June 5, 2025 • 45 mins
As we race towards the 1 July 2025 implementation of the Revised Standards for RTOs, one uncomfortable truth is becoming clear: many RTOs are more prepared than the national regulator itself.
In this unfiltered and empowering bonus episode of the RTO Superhero Podcast, Angela Connell-Richards takes you behind the scenes of what’s really happening with ASQA—and what that means for your compliance strategy. Drawing on over 30 years of experience (including the last major reform in 2011), Angela shares first-hand stories, current client scenarios, and actionable strategies to help RTO leaders confidently take the reins.
What You’ll Learn:
âś… Why waiting for ASQA to "catch up" could leave your RTO exposed
 ✅ How Vivacity is helping clients prepare for both the 2015 and 2025 Standards
 ✅ How to lead your compliance journey with confidence, clarity, and evidence
 ✅ Why the transition to a micro-credential framework is already shaping legislative change
 ✅ Six must-do actions to ensure you're audit-ready—before the regulator is
Angela doesn’t hold back as she reveals how ASQA is still requiring outdated forms, provides conflicting advice, and admits their own auditors are unsure how to assess the new requirements. But rather than complain, she offers a clear blueprint for RTOs to stay ahead: build your own benchmarks, train your team, document everything, and take the lead—no matter what’s happening at the top.
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.
Connect with fellow RTO professionals in our free Facebook groups: the RTO Community and RTO Job Board. Visit rtosuperhero.au/groups to join today.
Ready to elevate your RTO? Join our Superhero Membership community and gain access to expert resources, training, and personalised support to help you thrive.
Wrap up with gratitude and guidance. Subscribe, leave a review, and join our community as we continue supporting your compliance journey in vocational education.
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.
Stay connected with the RTO Community:
📌 Don’t forget to:
âś” Subscribe to the RTO Superhero Podcast so you never miss an episode!
✔ Share this episode with your RTO network—compliance is a team effort!
🎙 Listen now and get ahead of the compliance changes before it’s too late!
📢 Want even more compliance insights? Subscribe to our EduStream YouTube Channel for our FAQ series on the New Standards for RTOs 2025! 🎥
đź”— Subscribe now: EduStream by Vivacity Coaching
✉️ Email us at hello@vivacity.com.au
đź“ž Call us on 1300 729 455
🖥️ Visit us at vivacity.com.au
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Angela Connell-Richards (00:01):
Hey there, superheroes, and welcome
to a very special episode of theRTO Superhero Podcast.
I'm your host, AngelaConnell-Richards, and today
we're going to talk aboutsomething that might ruffle a
few feathers, but it needs to besaid.
As of today, we're just a fewweeks out from the biggest
regulatory shift we've had inover a decade the full
(00:23):
implementation of the revisedstandards for RTOs 2025.
We are ready, our clients areready, many RTOs across the
country are doing the work, butthe National Regulator are they
ready?
I want to take you back on ajourney of when the VET
(00:44):
regulator, asqa, first came andthis was on, funnily enough, 1st
of July 2011.
And that's when we moved from astate regulator body to a
federal regulator body, and it'sthe first time we actually had
legislation for registeredtraining organisations.
(01:07):
Prior to that, it was aframework and we were working
under a framework.
Under a framework, it wasbasically a framework of how we
were required to operate as anRTO, but under legislation.
As an RTO but under legislation.
(01:29):
It actually gave the governmentteeth to be able to take legal
action, and that's the reasonwhy we have so many people in
tribunal, because we've beenable to.
Not only do they have teeth,but we will also fight back as
well.
But I'll never forget when wewere transitioning over and yes,
vivacity has been around forquite some time and I've been in
(01:50):
the training industry for evenlonger and I've experienced many
things as an RTO owner, rtomanager, a trainer assessor, rto
manager, a trainer or assessorbut in particular when I was
(02:12):
running my own RTO and I'veexperienced from what it's like
to be audited under a stateregulator when I had my own RTO
and then that transition over toa federal.
Once we moved over to thefederal regulator, ASQA, I
actually already sold my RTO andI was operating Vivacity.
(02:32):
But I wanted to take you back towhen I started my own RTO and
the first thing I did at thattime we actually had a change of
the framework, so the AQTF andI had to change all of my
policies, procedures, forms anddocumentation, so I'd taken over
(02:54):
an RTO.
So what that means is I boughtan RTO from another entity.
Now the RTO wasn't.
Essentially, I couldn't buy theRTO because I would have had to
buy the whole organisation andthis was a big club that owned
the organisation.
So I had to do an initialregistration.
(03:15):
So whilst I was working in thisRTO and I took over, and I took
over all of the students andthe training products I was
delivering under the scope ofregistration of the RTO that I
was buying out, basicallyessentially, and at the same
time I was going for initialregistration and with that
(03:37):
initial registration, there wasa change of legislation.
So I had to rewrite all of ourpolicies, procedures, forms and
documentation, and that was thefirst time I actually reviewed
all of the standards, so theframework at that time and
identified what would be thebest way to write these policies
(03:59):
and procedures that would notonly be understandable but
implementable, so you couldimplement it within your team.
And it took me quite some time.
So I was operating the RTO aswell as rewriting all of the
policies, procedures anddocuments, and it took me about
(04:21):
a six-month period to rewriteall of these policies and
procedures and never mind all ofthe accompanying documents.
Writing policies and procedures,particularly when there's new
legislation, isn't somethingthat you can just churn out
overnight.
Yes, we've got CHATGPT andwe've got AI technology now, but
(04:44):
it's still a lot of work and Ican tell you I know this because
we're using chat GPT to writeour policies and procedures
right now but it's not a processof going here's the standard
now write me a policy andprocedure.
You've actually got to makesure that it's implementable by
the RTO and the staff within theRTO, anyway.
(05:06):
So let's go back to thatoriginal story.
So it took me a while and Imapped all the documents and I
rewrote all of the policies andprocedures and then went to
audit.
We had non-compliances and thenI had to rectify them, but we
got through initial registrationwith eight qualifications on
(05:27):
our scope of registration.
So it actually went quite wellsuccessfully.
But what I wanted to pushacross here is there is quite a
bit of work when it comes towriting your documentation.
Now let's move forward to 2011,when I'm now consulting to RTOs
(05:47):
and we're moving from the stateregulator to the federal
regulator and we're now gotlegislation, not a framework.
So legislation is verydifferent from a framework,
because legislation is legal.
Because legislation is legalJust to put it plainly it's
(06:11):
legal requirements and there area lot of other ramifications
when it comes to legalrequirements.
Fortunately, my background priorto getting into the training
industry was writing industrialrelation policies and procedures
in the HR environment, as wellas WHS.
So I'd worked in work, healthand safety and as a trainer and
assessor, I delivered trainingin business and WHS and IT as
(06:34):
well a lot of computer skills,anyway.
So when I went from rewritingall of the documents, we had a
similar process.
I actually think we've had amuch better journey this time
around.
We've had such a huge lead timeinto these new standards being
(06:54):
released and I know there was alot of people who are like, oh,
we don't know whether it's goingto happen if we have a change
of government and all this stuff.
I still pushed ahead.
I just pushed ahead and Ifocused on rewriting all of our
documentation.
So I started when the firstdraft came out, and so we've
been working on this as a teamfor the last two years.
(07:17):
Then, when the final draft cameout in October last year, we
went full bore at vivacity andwe were rewriting all of our
policies and procedures.
And what we were also doing iswe were taking into
consideration what was happeningat audit.
So it wasn't just writingpolicies and procedures against
(07:38):
the legislation, it was alsowell, what's happening at audit?
How are the auditorsinterpreting?
How are they adjusting theirassessment procedure in
consideration with the newstandards coming Now?
Asqa don't have a switch wherethey go okay, even though they
(07:59):
said this at the VEL conference,but they don't have a switch
that goes okay one July.
We're going to do this andwe're going to do everything
this way.
It's a transition.
