RTO Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Achieving your RTO goals require that you get accurate information from the get-go.
Our goal as RTO experts is to provide you with the most up-to-date and relevant info so you can take the right next steps in getting your course accredited or your RTO at par with industry and government standards.
To assist with the above, here are some frequently asked questions for your reference.
A core or nominated elective unit in the qualification rules has been superseded. Can we replace the old unit with the new unit?
No. If the unit in the qualification rules is superseded and listed either as a core or elective you must use the old unit, until the qualification rules are updated to reflect the new unit.
If an overseas student is studying here on a student visa are they permitted to undertake additional study at the same time as their principal course? Such as RSA, First Aid or the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Yes, a student studying here on a student visa is allowed to enrol and undertake additional studies to their principal course for which they hold a student visa. Although it is extremely important to be aware that any course the student who is here on a student visa undertakes must be with a registered CRICOS provider.
For example, a student is studying a Diploma of Business with a CRICOS provider. They are here on a student visa and want to get a part time job in a hotel. To get the part-time job they are told they need to complete a Statement of Attainment for the Responsible Service of Alcohol. The provider who they complete the Statement of Attainment with also needs to be a CRICOS provider as the student is here on a Study Visa.
Can we get a student to sign a declaration stating that they accept that if they don’t get a USI they can still do the training but their results will not appear on the central database?
No. The RTO must get the USI or the student is to provide evidence of a formal exception. RTOs are not permitted to issue qualifications or Statements of Attainment without the USI or exemption issued by the Australian Government, Department of Education and Training.
Do we need to include our RTO ID number on our website?
Yes. Make sure that you include the RTO ID on your website and all other marketing material.
How can I document the amount of training and volume of learning for a qualification?
The amount of training and volume of learning should be documented in the Training and Assessment Strategy. It makes sense to include it in the section related to duration and commonly is detailed in a breakdown in the training schedule. Make sure you clearly document the hours for: structured training (amount of training – including all training provided by the RTO face to face, webinars, self paced reading, tutorials and online content) unstructured training (such as work placement, research and additional reading) assessment (provide detail of the activities to be undertaken, when they start and finish). Add the hours together and display the total which is the volume of learning for that qualification. The hours should fall within the hours stated for the qualification level in the AQF. (For more information see the ASQA Fact sheet).
We only offer units of competence, do we need to document the amount of training and volume of learning?
Yes, you still need to document the amount of training and volume of learning in the TAS for skill sets and individual units of competency. The volume of learning is calculated as a portion of the total hours given to the qualification.
When a unit is superseded but equivalent is the RTO required to do anything to transition to the new unit?
In the event that a unit is superseded but deemed equivalent, the RTO needs to review the new unit of competency against the old and identify any gaps in the new unit. These gaps need to be addressees in the training material and assessment activities. Changes to a unit may require changes to the delivery duration, assessment methods and/or resources. Do not be fooled into thinking that “equivalent” means “the same”. The word equivalent means the work related outcome is equivalent but does not provide a guarantee that using the same training material and assessment tools, with a tweak to the title or code will be compliant.
On some occasions the changes are very slight, such as references to new legislation, change in formatting and a change in a unit code. On other occasions there can be significant changes to the unit requirements, changes to performance criteria, additional knowledge evidence, additional performance evidence or changes to the assessment conditions.
So, when a until is superseded:
Review the new unit against the old
Identify any differences, including additional criteria, changes to criteria and the removal of criteria
Revise the training and assessment materials and ensure they meet the requirements of the most current version of the unit
Confirm you have all required resources in place and the assessment is meeting the requirements of the Assessment Conditions
Review the TAS and ensure it reflects any changes, such as unit code change, or changes to assessment methods or resources.
We need the AUSKey for submitting our AVETMISS data but the ATO are replacing the AUSKey, what will happen for RTOs and the reporting requirements?
In March 2020 the ATO is replacing the AUSKey with a new proof of identity app called myGovID and an authorization service called Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM). For more information go to:
https://www.abr.gov.au/auskey/auskey-explained
Also keep an eye out for updates from your SMS provider.
We are an RTO that provide training for another RTO (the lead RTO). We issue Statements of Attainment on completion of the training and the lead RTO issue a Credit Transfer. What I want to know is, is there a problem with the lead RTO giving us the USIs for the students or should we request them?
I have checked my understanding with the USI Office and they confirmed that if an RTO is to share a student’s USI with anyone, including another RTO they will have to have the student’s permission to do so in writing. So, an RTO can only give the USI to another RTO or person on behalf of a student if they have written permission to do so from the student. Remember that the USI is a private number and is to be treated the same as you would a Tax File Number.
Our RTO delivers 12 units of competence for a qualification that in the qualification rules only requires 10 units. Can we do this and is it ok to include all units on the qualification/record of results?
Yes, an RTO is permitted to offer more units than the minimum listed in the training package rules. In the case when an RTO does offer more than the minimum required units they must advise students of this in course information. You can only list the number of units required to complete the qualification on the record of results. The additional units would need to be listed on a separate Statement of Attainment.
If you have questions not covered in this section, please feel free to contact us.