Revised Standards - Episode 1 podcast transcript

Podcast published: 19 December 2024

Kai Rottmann: Hello everyone and welcome to ASQAcast, ASQA’s official podcast and your avenue to being informed about all things ASQA. It’s Kai Rottmann here, and I'm excited to have our CEO Saxon Rice join me today to chat about the revised Standards. In this episode, we will hear firsthand from Saxon the importance of the revised Standards, why they have come about and what providers and those in the sector can expect. Thanks for joining me today Saxon.

Saxon Rice: My pleasure Kai. 

Kai Rottmann: So Saxon, the revised Standards have been in the works for the past 4 years, and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has been consulting on and guiding their development over that time. When people ask me what I need to do to prepare for the revised Standards, my answer is to read everything the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has published to date. So, assuming our audience has read that material, my first question for you today is why do we have revised Standards?

Saxon Rice: Well, it’s a really good question Kai and our standards-based quality framework is integral to achieving the objectives of our vocational education and training sector, and particularly when we think about quality, flexibility and innovation in VET but also national consistency, and so this has been a fundamental component of ASQA’s regulation of VET and we all know that our current Standards have now been in effect for going on 10 years, and our system and our sector has matured over that time. So together, Commonwealth and state and territory Skills Ministers have all endorsed the revised Standards for RTOs for public release, and the changes to the Standards are designed to better reflect the diversity of the VET sector and more fit for purpose across different RTO settings. The revised Standards also clearly articulate the characteristics required of RTOs to foster a shared understanding of what constitutes high quality delivery, and that's particularly for all users of the VET system, and they also provide a clearer and more direct link between the requirements providers are expected to meet and the outcomes that they're expected to deliver.

Kai Rottmann: Thanks Saxon. We know that clarity between the requirements RTOs are expected to meet and the outcomes they are expected to deliver is really important. Now, while we have been deep in the Standards conversation for quite some time, my engagement with the sector has shown there are many providers out there who have not been following so closely. With just over 6 months before the revised Standards come into effect, what are your key messages to providers who may not have been following the revised Standards journey closely?

Saxon Rice: Well, the revised Standards represent a step change in all Governments’ shared ambition to lift quality and integrity across the entire sector, and that's through enabling a more flexible, robust and quality-driven approach to regulation, in particular. They give providers the opportunity to demonstrate compliance in ways that are relative to the size and scope of their operations, and the period now and until the revised Standards come into effect from July next year, is the ideal opportunity for providers to step back and consider compliance in context, and perhaps more broadly for all providers to consider how they currently assure themselves that they are achieving quality outcomes in their business context.

Kai Rottmann: Yeah, thanks so much Saxon. Given the ongoing operating pressures on so many organisations, that's really important – a really good opportunity for reflection is necessary and we will discuss what we're doing to support the sector a little later. My next question for you, and thank you, only a few more questions to go. We know there are so many providers in the sector that are all over the current Standards. What does the introduction of the revised Standards mean for providers who are confident that they meet the current requirements of the Standards? Will they need to totally overhaul their operations to remain compliant under the revised Standards?

Saxon Rice: Well, I think it's really important to understand that the revised Standards are a change in focus, they're not a change in intent. So, they introduce some new dimensions, such as responsibility for student welfare, but they don't change the nature of VET or what quality VET looks like. The part of our guidance to providers will include reflective questions to help providers consider how they're currently performing and what they might need to consider going forward, particularly in the context of how their systems and processes are supporting the achievement of quality outcomes.

Kai Rottmann: Yeah, thanks Saxon. Really good point. Following on from the last question, I hear providers talk about wanting to see a mapping document or developing one of their own. Now I know we won't be doing a mapping document. However, can you please expand on why we won't?

Saxon Rice: Yeah. It’s another really good question, Kai. We won't be mapping the current Standards to the revised Standards, you're right. We want providers to take a fresh look at their current systems, policies and practices. What we really don't want to do is encourage providers to retain outdated ways of working, and outdated systems and processes, and only make superficial changes and looking for that, you know, direct mapping one-to-one might stand in the way of that broader understanding that's really needed in identifying opportunities for improvement. We want providers to step back and review their operations holistically in the context of the revised Standards to ensure that they're not just complying but striving for quality outcomes aligned with industry trends and learner needs. The Policy Guidance has been published to help providers to understand the intent of the revised Standards and an area to begin might be by looking at how providers’ student outcomes measure up against that published intent.