There is a transition Like theywill slowly start doing things
and changing the way they auditover time and we've seen that
(08:19):
all year this year.
It hasn't been like we're notwaiting for that switch to turn
on on the 1st of July.
We already can see what'schanging, based in what's
happening with our clients whenthey go to audit.
Now.
One of the advantages that wehave over our you being an
individual RTO is that we workedwith many, many RTOs.
(08:43):
We've worked with over 400 RTOsaround Australia.
So we've got experience in notjust one qualification area, but
we've got experience with lotsof different auditors and
different RTOs and differentsize and scope of operations.
So we can see what it's likewhen we're working with the
(09:04):
auditors, what's different, andwe try and get some sort of
consistency so that we can putthat into place with our process
of how we help manage ourclients go through that process
of initial registration, andthat can take 12 months to three
(09:27):
years depending on the clientand depending on ASQA.
Asqa can take six months justfrom submission to actually
getting an audit date, so youdon't know how long that is
going to be.
So we work with our clientsthrough that whole period to not
only help them with theregistration, we actually teach
(09:49):
them how to be compliant as well.
We also help withre-registration, in addition to
scope and due diligence, ifyou're going to buy an RTO, and
we can do annual audits andthings like that as well.
So we've got a lot ofexperience working with
different RTOs and that gives usan advantage when it comes to
(10:10):
rewriting our policies andprocedures as well as preparing
for ASQA.
Because we've seen I've seen itall.
I've seen everything.
I've seen the highs and lows ofaudits.
I've had days where I finishedat an audit, went back to my
hotel room and just cried allnight because my policies and
(10:33):
procedures were ripped apart.
I'd spent all night the nightbefore preparing the client.
I've certainly learned a lot.
I've certainly learned how tobetter prepare our clients in
advance, and you can't do it theday before you can't and not
that we ever did this.
(10:54):
We always gave the policies andprocedures and documents way
early.
But we've seen it withconsultants that are out there.
They give the documents the daybefore the order.
The thing is, as an initialregistration you need to know
the day before the order.
The thing is, as an initialregistration you need to know
these documents inside and out.
You can't just have them turnup and then give them to the
auditor.
The auditor is going to expectthat you actually understand how
(11:16):
to implement them into your RTO.
So it's a much bigger processthan that.
It's just it's.
Yeah, I'm still flabbergastedwith how many consultants that
are out there that just handover these documents and expect
you to succeed in initialregistration.
Anyway, I digress.
Let's go back to 2011.
(11:36):
Okay, so I want to share withyou an experience I had.
So I was ready from 1 July.
I already had all of mypolicies and procedures already
updated.
I had all of my documentsupdated with full anticipation
that it was going to take 12 to24 months of amendments to those
(12:00):
documents before we got them100% compliant.
But we guarantee all of ourdocuments.
So if there's anynon-compliances, we'll rectify
them and we don't charge anyextra for that, because that I
see as an opportunity forimprovement, to improve all of
our documentation.
Anyway, we had a whole heap ofclients in for initial
(12:21):
registration, re-registration,and it actually took until
October before the first ASQAaudits actually started
happening.
So, once again, just remindingyou, we went from a state
regulator to a federal regulator, so a bit different from where
we are now, but still a majorchange in legislation.
(12:41):
So you know, think July, August, September, October so four
months away from the 1st of Julybefore we actually had our
first audit.
So this first audit was for Ithink it was actually for a
re-reg client.
(13:02):
So we're going in for re-reg,and so we had to demonstrate
that this client was compliantagainst the new legislation as a
operating RTO and we sat downfor the audit.
So I walked in and sat down andthe auditor just happened to be
the same auditor that I had asmy RTO.
(13:25):
She was under the stateregulator regulator.
So I was in New South Wales, soVTAB, the Vocational Education
Training Advisory Board, and shewas the same auditor and we had
a great rapport already becausewe did well when I had my RTO
and that was the last time I metwith her was when I had my RTO,
(13:46):
which I sold in 2009.
So, anyway, so we sat down and Ihad all my client prepared.
I had all the documents there,I had folders and stuff and lots
of things for the auditor to gothrough.
And the first thing thisauditor said to me was Angela,
(14:08):
as a consultant, you can observeand take notes, but you are not
to participate in this audit.
And I went okay, no, no, noproblems, fine, I can do that.
My role there is not to answerthe questions.
My role there is to this is,from my perspective, is to help,
(14:29):
guide and coach the client, andbasically I'm in admin support
as well, so I hand over therelevant policies, procedures
and documents, anyway.
So we're going through theaudit and it would have been
about an hour in, I suppose andthere was one part where the
auditor was a bit stuck and abit confused and she was looking
(14:53):
at legislation and she turnedto me and said is this right,
angela?
Like this legislation here?
What's your interpretation?
And I went, I thought I wasn'tallowed to participate in this
audit.
And she went oh, no, no, that'sokay, you can answer that
question.
And so I did and I gave myinterpretation of what I thought
(15:16):
that legislation was and whatit meant, and it was you know
that point that I realised.
Oh, my God, I actually knowmore about the legislation than
the auditor does.
Now the thing is, from thatchange from state to regulatory
authority, they actually wentthrough a whole process where
(15:40):
they had to hire new auditors.
So ASCRA were never aroundbefore and they didn't have a
federal regulator.
So they had to hire auditorsand they were hiring the
auditors from the old stateregulatory bodies and then they
had to train them.
Well, they didn't get a lot oftraining.
They didn't get a lot oftraining when it came to the new
standards.
So I'd actually had a massiveadvantage because I'd already
(16:06):
been studying all the newstandards and I'd already been
writing policies, procedures anddocuments and having a good
understanding of running my ownRTO running businesses before
and also helping otherorganisations with policies,
policy documents.
I was writing them from theperspective of how to implement
(16:28):
them within the RTO.
So what came of that audit waswe actually went really well and
we were compliant and I didn'thave any issues.
Thankfully, I think it wasmainly because I knew this
auditor and she knew that Igenuinely have a concern for
(16:51):
quality and compliance and thatis my background.
Like I love sounds crazy, but Ilove compliance.
I think compliance gives usquality.
It gives us an even playingfield when it comes to ensuring
(17:12):
that we have compliance acrossall of our sectors.
When it comes to registeredtraining organisations, prior to
the framework, there weretraining organisations out there
.
We didn't have registered.
We just had trainingorganisations out there who were
issuing certificates anddiplomas of.
I've got one of those diplomasthat were not a national
(17:38):
framework.
It was just basically the RTO,not the RTO the training
organisation developing theirown materials and assessment
tools that weren't a nationalframework.
And that's what I love about anational framework is we've got
a national qualification thathas units of competencies with
performance criteria, assessmentconditions, knowledge, skills
(17:59):
that are all at the same level.
So everyone is assessed at thesame level.
That's what I love aboutcompliance about compliance,
anyway.
So that was my first audit afterthe new standards came in.
So the very first time thestandards came in.
So the standards for RTOs 2011,.
(18:19):
And the first time I went to anASQA audit From the audits from
there, we actually went quitewell, but I did find I've had a
big journey when it comes toaudits and what's happened at
audits.
From there, we actually wentquite well, but I did find I've
had a big journey when it comesto audits and what's happened at
audits.
But right now, what's happeningright now is reminding me of
(18:42):
that experience back in 2011.
That experience of actually theauditors don't know what
they're doing.
They don't like, they're sobusy trying to transition over
and get the get the process inplace that they're actually not
learning or at that time, theyweren't learning about what
(19:05):
those standards mean and how toimplement them.
Now we've got a huge advantagecompared to 2011.
We've got practice guides.
Oh my God, we didn't havepractice guides back in 2011.
So you've got these practiceguides that have been developed
by ASQA that give you aframework of what they're
(19:28):
expecting for those standards.
Now you can't read the practiceguides without the standards.
You've got to read them withthe standards but the practice
guides.
So I'll just give you a littlebit of background about this.
