’ performance on a task and/or activity; these observations can also be used to determine whether or not a learner has achieved competency in a training product.

How do you implement direct observation methods and techniques?

Direct observation techniques can be implemented anywhere through the use of digital cameras and recording equipment. This type of monitoring typically takes place in online courses where learners have access to computers with webcams and microphones. Mobile phones and other mobile devices can be used to demonstrate and capture direct observations as well.

Why can direct observations be difficult when observing student performance online?

Direct observation is often difficult in online learning environments because of the limits on what can be observed.

These difficulties are due to the fact that:

• New assessment methods: The assessment methods are new and direct observations in an online learning environment have previously not been used
• Confidence or lack of confidence: The trainers and assessors are not confident that the performance meets the expected standards, guidelines and requirements
• Compliance guidelines: There are potential compliance requirements that must be met when conducting the observation such as permissions to the record.
• Manipulation of the performance: The performance can be manipulated or edited

The purpose of direct observation is to provide feedback on how the student is progressing. It allows assessors to observe how students are performing, provide immediate feedback on student performance, identify student strengths and weaknesses, and make course adjustments based on what students are doing best.

So how should direct observations be planned and implemented?

• Conducting observations online requires careful planning including:
  • The time of the observation: When should it occur?
  • The duration of the observation: How long should it be?
  • The purpose of the observation: Why should it occur?
  • All intended stakeholders and parties: Who will be involved?
  • The roles, responsibilities and task activities should be clear and understood to all parties involved: Why should they be involved? What will each party be doing or performing?
  • The location of the performance: Where should it occur?
  • The reasoning for selecting the location: Why should it occur there?
  • Assessment evaluation framework and guidelines: What are the assessment evaluation criteria?
  • All communication channels and frameworks: How have these criteria been communicated to the learners and other parties involved in the assessment process?
  • Change management processes: What changes are required in consultation with the learners?
• Careful implementation involves
  • When and where it is appropriate to do so
  • How immediate assistance can be provided to the learners
  • How reliable evidence can be collected.
• It should occur live in front of the trainer/assessor, not in a recorded session, wherever possible
• According to all applicable regulatory and legislative guidelines, protocols and standards

If you are unsure about how to interpret an observation, trainers and assessors should always seek help from compliance and quality assurance experts or other industry professionals to help guide their decisions.

The training industry is growing rapidly due to the growth in businesses requiring a skilled workforce. Training businesses are however operating in a highly competitive market where they have to keep up with the changing needs of their customers and need to make profits in order to survive and be sustainable.

There are multiple ways to become a profitable training business, but not all of them are easy. For example, you can create your own niche market and offer one-of-a-kind solutions that people want to purchase from you instead of going with a larger competitor. In this article, we will look at some of these strategies and also discuss the process of how your business can become a successful training organisation.

There are many factors to consider for any training organisation that wants to remain profitable such as:

• What are your ethics and values? Why are you operating as a training business?
• How do you ensure you deliver high-quality learning?
• What are the applicable compliance and regulatory requirements and how do you confirm with them?

Training is one an important service and it has been changing more rapidly than ever before with the emergence of new technologies and innovations.

Training organisations have to be profitable to remain registered. They must keep their costs down to balance their income (student fees or government funding) and at the same time maintain their competitive advantage in the market and not price themselves out. In this article we present twenty strategies that you can use in order to become a profitable training business:

1. Set the criteria: What do you consider to be a profitable business?

One of the best and most important things that a training business can do is to establish its profitability. This is one of the first steps before you take any other step for your training business.

You can consider a few factors for this: customer retention, customer satisfaction, and cost. The first factor deals with your ability to keep your customers happy and satisfied with what you offer them. The second deals with how much it costs for you to provide your service. The last factor deals with strategies to maximize the profits from what you do offer.

2. Have a comprehensive plan of action

In order to become a profitable training business, you need to have a plan. This plan should start with the right idea and what you want to be known for. You must set goals that will help you achieve those ideas.

Make sure that all your plans include delivering high-quality services and your clients will come back for more or promote your business to all people in their networks, communities and groups.

In the plan of action, you should include the following strategies:

• Knowledge strategy – How you will add knowledge or expertise to your services
• Value strategy – How you will provide clients with value
• Experience strategy – How you will deliver the experience
• Cost strategy – How much will this cost and how will you ensure the costs are kept at the planned level?
• Marketing strategy – Where to market and why market there? How will you find a niche market? The right price point and so on
• Thinking outside the box strategy – Will there be opportunities to generate revenue from additional sources?
• Providing customer acquisition strategy
• Retention strategy – How you will ensure that your clients stay with you
• Revenue generation strategy – How you will generate the income that will cover your costs. Should include a best-case and worst-case scenario.

