One Month Into the New Standards – Our Journey, Lessons, and Surprises

In this special reflection episode, Angela Connell-Richards shares an honest and insightful look at what the first month under the new 2025 Standards has really been like. From wins and breakthroughs to unexpected challenges, Angela takes you behind the scenes of her work with RTOs over the past month—revealing what’s working, what’s still settling, and what everyone should be paying attention to as the sector adjusts.

Key points discussed:
✅ How RTOs are adapting to the 2025 Standards in practice
✅ The biggest lessons learned (so far) from the first month
✅ Surprising trends and common roadblocks emerging across the sector
✅ What Angela and the Vivacity team have changed in their approach after working with clients under the new framework

Angela’s candid reflections will help you benchmark your own progress and get ahead of potential pitfalls. Whether you’re feeling confident or still finding your feet, this episode offers reassurance, clarity, and guidance for staying strong in the months ahead.

🎧 Call to action: Listen now and join Angela’s free online session, One Month On: Your RTO Check-In, at Vivacity to connect, reflect, and map out your next steps.

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 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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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Today we're reflecting on a huge milestone
we are officially one month intothe new 2025 Standards for RTOs
.
This episode is all aboutsharing what the past month has
looked like, not just from acompliance perspective, but from
a human, organisational andstrategic view.
I'll cover the biggest lessonswe've learnt, the surprises that

(00:26):
popped up, the challenges we'restill navigating and where
we're heading next.
So, whether you're feelingconfident or still a bit wobbly,
stick with me for the next halfhour and I promise you'll walk
away with fresh ideas andinsights, and also renewed
energy.
The first month a reality check.

(00:47):
Let's start with the realitycheck.
One month ago, on 1 July, thesector officially transitioned
to the revised standards and wow, what a month it's been.
Here's what we've observed.
Some RTOs were audit ready onday one.
They had been working formonths aligning systems,

(01:08):
updating policies and running,team training and embedding new
practices.
For these RTOs, the first monthhas mostly been about
fine-tuning and dealing withsmall teething issues.
Others were caught off guard.
Even though the new standardswere announced well in advance,
some teams underestimated howmuch work was involved in truly

(01:32):
aligning, not just ticking thebox.
For them, the past month hasbeen a scramble to catch up,
particularly if they were calledup for an audit.
And then there's the middleground RTOs that did a decent
job preparing but are nowrealising some gaps,
particularly in areas like datareporting, student support and

(01:56):
trainer currency records.
What I want you to hear is thisyou are not alone.
No one got everything perfect.
The first month has been asector-wide period of adjustment
and learning.
Let's begin and take a diveinto the biggest lessons we've

(02:19):
taken from working closely withRTOs this month.
Lesson one policies mean nothingwithout practice.
Many organisations updatedtheir documents but didn't fully
embed the changes operationally.
For example, student supportprocedures look beautiful on
paper, but staff weren't yetclear on how to apply them in

(02:41):
real time.
This is a reminder thatcompliance isn't a paperwork
exercise, it's a living practice.
Lesson two self-assurance is amuscle.
The new standards push ustowards a self-assurance model
where continuous improvement ispart of the culture, but you

(03:02):
can't flip the switch overnight.
It takes leadership, commitment, regular review processes and
team involvement to build thatmuscle over time.
Lesson three the quality areasare deeply interconnected.
We've seen RTOs treating areaslike governance, workforce and

(03:23):
student support as separatesilos, but the reality is they
are interwoven.
For example, decisions aboutworkforce qualifications
directly impact governance, riskand student outcomes.
The most successfulorganisations are the ones that
are taking a holistic view.
Lesson four teams need space toadapt.

(03:47):
This is a big one.
Many managers underestimatedthe emotional and mental load on
their teams.
People need to learn, adjustand gain confidence under a new
compliance framework.
A rushed stress team is morelikely to make mistakes, so
leadership must balance urgencywith realistic capacity, urgency

(04:18):
with realistic capacity.
Surprises and challenges Ofcourse, there were surprises
this month too.
One big surprise the amount ofaudit activity already starting.
We've heard from several RTOswho were selected for audit
right out of the gate, whichtells us the regulators are
moving fast to check earlyimplementation.
Another challenge technologygaps.
Some organisations discoveredtheir student management systems

(04:40):
, hr database or compliancetools weren't fully capturing
the data needed under the newreporting requirements.
It's a good reminder to checknot just your human processes
but your tech stack as well.
And lastly, the emotionalchallenge.
For some RTO owners and managers, this month has been a moment

(05:02):
of realising we need more help,whether it's consulting support,
additional team training or bedassistance.
It's okay to acknowledge youcan't do this all alone, so
where do you go next?
Here's what I recommend forevery RTO, no matter where
you're sitting right now.

(05:23):
Run a one-month review.
Take stock of what's working,what's not and where you need to
adjust.
Bring your team into theconversation.
Prioritise continuousimprovement, even if you feel
behind.
Remember it's not aboutperfection, it's about progress.

(05:43):
Pick one to two key areas tofocus on over the next quarter.
Invest in your people, whetherit's more professional
development, coaching or teamworkshops.
Your people are the heart ofyour compliance success.
Lean into community.
You are not in this alone.

(06:04):
Join industry forums, attendwebinars and connect with peers.
Share lessons, challenges andwins.
It makes a difference.
Share lessons, challenges andwins it makes a difference.
Join the rto community onfacebook or join the rto
community on linkedin.
Thank you very much for joiningme today on the rto superhero

(06:25):
podcast.
This episode was all aboutreflecting honestly on our first
month under the new standardsand I hope it's given you both
reassurance and direction.
Remember, compliance isn't justa deadline, it's a journey.
One month in, we're all stilllearning, adjusting and growing,

(06:46):
and that's okay.
If you want to take the nextstep, I invite you to join my
free online session One Month Onyour RTO Check-In, where we'll
take a deep dive into thoselessons, share insights and map
out practical next steps foryour organisation.
Visit Vivacity to register anddon't forget to subscribe to the

(07:11):
podcast so you never miss anepisode.
Until next time, stay compliant, stay confident and keep making
a difference through education.