The practice guides are goingto replace the user guide.
So we currently have the userguide to the standards.
(19:49):
The practice guides are goingto replace that.
Now the practice guides arebroken down by the quality areas
.
So we've got quality area one,two, three, four, and then we've
got the divisions within thosequality areas.
So, for example, quality areaone is training and assessment
and under training assessment,we have four divisions.
(20:11):
So we've got training andassessment.
We've got language literacy andnumeracy and we've also got
credit transfer and RPL.
So we've got them broken downand then they've given you a
practice guide of what theirexpectations are.
Now these are in development.
They're draft, but they'restill a great guide, so it's a
(20:32):
great place to start.
When you're looking at writingyour policies and procedures, so
you really should be looking atthose practice guides in
conjunction with the legislation.
So when you're rewriting yourpolicies and procedures Now, I
want you to take intoconsideration and procedures Now
I want you to take intoconsideration.
You've got these practiceguides.
You've also got guides on thecredential policy as well as the
(21:05):
compliance policy.
So we've got so many thingsthat we didn't have back in 2011
.
So you can use these to prepareback in 2011.
So you can use these to prepareNow.
I just want to take a side sweephere Recently.
(21:27):
So I'm just talking about beingprepared for an audit with the
new standards under 2025.
And I gave you the example ofASQA not being ready when I had
that first audit.
Now we've recently experiencedwhere one of my team members has
submitted.
Well, actually, we've got a fewclients that we've submitted
prior to 1 May.
So we were advised on the ASQAwebsite that any initial
(21:51):
registration submitted beforethe 1st of May 2025 will be
audited under the old standards,but you may be required to
submit further evidence againstthe new standards, and that any
clients who were submitted afterthe 1st of May will be required
to comply with the newstandards 2025.
(22:13):
So we're trying to prepare ourclients that we've submitted for
both.
So pre-1 May, we're preparingthem for the 2015 standards with
all of the additionaldocumentation.
We've already got that allready for our clients so that
they are ready for bothscenarios.
(22:33):
Now, for our clients from the1st of May that we've submitted,
we actually can't.
We can't get them preparedbecause there's no audit
document.
There's nothing there, there'sno like, and what we were told
when we contacted ASQA was andwhat we were told when we
contacted ASQA was well, you'lljust have to use the old
(22:56):
documents because we don't haveany new audit documents yet, and
I was like, okay, so when weasked.
So what we're doing now iswe've also got a client that
we're getting ready to submitfrom.
So it's post 1 May and we'vegot everything ready to submit
and we're trying to find theinitial registration form on the
(23:19):
ASQA website on how to submitthis person and there's nothing.
So my team got in contact withASQA and asked them you know,
how do we submit our initialregistration application for our
client now that it's post 1 May?
And the response they got wasinitial registration
(23:41):
applications still need to usethe old forms, even though they
must meet the new standards.
So we asked how auditors willbe mapping the new standards to
the outdated documents and theiranswer was I don't know.
Surely they'll have something.
Let me say that again I don'tknow.
Can you imagine an RTO sayingthat to an auditor?
(24:05):
Surely we've got somethingaround here that can do that.
You'd be written up for anon-compliance immediately.
It's just crazy.
Like at the team here we haveour internal team chat and we
were sharing all of this and wewere flabbergasted, frustrated.
(24:29):
It's just crazy.
Like we can't even submit aninitial registration because
there is no documentation,asquanet hasn't been updated for
the new requirements and in ourteam chat it says it perfectly.
Lazy response from the nationalregulator.
(24:49):
It wouldn't take long to gothrough the whole audit process
and remap to the three new majorstandards.
Look, we've done it.
We've already put everything inplace.
Why can't they remap?
We've already created our ownaudit form.
We're waiting on what happenswith ASCO because we need to, of
course, align it with theirs.
(25:09):
But seriously, it's not thathard and my team were absolutely
right.
It's just frustrating.
So at Vivacity, we've alreadycreated updated templates, tools
, trackers and mapped everythinginternally to the new framework
.
We're doing it.
Why can't they?
Why can't they?
(25:36):
It's not perfect, but it isaligned.
Asqa's had over a year andthey're still saying we're not
sure.
Now let's be clear.
I'm not sharing this to throwASQA under the bus or any of the
brilliant staff that work underthe agency and doing their best
under pressure, because notonly are they transitioning over
from old legislation to newlegislation, they're also trying
(26:00):
to deal with all of the currentclients that they've got
submitted, and we're way behind.
At the moment, there's a lot ofapplications that are sitting
there in limbo.
Now I'm hearing mixed storiesabout additions to scope, and
this is all going to depend onwhat your background is and what
type of training product areyou placing on your scope.
(26:21):
If you're putting a trainingproduct on that's very similar
to what you've already got onyour scope.
It's a pretty simple process.
If it's very different, you'regoing to go through an audit
process and it's going to takesome time before you actually go
to audit.
So when I'm at now is as an RTOleader.
You cannot afford to wait forguidance because, while ASQA may
(26:46):
give you leeway, they may alsoaudit you tomorrow.
All you need is an addition toscope or a complaint to trigger
an audit If you're holding offon policy updates and training
your staff.
That's the most important part.
You need to be training yourstaff on the compliance
requirements against the newstandards, and the other part is
(27:10):
the new self-assurancerequirements, and this is going
to be a major part, a majorchange Under the VET workforce
and also under governance.
There are some major changesthat you're going to need to
implement within your RTO andyou can't wait until ASQA have
released their documentation.
(27:32):
You need to be preparedyourself, and this is where I
think self-assurance comes intoits own, because it's you taking
control.
Remember, the standards are inplace.
They commence on 1 July and, nomatter what, asqa must audit
(27:52):
against the new standards from 1July, no matter what it is in
legislation.
So if you're not prepared, itdoesn't matter where ASQA is.
If you're not prepared, youcould be non-compliant, so you
need to make sure that you haveeverything in place.
(28:13):
The deadline is real, theexpectations have been published
, you've got practice guides outthere, you've got documentation
that you can use to guide youon rewriting your policies and
procedures, as well as all yourdocumentation, and I can tell
you now we've created about 30new documents, and these 30 new
(28:35):
documents are to comply with thenew requirements.
Yes, there are some documentsthat have gone now or merged
into other documents, and we'vealso.
We had a number of registers.
So, like a WHS register,opportunity for improvement
register, complaints and appealsregister, we've now created a
(28:57):
governance register, whichincludes risk management as well
as fit and proper personprofessional development.
There's a whole heap ofregisters now that you need to
have, which then led us to okay,we've got all these registers
and a spreadsheet is not fun tobe completing, so we've now
(29:18):
created a new software calledComply Hub, where it will make
it much, much easier, becausethere are a lot of risk
management that you need toundertake under the new
standards and Comply Hub canmanage all of this.
So Comply Hub is basically allof your risk managers risk
registers.
Sorry where we've got how youcan manage the risks of
(29:41):
different parts of yourorganisation, and it's got a
dashboard and makes it easierfor you to see where any
non-compliances may be, and itmakes it much easier to follow.
And I think it's a game changer.
Because of the legislation,you're now going to be able to
(30:01):
see much better what's workingand what's not working within
your RTO and what are the risks,and better manage those risks.
And it's because of thislegislation that we really
realised that we needed tocreate something that was going
to make it much easier for RTOsto manage their compliance, and
that's why we came up withcomplyhubai.
(30:23):
So you can check out complyhub.
ai, go to the website complyhubor one word, ai and you can find
out more about our new softwarethat can manage all of your
compliance all in one place.
And if you don't want torewrite all your policies,
procedures, forms anddocumentation, we can do that
(30:44):
for you as well.
So we've already done all ofthat hard work, anyway.
So I digress there, but that'ssomething you really need to
have in place.
So how do we lead ourselvesthrough this chaos?
Here's my advice, based on over30 years of experience in the
sector and hundreds ofsuccessful audits.