3. Understanding the concept of what, why, and how

A training company has to know what it is doing and why they do it in order to make sure they are profitable. This is why the concept of what, why, and how.

1) What: The organisations should know their audience and what they want to achieve with their training. They must identify the skills, experiences and information that make sense for that audience. They must understand what the target audience needs from them. Not having a well-defined target market is one of the main reasons why businesses fail.

2) Why: The organisation must have a solid reason for being a training business. It could be because they have a passion for helping people succeed, they want to help build impactful careers or they enjoy being part of a community that supports learners. If you do not have a mission, vision or objectives then the process to become a successful organisation can be an uphill battle. You also need to have a clear definition of what you want to achieve with the service so that you can find people who are likely to benefit from your service.

3) How: When it comes to how training organisations meet and exceed the needs and requirements of their clients they should focus on what they consider as a quality service, how this quality service can be promoted and how it can be delivered to the clients. For example, interactive classroom-based face-to-face interaction is one way of delivering content but not everyone can attend training through this medium.

4. Offering value-added services

Training companies can succeed in the market and become profitable by providing training services with value-based solutions.

Training businesses that are profitable can be achieved by:

• understanding the training industry,
• planning for the future,
• learning from the past, and
• having a good business model.

This includes understanding the state of the industry – what it looks like now and how it may change in the future – as well as planning for the changes.

Training businesses can profit by carefully studying their customers’ needs, keeping them updated with the latest training trends, and adapting their products according to what is in demand.

5. Providing clients with needed skills

Training businesses should aim to create a long-term relationship with their clients and offer them exactly what they need for their businesses or personal and professional growth.

The key is to stay flexible and always be able to adapt your approach as your clients’ needs change over time. This will help you grow and scale your business as your customer base grows larger.

Training businesses must ensure that they provide high-quality services that lead to tangible results in the long term. The goal of any training business is always centred around helping its clients succeed in their respective industries – whether that’s better customer service, use of effective technologies, tools or systems or improvements in the processes, procedures and practices.

6. Offering cost-effective solutions

When are you planning cost-effective solutions, you should focus on the following main points:

1. What to do when the training business has an existing customer base that it wants to retain and grow
2. What to do when the training business has no customers, and it wants to grow in a niche market

Your strategies will of course differ under both of these circumstances. When it comes to an existing customer base, you can influence them by loyalty discounts, offering better services, adding more value and so on. However, for the new customer base, you may focus on attractive marketing and advertising, good communication protocols, offering a lower-cost solution etc.

Some other strategies to be cost-effective:

• Offer training services that are out of the box, unique and in demand by the market. This will make you stand out from your competitors and generate revenue opportunities.
• Offer an upsell of a product or service after a course is completed. This will encourage more students to complete your course, which ultimately increases your revenue opportunities
• Promote your courses at a discounted price through marketing channels like Facebook ads, Google Adwords etc., this strategy is very cost-effective but it requires you to be good with marketing

As a training organisation you should focus on:

• Offer new products or services at a cost that is competitive
• Investigate and keep an eye on your costs and use and use new technology or new practices that can be implemented without reducing the quality of services
• Invest in R&D to come up with the next cutting-edge technology
• Understand what your client wants and needs and deliver accordingly

It’s important to offer cost-effective solutions in order to attract more customers and maintain customer satisfaction levels.

7. Understand your market and focus on building a large network of clients

Understand your audience and why they need your services. If you’re trying to sell something that is different from what’s already out there, then your business has an advantage but if it is selling something that is already in the market sold by a number of your competitors, you need to plan why your services are comparable, competitive, and better.

Some strategies can include using proven methods of training that have proven results for a similar market sector or niche. Use authentic testimonials or client references on your website or page profile page to increase the trust factor with potential clients.

8. Value your staff members

It is important to have the right staff members who have the right skill set to be successful.

When it comes to training, you should never underestimate the value of your staff members. Always remember they are the first point of contact for your clients.

A happy staff member will ultimately support you in building great relationships with clients in the industry.

The strategies that training businesses use could include:

– Paying a competitive salary
– Offering flexibility in schedules
– Providing opportunities for personal growth
– Creating a positive culture

Businesses that consider their staff members as equals, well-paid and hardworking employees also tend to outperform others in the market.

According to a Gallup study, organisations with engaged employees have a 30% higher chance of being profitable than those with disengaged employees. Engagement means that the staff feels like they are valued and respected by their employer and that they can grow professionally.

9. Manage your team effectively

The training industry is becoming more competitive, and organisations are looking for ways to keep up with the changing landscape.

To be profitable, training businesses should focus on building an effective team by hiring good people and managing them well. The rest will follow suit as long as you’re willing to put in the work.

