Aligning our new governance arrangements with our renewed focus

The start of 2021 has marked important changes to our governance arrangements, to ensure we are best equipped with the structure and managerial capacity to effectively regulate the VET sector.

From 1 January 2021, the National VET Regulator will also be known as ASQA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Saxon Rice has recently been appointed to the role of CEO for a five-year term. As we implement these new governance arrangements, you will see:

• under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011, the roles and responsibilities of Commissioners removed, reinforcing the role of the CEO as the single independent statutory office holder, with responsibilities conferred upon the CEO as the accountable authority for ASQA
• regulatory decisions being delegated to different levels within ASQA, and
• increased opportunities for internal reconsideration of ASQA’s regulatory decisions.

This brings the National VET Regulator in line with most non-corporate statutory bodies, and builds on changes to ASQA’s Executive structure in 2020 to strengthen its focus on sector education and engagement, performance assessment and a proportionate response to non-compliance.

These changes are an integral part of our significant reform program to clarify and modernise our regulatory role, culture and practices, in line with the Rapid Review of ASQA’s Regulatory Practices and Processes.