(31:05):
One build your own internalbenchmarks.
Use the revised standards andcredential policy as your guide.
Create your own audit tools,checklists and evidence
templates.
Checklists and evidencetemplates.
(31:28):
Don't wait for ASQA's version.
Two educate your team.
This is the most important part.
Like, you can't just put thisdocumentation and stuff in place
and then not teach your teamyour team.
It should be a culture ofcompliance.
It should be implementedthroughout.
Run briefings, create cheatsheets, role play audit
scenarios.
Put them through some webinars.
(31:48):
We've got plenty of them thatwe do.
On the new standards, yourstaff need to understand the
2025 standards before an auditorwalks through your door.
Number three record everything.
Self-assurance is aboutevidence.
Record your decisions and keeplogs, and that's where a comply
hub is going to make your lifeso much easier, because you'll
(32:08):
be able to record all yourevidence in there Capture policy
reviews, student feedback,validation notes, industry
consultations all of it.
Four partner with consultantswho are ahead.
Not all consultants werecreated equal.
There are some who were onlyborn yesterday.
(32:30):
There are some, like me, thathave been around for over 30
years and we've seen many, manychanges in legislation and the
way we're regulated.
Be choosy Often the cheapest isnot the best.
You pay peanuts.
You'll get monkeys.
(32:50):
You want to get the best peopleon your side.
Now, we're not the cheapest atVervacity, we're not the
cheapest consulting organisation, but you know what?
We'll save you money, we'llsave you time and we'll make
sure you're compliant.
Work with someone who's updatedall of their templates already
(33:11):
and run internal audits on thenew standards and can tell you
exactly what evidence shouldlook like in 2025 against the
new standards.
Now we've been deliveringtraining on the new standards
since last year all year, lastyear, but this year we actually
(33:32):
switched up all of our training,so it was all focused on the
new standards.
So we have a number of trainingthat we deliver in RTO
compliance trainer PD.
Number of training that wedeliver in RTO compliance
trainer PD.
We do a monthly webinar on theeight critical drivers to RTO
success and then we do aworkshop.
We take a deep dive into acritical area when it comes to
(33:54):
compliance.
Number five embrace the role ofthe leader.
Don't wait for permission.
You're responsible for this RTO.
Let's take care of it and makesure that you've got everything
in place.
Don't wait for certainty.
Lead from where you are withthe tools you've got, and you
(34:15):
don't need ASQA to validate yourefforts before you take action.
You need action to validateyour intent.
So I've shared with you todaymany stories of how I've worked
with many different RTOs and howwe've helped them, and I've
(34:36):
also shared with you that storyof going back to 2011, when the
initial legislation came in andwe transitioned from state
regulatory body to a federalregulatory body, and what I
foresee, based on my experiencefrom previous changes in
legislation the next 12 to 24months, we're going to see quite
(35:02):
a bit of change.
There's going to be ups anddowns, there's going to be
inconsistencies with auditors,there's going to be, you know,
waiting for documents to comeout.
But the biggest thing is andthis is what I've done is I've
taken the lead and I've alreadyrewritten all of our policies,
procedures, forms anddocumentation and all of our
policies, procedures, forms anddocumentation.
(35:23):
And when it comes to thedocumentation, I've focused on
the usability and the qualityhow can we improve the quality
of RTOs and how can we ensureconsistency within your RTO as
well?
So it's not just creating acompliance document, it's that
usability is how you're going toimplement that within your RTO
(35:45):
and ensure that you are raisingthe standard of the quality of
education that you're providingwithin your RTO and to the
industry sector.
Because this is the first change, major change that's coming.
We've got something on thehorizon that no one's talking
about at the moment.
That's going to be massive,even bigger than what this
(36:11):
change in legislation is goingto be.
We are going to be changing thewhole qualifications framework,
so how we deliver our trainingand assessment it's how we've
done things for 30 years ismassive, massive change.
(36:31):
So we've got to get throughthis first and get it right, and
that's the reason why thelegislation's been written the
way it is is preparing us forthe new qualifications framework
.
Now I don't want to scare you.
The new qualificationsframework I actually quite like
and I'll give you a quicksnapshot of it.
(36:52):
I don't want to go into toomuch detail, but I'll give you a
quick snapshot.
Essentially, what's going tochange is we're going to go from
a Certificate 1, 2, 3, 4diploma, advanced diploma that
type of level of qualificationswhere it's set what core units
and electives there are withinthe qualification to more of a
(37:14):
micro-credential framework.
So the micro-credentialframework is going to be more
around levels.
So you're going to have Level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
I think it's just going up to 7or maybe 8.
And in those levels you'll beable to create a qualification
that is going to meet anindustry sector requirement
(37:37):
based on unit circumtencies.
So we've still got units, butwe don't have that qualification
where it says you must deliverthese core and you must deliver
these electives.
Now I'm going to give you anexample of why this is coming
into place.
It's also it's actually basedon a UK model, but it's also to
(38:03):
meet industry needs.
So there's some major industrylike.
The whole reason we've had thischange of legislation and the
whole reason we've gone througha whole VET reform is because
our training and assessment wasnot meeting industry needs.
Training and assessment was notmeeting industry needs.
(38:26):
So, when it comes to thequalification framework changing
, it's more of a focus on howare we going to meet industry
needs, and I'm going to give youan example.
Now We've worked with a numberof RTOs who deliver security
licensing training.
Now, this one's the best one,easiest one to explain how
micro-credential works betterand this new qualification
framework is going to workbetter.
(38:46):
So, when it comes to securitylicensing, different states have
different requirements, so theyhave different core and they
have different electiverequirements.
So the qualification as it isCertificate 2 and 3 are the most
popular.
It doesn't work because if youare to move interstate you then
(39:10):
need to do the qualificationagain in the new state.
The other one is so we've donea lot of work with SLED, which
is the Security LicensingEducation Department in New
South Wales, and they have a settimeframe of how long this
training should be delivered.
They also have assessment toolsthat need to be used, their
(39:33):
assessment tools, and they havetheir own framework which we
then need to try and fit intothe qualification as listed on
traininggovau, which is verydifficult when they're very,
very different.
So what's going to happen iswe'll be able to put together a
(39:55):
cluster of units that are goingto meet those individual state
needs.
So this is just an example forsecurity.
So for security we'll be ableto go okay, in New South Wales,
we're going to use these unitsand we'll have the outcome we'll
meet the licensing requirementsfor security license in New
(40:16):
South Wales.
In Victoria, we'll deliverthese units and it will meet the
licensing requirements inVictoria.
So that's the easiest way I canexplain how that framework is
going to change is we'll have aqualification, but it will be at
a level.
So we're going to deliver thisat a level two or a level three.
(40:37):
So those levels are based onthe skills and knowledge
required of the student oncethey complete that training.
Generally, a level two is theywork under instruction.
Level three is they're able towork independently.
Level four is they're a manageror they're supervising other
(40:58):
staff members, and a diploma isgenerally they're developing the
systems to put into place.
So they're in a managementlevel where they're putting
those systems into place.
So that's basically how thoselevels are going to work.
So that's.
We're at the precipice of all ofthese changes.
We needed to get thislegislation in first before they
(41:19):
could change the wholequalification framework.
That's a lot, isn't it?
It's a lot to take in.
There's a lot of changes thatare happening.
So if you're waiting for ASQAto update their systems before
you update yours, you're goingto fall behind.
So what I recommend?
One treat July 1 asnon-negotiable.
(41:42):
The standards are in place.
Act as though you'll be auditedtomorrow.
Two train your team on the newframework.
Staff should already know thedifference between the 2015 and
the 2025 standards If they don'tstart this week.
If they don't start this week.
(42:02):
Three, use both lenses Ifyou're preparing for initial
registration or scope expansion.
Align to both the legacy formsand the new standards.
It's a pain, but it's thesafest approach.
Four audit yourself.
Use Vivacity's free compliancecheck, health check or grab our
scope readiness tool.
