AQF certification documentation is the set of official documents that confirms that an AQF qualification or statement of attainment has been issued to an individual. This documentation generally comprises of the certificate and the transcript which meets the requirements of the Standards for RTOs 2015 and the AQF.
Assessmentin VET refers to the process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whether competency has been achieved. This is to confirm that an individual can perform to the standard required in the workplace, as specified in a training package or VET accredited course.
Assessment system is a co-ordinated set of documented policies and procedures (including the assessment materials and tools) that ensure assessments are consistent and are based on the Principles of Assessment – reliability, fairness, flexibility and validity.
Assessors are persons who assess a learner’s competence in accordance with Clauses 1.13 to 1.16 in the Standards for RTOs 2015. They are also usually the Trainers for the course.
Audit refers to an inspection of records and practices undertaken by the VET Regulator – that is ASQA, VRQA or WA TAC.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) refers to the framework for regulated qualifications in the Australian education and training system, as agreed by the Commonwealth, State and Territory ministerial council with responsibility for higher education.
AVETMISS Data report is the Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard (AVETMISS) data report which reports learner training and assessment outcomes for the calendar year, along with the learner’s personal information such as their full name, date of birth and address. For the typical RTO, each calendar year’s report must be submitted to NCVER by the 28th of February for the previous calendar year. For some RTOs, this report is submitted more regularly.
Current industry skills refers to the knowledge, skills and experience required by VET trainers and assessors and those who provide training and assessment under supervision to ensure that their training and assessment is based on current industry practices and meets the needs of the industry.
Data provision requirements are the reporting requirements your RTO is required to submit. For example, the AVETMISS data and Quality Indicator data reports.
Financial viability risk assessment requirements refers to the requirements made under section 158 of theNational Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act2011 or equivalent requirements made by VRQA or WA TAC. This generally means that the RTO is able to fulfil all of its financial obligations to its creditors and has ample funds for its operations.
High managerial agent refers to an employee or representative of the organisation with duties wherein his or her conduct may fairly be assumed to represent the organisation in relation to the business of providing courses.
Industry refers to the bodies that have a stake in the services provided by RTOs. These can include, but are not limited to:
enterprise/industry clients, e.g. employers;
group training organisations;
industry organisations and regulators;
industry skills councils or similar bodies;
industry training advisory bodies; and
unions.
Industry and Skills Councilis the Commonwealth, State and Territory ministerial council established by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), or its successor.
Industry engagement for the purposes of Clauses1.5 & 1.6, may include, but is not limited to strategies such as:
partnering with local employers, regional/national businesses, relevant industry bodies and/or enterprise RTOs;
involving employer nominees in industry advisory committees and/or reference groups;
embedding staff within enterprises;
networking in an ongoing way with industry networks, peak bodies and/or employers;
developing networks of relevant employers and industry representatives to participate in assessment validation; and
exchanging knowledge, staff, and/or resources with employers, networks and industry bodies.
Industry regulator refers to a body or organisation responsible for the regulation and/or licensing arrangements within a specific industry or occupation.
Learner refers to the person being trained and/or assessed by the RTO for the purpose of issuing AQF certification documentation.
Licensed or regulated outcome refers to an RTO’s compliance with an eligibility requirement for an occupational licence or a legislative requirement to hold a particular training product in order to carry out an activity.
Mode of delivery refers to the method adopted by a training organisation to deliver training and assessment, including online, face-to-face, or blended methods.
Module refers to a group of learning outcomes in a VET accredited course where it can be established that it is not possible to develop an appropriate unit of competency.
National Register refers to the database maintained by ASQA, as referred to in section 216 of theNational Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011.
Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) logo is a registered trademark used to identify nationally recognised and VET accredited courses. It can only be used according to the conditions specified in Schedule 4 of the Standards for RTOs 2015.
Professional development refers to activities that develop and/or maintain an individual’s skills, knowledge, expertise and other characteristics as a trainer or assessor. This includes both formal and informal activities that encompass vocational competencies, currency of industry skills and knowledge as well as the practice of vocational training, learning andassessment, including competency-based training and assessment. Examples of professional development activities include:
participation in courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, or formal learning programs;
participation in mentoring, professional associations or other learning networks;
personal development through individual research or reading of publications or other relevant information;
participation in moderation or validation activities; and
participation in industry release schemes.
QI Data report refers to the Quality Indicator report each RTO needs to submit by the 30th of each year declaring that their operations are in compliance with the Standards for RTOs 2015.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) refers to theassessmentprocess that assesses the competency(ies) of an individual that may have been acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning to determine the extent to which that individual meets the requirements specified in the training package or VET accredited courses. Formal learning refers to learning that takes place through a structured program of instruction and is linked to the attainment of an AQF qualification or statement of attainment (for example, a certificate, diploma or university degree). Non-formal learning refers to learning that takes place through a structured program of instruction, but does not lead to the attainment of an AQF qualification or statement of attainment (for example, in-house professional development programs conducted by a business). Informal learning refers to learning that results through experience of work-related, social, family, hobby or leisure activities (for example the acquisition of interpersonal skills developed through several years as a sales representative).
RTO refers to a Registered Training Organisation.
RTO code refers tothe registration identifier given to the RTO on the National Register.
Scope of registration refers to the training products for which an RTO is approved to issue AQF certification documentation. It allows the RTO to:
provide training and assessment services which results in the student achieving an AQF certification documentation by the RTO; or
provide assessment resulting in the student being awarded AQF certification documentation by the RTO.
Skill set refers to a single unit of competency or a combination of units of competency from a training package which links to a licensing or regulatory requirement, or a defined industry need.
Statement of attainment refers to the statement issued to a person confirming that the person has satisfied the requirements of the unit(s) of competency(ies) or accredited short course as specified in the statement.
Third party refers to any party that provides services on behalf of the RTO but does not include a contract of employment between an RTO and its employee.
Trainers are persons who provide training in accordance with Clauses1.13,1.14and1.16 of the Standards for RTOs 2015.
Training is the process used by an RTO or a third-party delivering services on its behalf, to facilitate learning.
Training and assessment strategies and practices are the approach of, and methods adopted by, an RTO with respect to training and assessment.
Training package refers to the units of competency,assessmentrequirements, qualifications, and credit arrangements; endorsed by the Industry and Skills Council or its delegate components. A training package also consists of a non-endorsed, quality assured companion volume(s) which contains industry advice to RTOs on different aspects of implementation.
Training product refers to an AQF qualification, skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course and module.
Unit of competency is the smallest component of a Training Package that can be assessed and recognised. It gives a description of the skills and knowledge required to effectively perform a particular workplace role or function to a certain standard.
Validation is the quality review of the assessment process. It involves checking that the assessment tool(s) produce valid, reliable, sufficient, current and authentic evidence to enable reasonable judgements to be made as to whether the requirements of the training package or VET accredited courses are met. It includes reviewing a statistically valid sample of the assessments and making recommendations for future improvements to the assessment tool, process and/or outcomes and acting upon such recommendations.
VETstands for vocational education and training.
VET Quality Framework comprises of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations, the Australian Qualifications Framework, the Fit and Proper Person Requirements, the Financial Viability Risk Assessment Requirements, and the Data Provision Requirements.
VET Regulator refers to the bodies established under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 such as ASQA, and separate regulators in Victoria and Western Australia such as VRQA and WA TAC; that ensure training providers, both public and private satisfy a suite of requirements.
