Countdown to Compliance – Your Final 6-Week RTO Survival Guide

In this episode, Angela Connell-Richards breaks down the essential roadmap for RTOs facing the final stretch before the 1 July 2025 Standards go live. With just six weeks left, this survival guide helps you focus, prioritise, and take action without overwhelm. Angela shares her insider tips, drawn from decades of experience, to help you make the most of every remaining week.

Key points discussed:
✅ A week-by-week countdown checklist to prepare your RTO
✅ The most common compliance pitfalls in the final weeks
✅ Tools and strategies to help your team stay on track
✅ How to manage last-minute adjustments without panic

As the deadline approaches, Angela empowers you to shift from reactive stress to proactive action. Tune in to gain clarity, confidence, and a clear path forward for your organisation.

🎧 Call to action: Listen now to make sure your RTO crosses the compliance finish line ready and strong! Visit Vivacity to download your free 6-week survival checklist.

Send us a text

 Join host Angela Connell-Richards as she opens each episode with a burst of insight and inspiration. Discover why compliance is your launchpad to success, not a limitation. 

Wrap up with gratitude and guidance. Subscribe, leave a review, and join our community as we continue supporting your compliance journey in vocational education. 

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Thank you for tuning in to the RTO Superhero Podcast!

We’re excited to have you join us as we focus on the Revised Standards for RTOs in 2025. Together, we’ll explore key changes, compliance strategies, and actionable insights to help your RTO thrive under the new standards.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to today's episode.
It's one of the most importantwe've done so far, because the
final countdown has begun.
We are now under two monthsaway from 1 July 2025, when the
revised standards for RTOs comefully into effect.
This is your six-week survivalguide to help you prioritise,

(00:26):
act smart and get your RTOacross the finish line.
So grab your notebook, becauseI'm going to give you a clear,
actionable roadmap.
We're standing at the thresholdof major change.
For months, we've been talkingabout the new outcome, standards

(00:47):
, compliance requirements andthe credential policy, but now
it's real.
Here's what I want you toremember.
You still have time just tomake meaningful progress, but
you need to be focused andintentional.

(01:07):
Many RTOs I speak to are freelyoverwhelmed, feeling very
overwhelmed right now.
There's fear have I missedanything?
Or what if an audit comes upstraight away?
But I want you to take a breath, a deep breath.
This is about doing the rightthings, not all the things.

(01:28):
And let me acknowledge, rightnow there's additional confusion
because of how ASQA is handlingthe transition.
Earlier this year, asqa statedthat initial registrations and
additions to scope submitted onor after 1 May would need to
comply with the new standards.
However, as of last week, myown team reached out to ASQA on

(01:53):
1 May asking about the newprocess and no one on the ASQA
advice line could give us adefinitive answer.
They referred us to thepractice guides.
But here's the issue thepractice guides do not provide
the updated application forms oroperational instructions.

(02:13):
So, even though the deadlinehas technically passed, the
exact process is still unclear.
What this tells me and what Iwant to pass on to you is that
we are all working in atransitional space right now,
where preparation anddocumentation are your best

(02:34):
friends.
Let's break this down even more.
Here's your six-week roadmap.
Week one complete your gapanalysis.
Review your RTO's complianceagainst the revised standards.
You can also check out thevivacity tracker or use one of

(02:56):
our checklists to document gaps.
Focus especially on high-riskareas governance, trainer
credentials, industryconsultation and assessment
practices.
Week two update core policiesand procedures.
Prioritise policies directlyimpacting by the new standards.

(03:19):
Update your enrolment form,your TAS and your learner
support procedures.
Week three train your team.
Conduct a team briefing or miniworkshop.
Make sure your trainers,assessors and administration
staff understand what's changing.
Assign champions for key areaslike assessment, validation or

(03:44):
governance.
Week 4.
Check systems and evidence.
Audit your systems.
Can you prove compliance.
Audit your systems.
Can you prove compliance?
Check your records, tools,moderation logs and industry
engagement evidence.
Test data security andretention processes.

(04:06):
Week 5.
Simulate an internal audit.
Run a mock audit or healthcheck.
Get external input if possibleor use a checklist and
self-review, that's if ASCO havereleased their form yet.
Identify last-minute fixes.
Week six final touches andconfidence check.

(04:36):
Finalise your documentation.
Clean up files and ensure allrecords are ready.
Brief leadership on anyremaining risks or issues.
Prepare your mindset.
Know that you are ready to facean audit if it comes.
If you're thinking, angela, I'mnot even halfway through.
Well, here's some quick winsfor you.
Prioritise critical areastrainer credentials, assessment,

(04:59):
quality, governance, industryengagement and how are you going
to manage risk.
Update key documents.
Focus on the most criticalpolicies aligned to the new
standards.
Communicate quickly.
Get your team aligned, evenwith a short meeting or summary
document.

(05:20):
Book expert help.
Reach out for complianceclarity.
Call or get some support fromVervacity if you need guidance.
Given the ASQA uncertainty,here's what I recommend Document
every interaction with ASQA.
Keep written records of names,dates and advice you receive.

(05:44):
Prepare as if the revisedstandards apply, even if the
forms aren't updated yet.
Stay agile, check the ASQAwebsite daily and be ready to
pivot as new information isreleased.
Connect with your network.
Other RTOs are going throughthe same confusion and sharing

(06:06):
insights can help.
Check out the Vervacity RTOcommunity on Facebook.
Also, we have the RTO communityon LinkedIn.
Remember, asqa will expectproviders to demonstrate good
faith efforts to comply, even ifsome details are still evolving
.
Just remember you are not alonein this.

(06:30):
Every RTO across the country isnavigating these changes in
this.
Every RTO across the country isnavigating these changes.
Some are ahead, some are behind, but what matters now is how
you show up in the next sixweeks.
Focus on what matters, get helpwhere needed, and Vivacity is
here to help.
Trust that you have thestrength and resilience to get

(06:56):
through this.
Compliance isn't just aregulatory burden.
It's about ensuring qualityoutcomes for your RTO and your
reputation.
Thank you for tuning into theRTO Superhero Podcast.
If you found value in today'sepisode, please subscribe and
leave us a review.
Your feedback can help us tocontinue to provide insightful

(07:17):
content to support you and yourjourney with the new standards
for RTOs.
If you're ready to get experthelp with your compliance
transition, visit our websitewwwvivacitycomau.
You can also download one ofour e-books, and we've got a

(07:41):
variety of free resources thatyou can access.
You can also book a complianceclarity call to explore our
membership options and how wecan assist you Stay compliant
and keep surviving and thriving.