(42:22):
Don't guess, assess.
Five, document everything fromindustry consultation to TAS
updates to staff meetings.
Document, document, document,document your rationale and
actions.
Evidence equals protection.
And lastly, six, don't wait forpermission to lead.
(42:45):
You don't need ASQA to catch upbefore you move forward.
Let's be honest the first roundof audits from 1 July is going
to be messy.
Auditors will vary in how theyinterpret the new standards.
Auditors will vary in how theyinterpret the new standards.
Some will follow the old tools,some will use hybrid, some
(43:06):
might wing it.
That's why it's more importantthan ever to be consistent, be
clear and be ahead, because thisisn't not just about ASQA
anymore.
This is about protecting yourregistration.
This is about your staff, yourstudents, your livelihood.
(43:27):
Let ASQA figure it out and youlead.
Here's what I want you to walkaway with today.
You are more ready than youthink, and that's the good thing
, because a regulator may not be.
Download our free compliancecheck by checking out the show
notes and going to our websiteand remember Vivacity and myself
(43:53):
have got your back.
Until next time, stay compliant, stay empowered and lead from
the front.
You're not just meeting thestandards, you're setting them.
Hey there, superheroes, and welcome
to a very special episode of theRTO Superhero Podcast.
I'm your host, AngelaConnell-Richards, and today
we're going to talk aboutsomething that might ruffle a
few feathers, but it needs to besaid.
As of today, we're just a fewweeks out from the biggest
regulatory shift we've had inover a decade the full
(00:23):
implementation of the revisedstandards for RTOs 2025.
We are ready, our clients areready, many RTOs across the
country are doing the work, butthe National Regulator are they
ready?
I want to take you back on ajourney of when the VET
(00:44):
regulator, asqa, first came andthis was on, funnily enough, 1st
of July 2011.
And that's when we moved from astate regulator body to a
federal regulator body, and it'sthe first time we actually had
legislation for registeredtraining organisations.
(01:07):
Prior to that, it was aframework and we were working
under a framework.
Under a framework, it wasbasically a framework of how we
were required to operate as anRTO, but under legislation.
As an RTO but under legislation.
(01:29):
It actually gave the governmentteeth to be able to take legal
action, and that's the reasonwhy we have so many people in
tribunal, because we've beenable to.
Not only do they have teeth,but we will also fight back as
well.
But I'll never forget when wewere transitioning over and yes,
vivacity has been around forquite some time and I've been in
(01:50):
the training industry for evenlonger and I've experienced many
things as an RTO owner, rtomanager, a trainer assessor, rto
manager, a trainer or assessorbut in particular when I was
(02:12):
running my own RTO and I'veexperienced from what it's like
to be audited under a stateregulator when I had my own RTO
and then that transition over toa federal.
Once we moved over to thefederal regulator, ASQA, I
actually already sold my RTO andI was operating Vivacity.
(02:32):
But I wanted to take you back towhen I started my own RTO and
the first thing I did at thattime we actually had a change of
the framework, so the AQTF andI had to change all of my
policies, procedures, forms anddocumentation, so I'd taken over
(02:54):
an RTO.
So what that means is I boughtan RTO from another entity.
Now the RTO wasn't.
Essentially, I couldn't buy theRTO because I would have had to
buy the whole organisation andthis was a big club that owned
the organisation.
So I had to do an initialregistration.
(03:15):
So whilst I was working in thisRTO and I took over, and I took
over all of the students andthe training products I was
delivering under the scope ofregistration of the RTO that I
was buying out, basicallyessentially, and at the same
time I was going for initialregistration and with that
(03:37):
initial registration, there wasa change of legislation.
So I had to rewrite all of ourpolicies, procedures, forms and
documentation, and that was thefirst time I actually reviewed
all of the standards, so theframework at that time and
identified what would be thebest way to write these policies
(03:59):
and procedures that would notonly be understandable but
implementable, so you couldimplement it within your team.
And it took me quite some time.
So I was operating the RTO aswell as rewriting all of the
policies, procedures anddocuments, and it took me about
(04:21):
a six-month period to rewriteall of these policies and
procedures and never mind all ofthe accompanying documents.
Writing policies and procedures,particularly when there's new
legislation, isn't somethingthat you can just churn out
overnight.
Yes, we've got CHATGPT andwe've got AI technology now, but
(04:44):
it's still a lot of work and Ican tell you I know this because
we're using chat GPT to writeour policies and procedures
right now but it's not a processof going here's the standard
now write me a policy andprocedure.
You've actually got to makesure that it's implementable by
the RTO and the staff within theRTO, anyway.
(05:06):
So let's go back to thatoriginal story.
So it took me a while and Imapped all the documents and I
rewrote all of the policies andprocedures and then went to
audit.
We had non-compliances and thenI had to rectify them, but we
got through initial registrationwith eight qualifications on
(05:27):
our scope of registration.
So it actually went quite wellsuccessfully.
But what I wanted to pushacross here is there is quite a
bit of work when it comes towriting your documentation.
Now let's move forward to 2011,when I'm now consulting to RTOs
(05:47):
and we're moving from the stateregulator to the federal
regulator and we're now gotlegislation, not a framework.
So legislation is verydifferent from a framework,
because legislation is legal.
Because legislation is legalJust to put it plainly it's
(06:11):
legal requirements and there area lot of other ramifications
when it comes to legalrequirements.
Fortunately, my background priorto getting into the training
industry was writing industrialrelation policies and procedures
in the HR environment, as wellas WHS.
So I'd worked in work, healthand safety and as a trainer and
assessor, I delivered trainingin business and WHS and IT as
(06:34):
well a lot of computer skills,anyway.
So when I went from rewritingall of the documents, we had a
similar process.
I actually think we've had amuch better journey this time
around.
We've had such a huge lead timeinto these new standards being
(06:54):
released and I know there was alot of people who are like, oh,
we don't know whether it's goingto happen if we have a change
of government and all this stuff.
I still pushed ahead.
I just pushed ahead and Ifocused on rewriting all of our
documentation.
So I started when the firstdraft came out, and so we've
been working on this as a teamfor the last two years.
(07:17):
Then, when the final draft cameout in October last year, we
went full bore at vivacity andwe were rewriting all of our
policies and procedures.
And what we were also doing iswe were taking into
consideration what was happeningat audit.
So it wasn't just writingpolicies and procedures against
(07:38):
the legislation, it was alsowell, what's happening at audit?
How are the auditorsinterpreting?
How are they adjusting theirassessment procedure in
consideration with the newstandards coming Now?
Asqa don't have a switch wherethey go okay, even though they
(07:59):
said this at the VEL conference,but they don't have a switch
that goes okay one July.
We're going to do this andwe're going to do everything
this way.
It's a transition.
There is a transition Like theywill slowly start doing things
and changing the way they auditover time and we've seen that
(08:19):
all year this year.
It hasn't been like we're notwaiting for that switch to turn
on on the 1st of July.
We already can see what'schanging, based in what's
happening with our clients whenthey go to audit.
Now.
One of the advantages that wehave over our you being an
individual RTO is that we workedwith many, many RTOs.
(08:43):
We've worked with over 400 RTOsaround Australia.
So we've got experience in notjust one qualification area, but
we've got experience with lotsof different auditors and
different RTOs and differentsize and scope of operations.
So we can see what it's likewhen we're working with the
(09:04):
auditors, what's different, andwe try and get some sort of
consistency so that we can putthat into place with our process
of how we help manage ourclients go through that process
of initial registration, andthat can take 12 months to three
(09:27):
years depending on the clientand depending on ASQA.
Asqa can take six months justfrom submission to actually
getting an audit date, so youdon't know how long that is
going to be.
So we work with our clientsthrough that whole period to not
only help them with theregistration, we actually teach
(09:49):
them how to be compliant as well.
We also help withre-registration, in addition to
scope and due diligence, ifyou're going to buy an RTO, and
we can do annual audits andthings like that as well.