We all know that training organisations have a huge amount of work to do, and because of the sheer number of tasks at hand, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. If you can dedicate a little more time and energy to managing your team, you’ll be able to keep the focus on what really matters – your business. In order to be successful in the training business, you need to have a well-managed team that is continually learning.

10. Assess your systems, processes, and practices on a regular basis

There are many ways to assess the effectiveness of all processes, practices and systems. One of them is through ongoing, systematic audits and evaluations. It helps to identify what needs to be improved and accordingly improve processes and systems.

How?

The audit provides a comprehensive overview of current operations, identifies areas that need improvement, and lays out the strategies for success.

When?

The audit usually takes place at regular intervals such as yearly or quarterly which helps organisations streamline their operations by identifying changes to be made before they become constantly or non-compliant.

What are the strategies?

Organisations can implement new strategies such as outsourcing some processes or implementing stronger process management in order to increase the profitability of their training business.

Having external RTO consultants such as CAQA (Compliance and Quality Assurance) can help training organisations identify areas where they can make more money by following best practices, providing new ideas for growth, and ensuring that all investment is being put to efficient use.

Audits may be done on financial impact (cost), profitability (income), customer satisfaction (revenue), resource allocation efficiency and so on.

11. Continuous improvement

For a training organisation to be profitable, it needs to constantly improve its service.

This means that they need to make sure that their business stays relevant in terms of technology, knowledge, staffing and compliance, to the learners.

Training organisations need to figure out which strategy they should implement first in order to follow an effective continuous improvement process. There are two strategies for this:

– A strategy of major change – by implementing this type of strategy, organisations will need to identify a major area that needs large scale improvements and improve this before moving on with the rest of the organisation.
– A strategy of incremental change – by implementing this type of strategy, organisations aim at making small improvements to current business processes across all areas..

Training businesses are expected to continue to grow, but to do so sustainably. This will require them to continuously improve their services.

12. How strong is your compliance model?

It has come up rather frequently in conversations with clients who claim that they were so preoccupied with advertising their organisation that they lost sight of their compliance approach and processes. Nevertheless, they fail to recognise that if they have flaws with their compliance and regulatory processes, they run the risk of losing all or a significant portion of their business.

Compliance models must be appropriately created and designed in order to avoid issues that could have a negative impact on the future of the training organisation.

When it comes to how they handle their compliance approach, the training organisation must exercise due diligence.

It is critical to have high standards in all elements of your training and education business if you want to build a successful compliance model for your organisation. It is possible to do this by establishing clear policies and adhering to them on a consistent basis.

There are numerous approaches that can be used to address the problem. One of them is to hire people who are experienced and highly qualified and to provide them with excellent training. In order to achieve compliance and trust among your staff and students, it is necessary to establish a culture of compliance and trust.

A solid training course is only part of the equation; building the correct culture within your organisation can help you build trust with not only learners but also the regulatory body, which in turn will lead to better training outcomes.

13. Industry consultation – speak to industry representatives

Industry consultation is a process in the VET context where a registered training organisation reaches out to the industry to learn about current industry practices and processes. This ensures that the information and learning that students receive is what is currently used in the industry. It is important for RTO’s because it helps them gain valuable insights into what needs to be done in order to provide excellence in training and build valuable industry connections.

14. Diversify your scope

Researching the job market and industry trends is an important part of making sure that the training offerings match the requirements of industries that require a workforce with the skills necessary to keep up with the rapidly changing work environments. Training and education organisations need to find ways to serve existing clients and to reach new emerging audiences.

Finding new training opportunities is one of the most important aspects of building a successful training organisation. This includes not only adding new training products such as courses, skill sets and units of competency on the scope of registration, creating new content or delivering the training through different delivery modes but also ensuring that you are doing things differently than other training organisations in your area.

15. Do not put all your eggs in one basket

The training business is a competitive market. It is important to have strategies in place to ensure that you are not putting all your eggs in one basket. This strategy will help you succeed through the ups and downs of the business cycle.

It is important to have multiple streams of income when operating a training business because you could potentially lose one. If that happens, your other streams will help you to sustain your business. For example, during the pandemic the training organisations offering courses to only the international students really struggled, many of them stopped running their businesses and some of them went into hibernation.

Therefore, as a training and education business, focus on:

• Markets (domestic and international)
• Variation in training delivery that will suit different student cohorts
• Non-accredited training courses offered to industry
• Differentiating yourself from your competitors
• Ensuring flexibility with changing customer demands
• Managing risk by diversifying offerings
• Researching state and federal funding opportunities to support skill needs

16. Training and assessment through different delivery modes

Training and assessment through different delivery modes are important for a number of reasons.

One of them is that it can allow the RTO to provide quality training to more people, which the organisation can then market as a key part of their service.

