6 April 2011  -  A is recommended.

 

The Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) is the national set of standards which assures nationally consistent, high-quality training and assessment services for the clients of Australia’s vocational education and training system. The revised version of the AQTF is effective from 1 July 2010. Further information on the AQTF is found at Frequently Asked Questions.

The new AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Continuing Registration and the AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Initial Registration are included in the full list.

New Essential Conditions and Standards for Initial Registration and Continuing Registration of Training Organisations have been approved by the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment and come into effect from 1 July 2010.

The Conditions and Standards were revised to strengthen the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) and provide additional protection for all students undertaking Vocational Education and Training in Australia..

Key changes to the Essential Conditions and Standards include:

• Clear requirements for the initial registration of new providers and strengthened requirements for continuing registration, including stronger financial viability, financial management, fee protection and governance conditions;
• Compliance with the Conditions of Registration will now be audited in the same way that compliance with the Standards is audited;
• An application must comply with the Essential Conditions and Standards for Continuing Registration at the date that it is approved for registration;
• Non-compliance with the new Essential Conditions and Standards may result in a range of sanctions being placed on the RTO, which may include additional conditions being placed on an RTO’s registration, an RTO being de-registered, or an application for registration being rejected.

Some transitional arrangements have been agreed concerning compliance with Conditions 5 and 6 (relating to collection of student fees in advance, and requirements for a unique student identifier number and provision of AVETMISS compliant data). RTOs and applicants will not need to comply with those requirements until 3 January 2011. RTOs and applicants are required to comply with all other components from 1 July 2010.

Streamlined and improved supporting documents have been developed to assist RTOs, applicants and registering bodies transition to the new Essential Conditions and Standards. These include new User Guides for Initial and Continuing Registration, and consolidated National Guidelines for Registering Bodies with more advice on risk management and managing non-compliance.

Further information, including the new User Guides, Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions for RTOs and applicants will be available on this site shortly.

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