So we've got a lot ofexperience working with
different RTOs and that gives usan advantage when it comes to
(10:10):
rewriting our policies andprocedures as well as preparing
for ASQA.
Because we've seen I've seen itall.
I've seen everything.
I've seen the highs and lows ofaudits.
I've had days where I finishedat an audit, went back to my
hotel room and just cried allnight because my policies and
(10:33):
procedures were ripped apart.
I'd spent all night the nightbefore preparing the client.
I've certainly learned a lot.
I've certainly learned how tobetter prepare our clients in
advance, and you can't do it theday before you can't and not
that we ever did this.
(10:54):
We always gave the policies andprocedures and documents way
early.
But we've seen it withconsultants that are out there.
They give the documents the daybefore the order.
The thing is, as an initialregistration you need to know
the day before the order.
The thing is, as an initialregistration you need to know
these documents inside and out.
You can't just have them turnup and then give them to the
auditor.
The auditor is going to expectthat you actually understand how
(11:16):
to implement them into your RTO.
So it's a much bigger processthan that.
It's just it's.
Yeah, I'm still flabbergastedwith how many consultants that
are out there that just handover these documents and expect
you to succeed in initialregistration.
Anyway, I digress.
Let's go back to 2011.
(11:36):
Okay, so I want to share withyou an experience I had.
So I was ready from 1 July.
I already had all of mypolicies and procedures already
updated.
I had all of my documentsupdated with full anticipation
that it was going to take 12 to24 months of amendments to those
(12:00):
documents before we got them100% compliant.
But we guarantee all of ourdocuments.
So if there's anynon-compliances, we'll rectify
them and we don't charge anyextra for that, because that I
see as an opportunity forimprovement, to improve all of
our documentation.
Anyway, we had a whole heap ofclients in for initial
(12:21):
registration, re-registration,and it actually took until
October before the first ASQAaudits actually started
happening.
So, once again, just remindingyou, we went from a state
regulator to a federal regulator, so a bit different from where
we are now, but still a majorchange in legislation.
(12:41):
So you know, think July, August, September, October so four
months away from the 1st of Julybefore we actually had our
first audit.
So this first audit was for Ithink it was actually for a
re-reg client.
(13:02):
So we're going in for re-reg,and so we had to demonstrate
that this client was compliantagainst the new legislation as a
operating RTO and we sat downfor the audit.
So I walked in and sat down andthe auditor just happened to be
the same auditor that I had asmy RTO.
(13:25):
She was under the stateregulator regulator.
So I was in New South Wales, soVTAB, the Vocational Education
Training Advisory Board, and shewas the same auditor and we had
a great rapport already becausewe did well when I had my RTO
and that was the last time I metwith her was when I had my RTO,
(13:46):
which I sold in 2009.
So, anyway, so we sat down and Ihad all my client prepared.
I had all the documents there,I had folders and stuff and lots
of things for the auditor to gothrough.
And the first thing thisauditor said to me was Angela,
(14:08):
as a consultant, you can observeand take notes, but you are not
to participate in this audit.
And I went okay, no, no, noproblems, fine, I can do that.
My role there is not to answerthe questions.
My role there is to this is,from my perspective, is to help,
(14:29):
guide and coach the client, andbasically I'm in admin support
as well, so I hand over therelevant policies, procedures
and documents, anyway.
So we're going through theaudit and it would have been
about an hour in, I suppose andthere was one part where the
auditor was a bit stuck and abit confused and she was looking
(14:53):
at legislation and she turnedto me and said is this right,
angela?
Like this legislation here?
What's your interpretation?
And I went, I thought I wasn'tallowed to participate in this
audit.
And she went oh, no, no, that'sokay, you can answer that
question.
And so I did and I gave myinterpretation of what I thought
(15:16):
that legislation was and whatit meant, and it was you know
that point that I realised.
Oh, my God, I actually knowmore about the legislation than
the auditor does.
Now the thing is, from thatchange from state to regulatory
authority, they actually wentthrough a whole process where
(15:40):
they had to hire new auditors.
So ASCRA were never aroundbefore and they didn't have a
federal regulator.
So they had to hire auditorsand they were hiring the
auditors from the old stateregulatory bodies and then they
had to train them.
Well, they didn't get a lot oftraining.
They didn't get a lot oftraining when it came to the new
standards.
So I'd actually had a massiveadvantage because I'd already
(16:06):
been studying all the newstandards and I'd already been
writing policies, procedures anddocuments and having a good
understanding of running my ownRTO running businesses before
and also helping otherorganisations with policies,
policy documents.
I was writing them from theperspective of how to implement
(16:28):
them within the RTO.
So what came of that audit waswe actually went really well and
we were compliant and I didn'thave any issues.
Thankfully, I think it wasmainly because I knew this
auditor and she knew that Igenuinely have a concern for
(16:51):
quality and compliance and thatis my background.
Like I love sounds crazy, but Ilove compliance.
I think compliance gives usquality.
It gives us an even playingfield when it comes to ensuring
(17:12):
that we have compliance acrossall of our sectors.
When it comes to registeredtraining organisations, prior to
the framework, there weretraining organisations out there
.
We didn't have registered.
We just had trainingorganisations out there who were
issuing certificates anddiplomas of.
I've got one of those diplomasthat were not a national
(17:38):
framework.
It was just basically the RTO,not the RTO the training
organisation developing theirown materials and assessment
tools that weren't a nationalframework.
And that's what I love about anational framework is we've got
a national qualification thathas units of competencies with
performance criteria, assessmentconditions, knowledge, skills
(17:59):
that are all at the same level.
So everyone is assessed at thesame level.
That's what I love aboutcompliance about compliance,
anyway.
So that was my first audit afterthe new standards came in.
So the very first time thestandards came in.
So the standards for RTOs 2011,.
(18:19):
And the first time I went to anASQA audit From the audits from
there, we actually went quitewell, but I did find I've had a
big journey when it comes toaudits and what's happened at
audits.
From there, we actually wentquite well, but I did find I've
had a big journey when it comesto audits and what's happened at
audits.
But right now, what's happeningright now is reminding me of
(18:42):
that experience back in 2011.
That experience of actually theauditors don't know what
they're doing.
They don't like, they're sobusy trying to transition over
and get the get the process inplace that they're actually not
learning or at that time, theyweren't learning about what
(19:05):
those standards mean and how toimplement them.
Now we've got a huge advantagecompared to 2011.
We've got practice guides.
Oh my God, we didn't havepractice guides back in 2011.
So you've got these practiceguides that have been developed
by ASQA that give you aframework of what they're
(19:28):
expecting for those standards.
Now you can't read the practiceguides without the standards.
You've got to read them withthe standards but the practice
guides.
So I'll just give you a littlebit of background about this.
The practice guides are goingto replace the user guide.
So we currently have the userguide to the standards.
(19:49):
The practice guides are goingto replace that.
Now the practice guides arebroken down by the quality areas
.
So we've got quality area one,two, three, four, and then we've
got the divisions within thosequality areas.
So, for example, quality areaone is training and assessment
and under training assessment,we have four divisions.
(20:11):
So we've got training andassessment.
We've got language literacy andnumeracy and we've also got
credit transfer and RPL.
So we've got them broken downand then they've given you a
practice guide of what theirexpectations are.
Now these are in development.
They're draft, but they'restill a great guide, so it's a
(20:32):
great place to start.
When you're looking at writingyour policies and procedures, so
you really should be looking atthose practice guides in
conjunction with the legislation.
So when you're rewriting yourpolicies and procedures Now, I
want you to take intoconsideration and procedures Now
I want you to take intoconsideration.
You've got these practiceguides.
You've also got guides on thecredential policy as well as the
(21:05):
compliance policy.
So we've got so many thingsthat we didn't have back in 2011
.
So you can use these to prepareback in 2011.
So you can use these to prepareNow.
I just want to take a side sweephere Recently.