Another reason why companies need to have this option is that it allows them to deliver training to meet the needs and requirements of different learner cohorts.

17. Use effective marketing methods and techniques

What makes a training organisation profitable?

The answer is simple. Effective marketing methods and techniques. In order to be successful in marketing, you need to have a clear understanding of what drives people’s decision-making process, which is more often than not based on emotions.

The marketing methods and techniques include the use of social media, email marketing, SEO, and other digital marketing tactics.

Training organisations should not only focus on selling courses but instead on selling themselves to potential customers.

You must conduct comprehensive market research and include the following parameters:

• Who are your competitors?
• What are your organisation’s strengths/weaknesses?
• What is your target audience?
• How do they feel about what you offer?
• Is there any competitor that’s more suitable for what your target audience wants than what you are offering?
• How will you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
• What strategies will you use to keep up with new trends in the industry and stay ahead of the curve?

Market research will assist you in a number of ways, including:

1. Investing in effective marketing tools that will increase the number of potential students.
2. Investing in building brand awareness for your training service or product.
3. Developing a clear strategy for your business such as using social media to get the word out about your training service or product.

18. Business development representatives

Business development representatives are responsible for the success of the business through three key areas:

– Prospecting/ generating leads
– Attracting new customers / converting the leads into clients
– Retaining existing customers

The reasons why organisations should engage business development representatives are as follows:

– Business development representatives can engage with prospective clients and bring them into the organisation’s ecosystem. They also help connect an organisation with potential partners who can provide win-win solutions for both parties.
– Business development representatives help to generate revenue, grow the customer base, and retain the existing customer base. They can provide a variety of services such as content marketing, product marketing, and business development activities.

19. Use third-party websites for marketing

Many organisations are finally realising the value of marketing training courses through third-party websites. However, you as a training organisation must ensure that the third party meets all regulatory and legislative requirements and guidelines.

20. Partnering with other organisations

A training organisation must have relationships with key players in the industry to be successful. In order to create strong relationships with key players in the industry, start by getting involved in conversations early.

Some strategies to create strong partnerships with key players in the industry are:

• partnering with companies that are already leading in their industry
• partnering with companies that are potential new entrants into the industry
• developing relationships with current stakeholders of the training business
• Staying connected with on social media, and approaching through other means (such as referrals and cold calls)
• Building relationships at events like conferences, training events or even social gatherings.
• Developing specialised training programs for specific industries, which can lead to increased demand and revenue generation and offering special pricing or discounts that only members of the target industry will be able to access.
• Working on establishing long-term relationships that will remain strong.
• Focusing on achieving measurable performance objectives as well as engagement metrics for your clients as well as yourself. – Create clear project plans and milestones that align with company objectives and provide opportunities for both parties to measure progress towards those goals.

You may be asking as to how we might assist you with business development, business analysis, risk management, auditing and regulatory compliance consulting. Contact us by email at info@caqa.com.au.

Training and education have always been an industry that is surrounded by regulations, rules, and policies. The regulatory body provides a foundation for the training and education industry.

Collaboration is vital for success and it is important that the regulatory body has a collaborative and transparent approach in order to improve governance and accountability.

A collaborative regulatory body ensures that all involved parties have a say in training and education-related matters. It provides a platform for students, employees, employers, and government to voice their opinions on how they would like the institution run, regulations to operate and all stakeholders to be mutually accountable and benefitted.

Most importantly, it provides an opportunity for both sides to come together to find solutions for issues arising from either party’s point of view. It also ensures that there are no gaps in regulation that will allow bad players in the market to exploit students. A collaborative regulator ensures that there is no unnecessary wastage of time, resources, or money. It also makes sure that training programs offered by registered training organisations are delivered according to the standards.

How:

By having an open discussion about the practices and guidelines proposed and implemented by the regulatory body, the stakeholders who are not involved in the work can learn about what needs to be done and how they can help.

Why:

A collaborative regulatory body helps promote innovation among different educational institutions so that they can offer quality training to their students.

The benefit of collaborative nature to this industry, in general, is that it improves educational quality and saves time by producing relevant content with shorter turnaround times.

We are interested in listening to your suggestions, feedback and stories, please email us at info@caqa.com.au.

Training organisations are getting more creative when it comes to how they help learners. They are working to find techniques, technologies and tools that can include both synchronous and asynchronous learning.

The online learning experience has evolved over the years. The tools used in the past, like e-learning websites, have been replaced by newer technologies that allow for richer experiences for learners – both synchronous and asynchronous ones.