Kai Rottmann: Yeah, that's great Saxon. So, in the same vein, a hot topic out in the sector at the moment is that we will not be doing a users’ guide. I know many providers print our current Users’ guide and even carry it around with them, which is true dedication. However, we've made the decision not to repeat the Users’ guide and move to Practice Guides. Can I please be bold and ask the question, a lot of the sector are asking is why?

Saxon Rice: Well, much like the mapping I mentioned, we're wanting to support capability across the sector and maturing the overall approach from checklists of actions, which tends to be a whole lot of inputs, to focusing actually on the outcomes that we're seeking and the outcomes that can be demonstrated. So, our Practice Guides will highlight what good outcomes look like and also what poor outcomes look like. The guides will also consider the different kinds of evidence that can be provided that would demonstrate meeting a Standard or achieving an outcome, as well as highlighting the risks to quality outcomes.

Kai Rottmann: That's great. So, we've now published 4 draft Practice Guides with more to come, which I urge all stakeholders to review, and we're all ears when it comes to feedback. The guides and feedback channels can be found on our website. Saxon, what more can providers expect in terms of support and where should they look for support and guidance as the revised Standards implementation date draws nearer?

Saxon Rice: Well as we work through the implementation phase, ASQA will certainly be taking a range of different steps in supporting providers. I expect our website and social media channels will be top of all providers’ reading lists but we'll also be working with interested providers to be part of a simulated assessment activity against the revised Standards, and expressions of interest for this is certainly welcome, from a diverse range of providers is what we're keen to encourage, and that's diverse across size, delivery model, compliance history, locations and Kai, I'm sure you can probably fill everyone in on how they can express interest in this but it's also probably worth mentioning that we will publish information about transition arrangements early in 2025, and I guess one of the other key messages is that we are committed to working with providers and the sector to make the most of the opportunity the revised Standards present, and we'll be taking a longer term whole of system perspective,  working across the VET sector, or the VET system rather in partnership with stakeholders, to support provider capability and build regulatory performance, capability and culture, so that we are together building trust and confidence in Australia's regulatory settings.

Kai Rottmann: That's great and absolutely, we will be providing a lot of details on our website and social media channels in relation to a lot of that information. So, thank you Saxon. It's great to bring our stakeholders this information in this format and to hear directly from the head of the regulator. Do you have any closing comments you'd like to make?

Saxon Rice: Kai, I think I'll probably just maybe go back to some of the comments I made at the outset and perhaps reiterate that the revised Standards represent all Governments’ shared ambition to lift quality and integrity in VET, and they're there to enable a more flexible, more robust and quality-driven approach to regulation, and the changes ultimately all better reflect the diversity of the sector.

So, they do provide that clear and very direct link between the requirements that providers are expected to meet and the outcomes that they're expected to deliver, and this is where the key reflections should really be at this stage.

Kai Rottmann: Wow, that's awesome. Saxon, can I please thank you so very much for your time on ASQAcast today. It's great to have you on board. Everyone in the sector has a stake in the revised Standards and to have you on board for the first standards-centric podcast really sets the scene for ASQA and will help everyone understand ASQA’s approach.

Saxon Rice: Thanks Kai and it's a real pleasure to be able to chat with you and to engage with the sector on the revised Standards.

Kai Rottmann: Thanks Saxon and I'm sure we'll try and get you back. There's lots of hot topics at the moment. So that wraps it up for another episode on ASQAcast today. Stay tuned for our next episodes as we continue to highlight key topics for consideration. You can find our podcasts on our website by heading to asqa.gov.au and searching podcasts. If you have any topics of interest that you would like to hear more about, please send us an e-mail at podcasts@asqa.gov.au. We look forward to you joining us next time on ASQAcast. Bye for now.