(21:27):
So I'm just talking about beingprepared for an audit with the
new standards under 2025.
And I gave you the example ofASQA not being ready when I had
that first audit.
Now we've recently experiencedwhere one of my team members has
submitted.
Well, actually, we've got a fewclients that we've submitted
prior to 1 May.
So we were advised on the ASQAwebsite that any initial
(21:51):
registration submitted beforethe 1st of May 2025 will be
audited under the old standards,but you may be required to
submit further evidence againstthe new standards, and that any
clients who were submitted afterthe 1st of May will be required
to comply with the newstandards 2025.
(22:13):
So we're trying to prepare ourclients that we've submitted for
both.
So pre-1 May, we're preparingthem for the 2015 standards with
all of the additionaldocumentation.
We've already got that allready for our clients so that
they are ready for bothscenarios.
(22:33):
Now, for our clients from the1st of May that we've submitted,
we actually can't.
We can't get them preparedbecause there's no audit
document.
There's nothing there, there'sno like, and what we were told
when we contacted ASQA was andwhat we were told when we
contacted ASQA was well, you'lljust have to use the old
(22:56):
documents because we don't haveany new audit documents yet, and
I was like, okay, so when weasked.
So what we're doing now iswe've also got a client that
we're getting ready to submitfrom.
So it's post 1 May and we'vegot everything ready to submit
and we're trying to find theinitial registration form on the
(23:19):
ASQA website on how to submitthis person and there's nothing.
So my team got in contact withASQA and asked them you know,
how do we submit our initialregistration application for our
client now that it's post 1 May?
And the response they got wasinitial registration
(23:41):
applications still need to usethe old forms, even though they
must meet the new standards.
So we asked how auditors willbe mapping the new standards to
the outdated documents and theiranswer was I don't know.
Surely they'll have something.
Let me say that again I don'tknow.
Can you imagine an RTO sayingthat to an auditor?
(24:05):
Surely we've got somethingaround here that can do that.
You'd be written up for anon-compliance immediately.
It's just crazy.
Like at the team here we haveour internal team chat and we
were sharing all of this and wewere flabbergasted, frustrated.
(24:29):
It's just crazy.
Like we can't even submit aninitial registration because
there is no documentation,asquanet hasn't been updated for
the new requirements and in ourteam chat it says it perfectly.
Lazy response from the nationalregulator.
(24:49):
It wouldn't take long to gothrough the whole audit process
and remap to the three new majorstandards.
Look, we've done it.
We've already put everything inplace.
Why can't they remap?
We've already created our ownaudit form.
We're waiting on what happenswith ASCO because we need to, of
course, align it with theirs.
(25:09):
But seriously, it's not thathard and my team were absolutely
right.
It's just frustrating.
So at Vivacity, we've alreadycreated updated templates, tools
, trackers and mapped everythinginternally to the new framework
.
We're doing it.
Why can't they?
Why can't they?
(25:36):
It's not perfect, but it isaligned.
Asqa's had over a year andthey're still saying we're not
sure.
Now let's be clear.
I'm not sharing this to throwASQA under the bus or any of the
brilliant staff that work underthe agency and doing their best
under pressure, because notonly are they transitioning over
from old legislation to newlegislation, they're also trying
(26:00):
to deal with all of the currentclients that they've got
submitted, and we're way behind.
At the moment, there's a lot ofapplications that are sitting
there in limbo.
Now I'm hearing mixed storiesabout additions to scope, and
this is all going to depend onwhat your background is and what
type of training product areyou placing on your scope.
(26:21):
If you're putting a trainingproduct on that's very similar
to what you've already got onyour scope.
It's a pretty simple process.
If it's very different, you'regoing to go through an audit
process and it's going to takesome time before you actually go
to audit.
So when I'm at now is as an RTOleader.
You cannot afford to wait forguidance because, while ASQA may
(26:46):
give you leeway, they may alsoaudit you tomorrow.
All you need is an addition toscope or a complaint to trigger
an audit If you're holding offon policy updates and training
your staff.
That's the most important part.
You need to be training yourstaff on the compliance
requirements against the newstandards, and the other part is
(27:10):
the new self-assurancerequirements, and this is going
to be a major part, a majorchange Under the VET workforce
and also under governance.
There are some major changesthat you're going to need to
implement within your RTO andyou can't wait until ASQA have
released their documentation.
(27:32):
You need to be preparedyourself, and this is where I
think self-assurance comes intoits own, because it's you taking
control.
Remember, the standards are inplace.
They commence on 1 July and, nomatter what, asqa must audit
(27:52):
against the new standards from 1July, no matter what it is in
legislation.
So if you're not prepared, itdoesn't matter where ASQA is.
If you're not prepared, youcould be non-compliant, so you
need to make sure that you haveeverything in place.
(28:13):
The deadline is real, theexpectations have been published
, you've got practice guides outthere, you've got documentation
that you can use to guide youon rewriting your policies and
procedures, as well as all yourdocumentation, and I can tell
you now we've created about 30new documents, and these 30 new
(28:35):
documents are to comply with thenew requirements.
Yes, there are some documentsthat have gone now or merged
into other documents, and we'vealso.
We had a number of registers.
So, like a WHS register,opportunity for improvement
register, complaints and appealsregister, we've now created a
(28:57):
governance register, whichincludes risk management as well
as fit and proper personprofessional development.
There's a whole heap ofregisters now that you need to
have, which then led us to okay,we've got all these registers
and a spreadsheet is not fun tobe completing, so we've now
(29:18):
created a new software calledComply Hub, where it will make
it much, much easier, becausethere are a lot of risk
management that you need toundertake under the new
standards and Comply Hub canmanage all of this.
So Comply Hub is basically allof your risk managers risk
registers.
Sorry where we've got how youcan manage the risks of
(29:41):
different parts of yourorganisation, and it's got a
dashboard and makes it easierfor you to see where any
non-compliances may be, and itmakes it much easier to follow.
And I think it's a game changer.
Because of the legislation,you're now going to be able to
(30:01):
see much better what's workingand what's not working within
your RTO and what are the risks,and better manage those risks.
And it's because of thislegislation that we really
realised that we needed tocreate something that was going
to make it much easier for RTOsto manage their compliance, and
that's why we came up withcomplyhubai.
(30:23):
So you can check out complyhub.
ai, go to the website complyhubor one word, ai and you can find
out more about our new softwarethat can manage all of your
compliance all in one place.
And if you don't want torewrite all your policies,
procedures, forms anddocumentation, we can do that
(30:44):
for you as well.
So we've already done all ofthat hard work, anyway.
So I digress there, but that'ssomething you really need to
have in place.
So how do we lead ourselvesthrough this chaos?
Here's my advice, based on over30 years of experience in the
sector and hundreds ofsuccessful audits.
(31:05):
One build your own internalbenchmarks.
Use the revised standards andcredential policy as your guide.
Create your own audit tools,checklists and evidence
templates.
Checklists and evidencetemplates.
(31:28):
Don't wait for ASQA's version.
Two educate your team.
This is the most important part.
Like, you can't just put thisdocumentation and stuff in place
and then not teach your teamyour team.
It should be a culture ofcompliance.
It should be implementedthroughout.
Run briefings, create cheatsheets, role play audit
scenarios.
Put them through some webinars.
(31:48):
We've got plenty of them thatwe do.
On the new standards, yourstaff need to understand the
2025 standards before an auditorwalks through your door.
Number three record everything.
Self-assurance is aboutevidence.
Record your decisions and keeplogs, and that's where a comply
hub is going to make your lifeso much easier, because you'll
(32:08):
be able to record all yourevidence in there Capture policy
reviews, student feedback,validation notes, industry
consultations all of it.
Four partner with consultantswho are ahead.
Not all consultants werecreated equal.
There are some who were onlyborn yesterday.
(32:30):
There are some, like me, thathave been around for over 30
years and we've seen many, manychanges in legislation and the
way we're regulated.