Synchronous learning is an environment in which learners are in the same physical or virtual space at the same time. This includes learning through group discussions, lectures, webinars, etc. One of the main benefits of this type of learning is that it provides opportunities for in-person collaboration and interactions. Synchronous learning can also refer to the traditional classroom setting (face-to-face interaction with a trainer or teaching assistant) where learners are required to attend class in person. In an asynchronous learning environment – as the name suggests – students work together in pairs or groups to receive instruction from one source.

Synchronous learning environments provide opportunities for better relationships between learners and instructors. Synchronous learning is often used in vocational education and training and higher education sectors because it is good for student engagement and relationships which is important to ensure that students come back to training organisations.

Asynchronous learning refers to a different kind of online environment where students are expected to participate remotely, they access instructional learning and training materials each week at any time that best suits them and they do not log in and participate in webinars or class sessions at a specific time each week. Learners have their individualised lesson plans and they interact with other learners and training staff not at all or only for a limited period of time such as asking questions through emails or messages.

Asynchronous environments offer freedom of choice when it comes to when learners can interact with others so they can learn when they want or need to, which can help them complete their studies more quickly. This environment also helps them to learn in different ways depending on how they learn best so they don’t feel overwhelmed by having too much information at a training session or too little information that they feel bored and detached from the learning environment and processes.

The most significant distinction between asynchronous and synchronous learning is the presence of a live instruction component that occurs at a predetermined time.

The difference between synchronous and asynchronous learning environments comes down to when learners complete their tasks. If they are completed during synchronous activities, they are done simultaneously without any interruption from outside forces. If they are completed during asynchronous activities, there are interruptions from time to time which could be due to external factors or individual factors such as someone being distracted or busy with something else.

You can include both synchronous and asynchronous learning through including:

• Flipped classrooms
• MOOCs
• Providing opportunities for learners to attend classes from anywhere
• Communicate regularly with instructors
• Providing access to platforms where people have the opportunity to make connections with other learners
• Providing access to online discussion forums where students can read the discussions and also have the opportunity to participate in the discussion forums as well.

Immersive education is a form of online education where you create a virtual learning environment and immerse students in the content. It is also called “learning outside the box” because it helps students learn in different ways such as learning by doing, creating, experimenting and creating digital content.

The concept of immersive education is about immersing students in a world of opportunities. It’s about giving them the skills to compete in the globalised workforce. Immersive education benefits are clear – it accelerates learning, creates higher levels of engagement, and helps to reduce costs. However, immersion also presents challenges that must be addressed by educators to successfully implement this approach.

Some examples of immersion include virtual reality, gaming, and role-playing. There are also active methods that help students learn through experiences like field trips or work-integrated learning that takes place outside the classroom.

Immersive education can be used in all types of educational institutions. It’s suitable for students who are struggling with reading comprehension, mathematics, and other subjects that require a lot of work to do on their own. This educational approach helps increase engagement among students and it includes elements like quizzes, games, contests etc.

Immersive education helps students learn better because it’s engaging and fun to play along with this concept. Students are motivated to learn when they are doing something interesting which is why they prefer to immerse education over traditional learning methods.

Immersive education is a method that allows students to learn through a variety of interactive projects and simulations. This helps them develop “real-world” skills and knowledge rather than just absorbing knowledge from textbooks.

In order to provide the best learning experience, the concept of immersive education embeds learners into a virtual reality environment that is designed to imitate real-life scenarios. In this way, the learning experience becomes more realistic and engaging for learners as they engage with varying challenges that can be found in different fields of study.

There are multiple benefits associated with immersive education such as being able to promote creativity, collaboration skills, critical thinking skills, analytical skills, empathy for other people’s perspectives etc. It also helps students better understand how things work in real life so they can develop their skills and knowledge constructively.

It can be used to:

• Teach in any discipline including
• English as a foreign language (EFL)
• Subjects including Geography that helps students explore their area of study in more detail.

Immersive education also focuses on content-centred learning through activities that build skills. This allows students to experience and understand concepts and topics, not just read about them.

Different immersive education platforms offer different benefits: multimedia support, peer-to-peer interaction, personalised learning experiences and engaging learner autonomy.

One study showed that immersive education actually enhances memory retention by 50%. As a result, learners can gain skills faster than they would under conventional education methods which are based on memorisation.

Online learning is continuing to gain popularity with people seeking to learn new skills and train in the comfort of their homes. With the rapid advancement in technology, it has become easier for students to learn online compared to traditional classrooms.

The main features of high-quality online learning are convenience and flexibility. The courses can be self-paced by simply registering via an app or website, lessons are delivered at a user’s own pace, there are no deadlines set by teachers, and students can engage with other learners around the world for mutual support.

High-quality online learning is not just for education but also for professional development or personal enrichment. For example, language learners can study using audio-visual materials on their smartphones or on the computer while on the go.

High-quality online learning is about providing students with the best possible educational experience. High-quality online learning comes with a lot of benefits. It is a good way for students to learn at their convenience and in a more effective manner.

High-quality online learning is the delivery of content through various digital media. These include webinars, podcasting, video-conferencing, social media platforms, and e-learning platforms.

Webinars are an effective way to deliver content to groups of people without the costs associated with other modes of delivery like video conferences. Webinars can be delivered in real-time or recorded for later viewing/downloading. They are also better suited for remote classrooms where there are students that might not be able to attend face to face sessions.

Podcasts are personal experiences that bring people closer to their favourite artists and content creators. They allow for a more intimate experience than some people enjoy while some may find it dull and boring. Podcasts also often have a better audio quality than other types of audio such as videos, making them easier to consume.

Some features that come with online learning include:

• access anywhere,
• anytime – students can work on coursework from anywhere in the world;
• self-paced – students have the freedom to work at their own pace;
• more economical – It can be more affordable than traditional course options
• flexible schedule – they can study on their own schedule and fit it around their busy personal or professional lives;
• personalised curriculum – teachers customise courses based on the student’s needs and preferences.

What are the features of high-quality online learning?

Online learning has been touted as the best way to advance your skills at low cost and convenience. But with the rapid growth of online learning, quality has also become an important concern.

High-quality online learning is able to provide a more personalized learning experience with the help of adaptive tools and personalised support. It also helps students by providing them with content that is specific to their needs and interests, such as field-specific courses, self-paced workbooks, and anytime/anywhere access.

Here we have included a list of features of high-quality online learning

• The use of new technologies to deliver content in a more interactive and engaging manner.
• The use of adaptive learning based on data such as performance, personalisation, progress tracking, self-assessment tools etc.
• Support for working professionals by adapting content to their needs – such as adapting content for beginners or those with specific knowledge sets.
• The use of gamification to make the process more enjoyable and engaging
• An emphasis on dynamic communication, prescriptive feedback loops, and adaptive content.
• Options to offer immediate feedback to the learners
• Learners interact with peers and instructors in small groups
• Learners can choose courses that they like based on their interests and level of knowledge
• Learners can select tutorials that are relevant to them based on their needs and making learners more engaged by providing them with relevant content that is relevant to their needs and interests.
• Providing multiple opportunities for learners to interact with each other and share their experiences, questions, and opinions.
• Providing learners with a personalised experience so they can learn from a broad range of individuals around the world who have different backgrounds and expertise.
• Creating a nurturing space where learners feel safe to ask questions or seek help from experienced mentors or peers in a community setting or through social media channels such as Facebook groups or Twitter chats
• Have a continuous learning experience that adapts to each individual.
• Digital content, which gives you an opportunity to access the materials anytime and anywhere (online or offline) via tablets, laptops or desktops.
• Learners can earn certificates or other achievements that can be used in their resumes or LinkedIn profiles
• Learner autonomy, which means that you will be given the appropriate amount of freedom to learn at your own pace according to what you need.

These features are meant to provide an engaging experience for students by including multimedia, rich content, and interactive activities.

The authenticity of assessments is a term that is often used in the education sector. It is usually used to refer to how authentic or genuine a given assessment was. Although there are no clear-cut definitions for the authenticity of assessments, the following are two possible definitions:

1. Authenticity means that a given assessment was created by a person who has knowledge and experience with the topic at hand.
2. The authenticity of an assessment refers to how well it matches what students know and understand about the subject.

The authenticity of assessments in an online learning environment is a hot topic for many educators and learners. Invariably, there are questions about how to ensure that the assessments students submit are their own work.

An authentic assessment is one that can be submitted by the student and has very little or no human intervention or involvement post submission.

The authenticity of assessments is an important feature of the online learning environment. It can ensure that students are not copying work from other students and cheating on assessments.

Assessment in an online learning environment includes many different parts from formative to summative. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on what are authentic assessments and how to ensure that student submissions are authentic.

The authenticity of assessments is important for many reasons. It helps educators build trust with their students and it also helps students to reflect on their work.

Authenticity is found in four key areas:

1. Student submitted work
2. Student engagement
3. Feedback from other students
4. Clarity of expectations

There are also different types of assessment tools in terms of their authenticity levels: authentic, fake, and ambiguous assessments.

• Authentic assessments contain content that students have produced themselves;
• Fake assessments contain content that has been created by someone other than students,
• While ambiguous assessments still require students to produce their own content but with no clear distinction

What makes an assessment authentic?

Authentic assessments tap into multiple perspectives, such as applying theory to practice or looking at different ways of knowing that reflect the skills needed for today’s workforce. The use cases for authenticity include: preparing academic content; preparing learners for a job interview; assessing how well learners can apply theoretical concepts to real-world situations; and developing an authentic portfolio of work completed.