Be choosy Often the cheapest isnot the best.
You pay peanuts.
You'll get monkeys.
(32:50):
You want to get the best peopleon your side.
Now, we're not the cheapest atVervacity, we're not the
cheapest consulting organisation, but you know what?
We'll save you money, we'llsave you time and we'll make
sure you're compliant.
Work with someone who's updatedall of their templates already
(33:11):
and run internal audits on thenew standards and can tell you
exactly what evidence shouldlook like in 2025 against the
new standards.
Now we've been deliveringtraining on the new standards
since last year all year, lastyear, but this year we actually
(33:32):
switched up all of our training,so it was all focused on the
new standards.
So we have a number of trainingthat we deliver in RTO
compliance trainer PD.
Number of training that wedeliver in RTO compliance
trainer PD.
We do a monthly webinar on theeight critical drivers to RTO
success and then we do aworkshop.
We take a deep dive into acritical area when it comes to
(33:54):
compliance.
Number five embrace the role ofthe leader.
Don't wait for permission.
You're responsible for this RTO.
Let's take care of it and makesure that you've got everything
in place.
Don't wait for certainty.
Lead from where you are withthe tools you've got, and you
(34:15):
don't need ASQA to validate yourefforts before you take action.
You need action to validateyour intent.
So I've shared with you todaymany stories of how I've worked
with many different RTOs and howwe've helped them, and I've
(34:36):
also shared with you that storyof going back to 2011, when the
initial legislation came in andwe transitioned from state
regulatory body to a federalregulatory body, and what I
foresee, based on my experiencefrom previous changes in
legislation the next 12 to 24months, we're going to see quite
(35:02):
a bit of change.
There's going to be ups anddowns, there's going to be
inconsistencies with auditors,there's going to be, you know,
waiting for documents to comeout.
But the biggest thing is andthis is what I've done is I've
taken the lead and I've alreadyrewritten all of our policies,
procedures, forms anddocumentation and all of our
policies, procedures, forms anddocumentation.
(35:23):
And when it comes to thedocumentation, I've focused on
the usability and the qualityhow can we improve the quality
of RTOs and how can we ensureconsistency within your RTO as
well?
So it's not just creating acompliance document, it's that
usability is how you're going toimplement that within your RTO
(35:45):
and ensure that you are raisingthe standard of the quality of
education that you're providingwithin your RTO and to the
industry sector.
Because this is the first change, major change that's coming.
We've got something on thehorizon that no one's talking
about at the moment.
That's going to be massive,even bigger than what this
(36:11):
change in legislation is goingto be.
We are going to be changing thewhole qualifications framework,
so how we deliver our trainingand assessment it's how we've
done things for 30 years ismassive, massive change.
(36:31):
So we've got to get throughthis first and get it right, and
that's the reason why thelegislation's been written the
way it is is preparing us forthe new qualifications framework
.
Now I don't want to scare you.
The new qualificationsframework I actually quite like
and I'll give you a quicksnapshot of it.
(36:52):
I don't want to go into toomuch detail, but I'll give you a
quick snapshot.
Essentially, what's going tochange is we're going to go from
a Certificate 1, 2, 3, 4diploma, advanced diploma that
type of level of qualificationswhere it's set what core units
and electives there are withinthe qualification to more of a
(37:14):
micro-credential framework.
So the micro-credentialframework is going to be more
around levels.
So you're going to have Level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
I think it's just going up to 7or maybe 8.
And in those levels you'll beable to create a qualification
that is going to meet anindustry sector requirement
(37:37):
based on unit circumtencies.
So we've still got units, butwe don't have that qualification
where it says you must deliverthese core and you must deliver
these electives.
Now I'm going to give you anexample of why this is coming
into place.
It's also it's actually basedon a UK model, but it's also to
(38:03):
meet industry needs.
So there's some major industrylike.
The whole reason we've had thischange of legislation and the
whole reason we've gone througha whole VET reform is because
our training and assessment wasnot meeting industry needs.
Training and assessment was notmeeting industry needs.
(38:26):
So, when it comes to thequalification framework changing
, it's more of a focus on howare we going to meet industry
needs, and I'm going to give youan example.
Now We've worked with a numberof RTOs who deliver security
licensing training.
Now, this one's the best one,easiest one to explain how
micro-credential works betterand this new qualification
framework is going to workbetter.
(38:46):
So, when it comes to securitylicensing, different states have
different requirements, so theyhave different core and they
have different electiverequirements.
So the qualification as it isCertificate 2 and 3 are the most
popular.
It doesn't work because if youare to move interstate you then
(39:10):
need to do the qualificationagain in the new state.
The other one is so we've donea lot of work with SLED, which
is the Security LicensingEducation Department in New
South Wales, and they have a settimeframe of how long this
training should be delivered.
They also have assessment toolsthat need to be used, their
(39:33):
assessment tools, and they havetheir own framework which we
then need to try and fit intothe qualification as listed on
traininggovau, which is verydifficult when they're very,
very different.
So what's going to happen iswe'll be able to put together a
(39:55):
cluster of units that are goingto meet those individual state
needs.
So this is just an example forsecurity.
So for security we'll be ableto go okay, in New South Wales,
we're going to use these unitsand we'll have the outcome we'll
meet the licensing requirementsfor security license in New
(40:16):
South Wales.
In Victoria, we'll deliverthese units and it will meet the
licensing requirements inVictoria.
So that's the easiest way I canexplain how that framework is
going to change is we'll have aqualification, but it will be at
a level.
So we're going to deliver thisat a level two or a level three.
(40:37):
So those levels are based onthe skills and knowledge
required of the student oncethey complete that training.
Generally, a level two is theywork under instruction.
Level three is they're able towork independently.
Level four is they're a manageror they're supervising other
(40:58):
staff members, and a diploma isgenerally they're developing the
systems to put into place.
So they're in a managementlevel where they're putting
those systems into place.
So that's basically how thoselevels are going to work.
So that's.
We're at the precipice of all ofthese changes.
We needed to get thislegislation in first before they
(41:19):
could change the wholequalification framework.
That's a lot, isn't it?
It's a lot to take in.
There's a lot of changes thatare happening.
So if you're waiting for ASQAto update their systems before
you update yours, you're goingto fall behind.
So what I recommend?
One treat July 1 asnon-negotiable.
(41:42):
The standards are in place.
Act as though you'll be auditedtomorrow.
Two train your team on the newframework.
Staff should already know thedifference between the 2015 and
the 2025 standards If they don'tstart this week.
If they don't start this week.
(42:02):
Three, use both lenses Ifyou're preparing for initial
registration or scope expansion.
Align to both the legacy formsand the new standards.
It's a pain, but it's thesafest approach.
Four audit yourself.
Use Vivacity's free compliancecheck, health check or grab our
scope readiness tool.
(42:22):
Don't guess, assess.
Five, document everything fromindustry consultation to TAS
updates to staff meetings.
Document, document, document,document your rationale and
actions.
Evidence equals protection.
And lastly, six, don't wait forpermission to lead.
(42:45):
You don't need ASQA to catch upbefore you move forward.
Let's be honest the first roundof audits from 1 July is going
to be messy.
Auditors will vary in how theyinterpret the new standards.
Auditors will vary in how theyinterpret the new standards.
Some will follow the old tools,some will use hybrid, some
(43:06):
might wing it.
That's why it's more importantthan ever to be consistent, be
clear and be ahead, because thisisn't not just about ASQA
anymore.
This is about protecting yourregistration.
This is about your staff, yourstudents, your livelihood.
(43:27):
Let ASQA figure it out and youlead.
Here's what I want you to walkaway with today.
You are more ready than youthink, and that's the good thing
, because a regulator may not be.
Download our free compliancecheck by checking out the show
notes and going to our websiteand remember Vivacity and myself
(43:53):
have got your back.
Until next time, stay compliant, stay empowered and lead from
the front.
You're not just meeting thestandards, you're setting them.
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