A few examples include:

• The student produces the answer without any help from outside sources,
• The student is able to use previous knowledge, skills, and experience to produce a solution,
• The assessment tests the students’ ability to apply their prior knowledge

The ways to assess the authenticity of assessments in an online environment

• Online assessments should follow the same standards as face-to-face tests to ensure their authenticity. Assessment tools can be used to confirm student submissions and ensure that they are submitted by themselves.
• One way to ensure that student submissions are authentic is by having them submit an original paper that has been edited and proofread before being submitted for assessment.
• Another good way to ensure authenticity is to make use of an online learning environment such as Moodle where it’s easy for students to submit their own work as well as track progress over time.
• Having access to plagiarism checking software is also helpful to assess the authenticity of the assessments

The other strategies include:

• Assessing the student in an exam format where they are completing the assessments in front of you using the formats, templates and structures you have provided

Online learning platform providers are faced with this challenge on a daily basis. When it comes to authenticity, there are two ways to achieve it.

• The first is to ensure that students submit their own work without any assistance from the platform provider or the instructor.
• The second is to have students submit work based on guidelines provided by instructors and their training organisational policy framework.

There are three main aspects that can be used to assess the authenticity of assessment – credibility, validity, and reliability.

• Credibility: A student should know that their work has been assessed by other people. This can be done through comments or grading tools for each submission.
• Validity: The outcome of the assessment should measure what it is supposed to measure. For example, if a student submits an essay on leadership skills, they should receive feedback about their essay’s content and grammar mistakes.
• Reliability: It shows how often assessments are delivered with similar results. This can be achieved through exam marking tools like rubrics or checklists that remind the teachers on what they need to assess and how.

A simulated environment is an artificial representation of a real-world environment. Training organisations are increasingly turning to simulations for training purposes. The point of simulations is to provide learners with an environment that is as close as possible to the real-world experience. They simulate reality and give them the opportunity of practising what they learn.

What is the simulated environment for online learning?

A simulated environment or sandbox is an artificial (simulated) digital environment that enables people to go through intended experiences without having to travel to another location. It can also be used as a tool for testing new ways of teaching and assessing performance in the real world.

Simulations are devices that mimic the actual world in order to test certain hypotheses, skills, or knowledge. They can also be used to teach individuals or groups how certain processes work or what they should do.

Simulated environments make it possible for students to experience what they are learning in a different setting with varying outcomes. This is beneficial for students who would otherwise not have access to these opportunities through practical exercises.

A successful virtual reality experience can sync with an online course module. The student can experience different mapping environments related to the course by means of their own digital avatar.

The virtual world provides students with context and it is also much more engaging than traditional text-based online content. This makes it easier to understand what they are reading and easier for students to keep up with the information given in a text-heavy approach.

Simulated environments offer many benefits over traditional classroom settings. They allow access to the curriculum at any time and from anywhere, there are no distractions, and you can always get feedback from the simulated community. Simulated environments offer an affordable way to provide quality education without having to invest in large infrastructure projects or expensive implementation costs.

What can be included in a simulated environment for online learning

Simulated environments allow learners to work alone or in pairs, and teachers can get feedback on how well they are doing. The software also excels at memorisation and its ability to structure learning to give learners an idea of what they need to do next. This is helpful for people who learn best by repetition and memorisation and who don’t like memorising information out of books or even listening to lectures. Simulated environments also help people who have autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning disabilities because it is easy for them to work through the program with little help from others

The simulated environment can be seen as a virtual computer lab, where students have access to the tools they need for their learning. The software that these labs come with can help them create content or learn from other students’ work.

There are a number of ways to simulate an online learning environment.

An acceptable simulated environment is one that is realistic enough to provide a feeling of immersion and expertise when learning online. It should also be able to accommodate the learner’s needs and create a sense of community for them.

Examples of acceptable simulated environments:

– Virtual reality simulations or Virtual Reality Training Program (VTP)
– 3D virtual worlds
– Simulation of speech sounds, speech recognition, speech synthesis, keyboard input, mouse movement
– Online games with virtual items and avatars
– Simulation-Based Training Program (SBTP)
– Movies shot in VR
– VR content used to supplement other material

There are many different ways to set up simulated environments for online learning, but most commonly they incorporate software such as Adobe Flash or Unity3D.

In order to set up the simulated environment, you should first decide what kind of learning you want it for – content creation or online lectures. Once you have decided this, it’s time to identify what your high-level goals are – how should students be able to interact with the material? Should they have access to individualized workstations, or should they be able to collaborate on projects?

We would love to have you join our professional development retainer agreement services or individual professional development opportunities through Edu Learning. Our organisation works with the aim to help you grow your skills in a fun and interactive way. The benefits of joining our organisation are numerous, from getting tips from VET experts and industry leaders to building a network of peers, who can help you move forward in your career.

Intellectually stimulating and engaging content is what we excel at. We offer training programs that will provide your staff with the practical skills and strategies that they need to be successful in their careers in this competitive market – whether it’s in marketing, finance or RTO operations.

The benefits of being part of our professional development group include:

– Developing a better understanding of the role of a VET professional
– Getting in-depth training in different RTO sector skill sets that meet your and your organisation’s needs and requirements.

In partnership with Edu Learning and CAQA Skills, CAQA provides a variety of professional and personal development opportunities. We may also tailor the training to meet your specific requirements and skill level as well. For additional details, please contact us right away at info@caqa.com.au.

With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, the role of online education is changing. AI-based tools can automatically generate and grade assignments, meaning that students no longer need to spend hours and hours on their essays and tests.

AI has been a breakthrough in the education industry. It has the power to change the world of education by providing relevant information and helping students learn more efficiently. Artificial intelligence is drastically changing the way people learn, work, and live. It is used in every aspect of education, from math to language. With AI assistants, students are no longer limited to their current classroom. They can study with friends online while working on their own skill sets.

Artificial intelligence is being used in many fields, from marketing to healthcare, and now it is becoming a major player in online education. The benefits of AI in online education are so great that this field has been predicted to be worth around $3 trillion by 2026.

Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in education:

1. Automatic student assessment marking and feedback for student submissions;
2. Smart suggestions for self-assessment;
3. Customisability for individual students;
4. Automated homework, quizzes, projects;
5. Automatic assessment of knowledge gaps across subjects;
6. Personalised learning plans and curriculums based on each student’s level of expertise and progress in each subject area
7. Make e-learning more accessible to students with disabilities and special needs i.e. photos may be described for the visually impaired, video closed captions can be generated automatically, text-to-speech reading can be assisted with, and an on-screen mouse and keyboard can be operated.
8. The main benefit of AI is that it helps reduce the amount of time that teachers need to spend with students.
9. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms and models for recommendation systems, personalisation and analytics tools: The solution allows the user to take advantage of predicting trends and patterns without having access to a huge amount of data at once. It also provides personalised recommendations that can help users make better decisions based on their specific needs.
10. Improved graphics and hands-on learning experiences provided by interactive learning programmes significantly aid in capturing students’ attention and keeping them engaged.
11. The cloud function of artificial intelligence in virtual learning allows students to go back and review the lectures and study materials even after the day has ended. Teachers can also customise the learning experience for each student because technology makes it possible to track each student’s progress in the classroom.
12. Students can share anything they deem relevant and interesting to a particular subject taught in the class in virtual classrooms, which is a benefit of collective intelligence.
13. The use of artificial intelligence opens up numerous creative doors for both students and teachers. Students can be given assignments that are outside the box, demonstrating their abilities and knowledge beyond what is mandated in the textbooks, which in turn helps them feel more confident about their work. In this way, teachers were able to determine the disposition of each pupil from an extremely early age.
14. In addition, expenses like field trips, guest lectures, and other activities are reduced in the virtual world. Students have the opportunity to explore a variety of environments, which helps them to grow in all directions and build an awareness inside themselves.

Google has said that it will train more than 40 million individuals in Google Cloud skills as a result of the pandemic’s acceleration of digital transformation for organisations across a wide range of industries that are experiencing a skills shortage.

As part of its efforts to reach this aim, the tech giant introduced Google Cloud Skills Boost, which provides online learning opportunities, skills development, and certifications that are managed and provided by Google Cloud.

Starting today, “Google Cloud Skills Boost” will enable access to more than 700 hands-on labs, role-based courses, skill badges, and certification resources — including 16 new learning paths — that will be available on-demand throughout the world, according to a statement from the firm.

According to the company, Google Cloud Skills Boost would enable learning and professional development on a previously unimaginable scale.

In a recent survey, more than 90 per cent of IT leaders stated that they intend to expand their cloud environments over the next several years, but more than 80 per cent of those same leaders stated that a lack of skills and expertise among their personnel is the primary impediment to this expansion.

“Through this new project, we hope to reduce barriers for businesses while also promoting professional success for individuals,” Google stated in a statement.

At the time of debut, the content is only available in English and Japanese, with support for additional languages to be added in the future.

If you subscribe to GCP before November 6, you will receive your first month of content at no cost, making it easier than ever to earn a Google Cloud certification or learn a new skill. GCP is a free service that makes it easier than ever to obtain a Google Cloud certification or learn a new skill.

For more information, please visit cloud.google.com