ASQA Update - March 2022
Welcome to the March edition of the ASQA Update
At ASQA, our focus remains on ensuring that our regulatory approach and practices are effective in working across a dynamic and evolving VET system. Your partnership is foundational in delivering this purpose, so that together we can address risks to quality VET outcomes and ensure that students, employers, governments and the community can have confidence in the integrity of national qualifications issued by training providers.
Self-assurance is a cornerstone of this work, improving market performance and strengthening the role of regulation. The sector continues to play an integral role as we co-design a model of self-assurance for the sector, supporting the shift away from input and compliance controls to a greater focus on self-assurance and excellence in training outcomes. This work also supports broader sector reforms outlined in the Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform – including the work the Department of Education, Employment and Skills is progressing to strengthen quality standards and build provider capacity and capability for continuous improvement.
Sector engagement on the proposed approach to the implementation of full cost recovery from 1 July this year has also been strong. Engagement on the draft Cost Recovery Implementation Statement has provided a great opportunity to further support a shared understanding of our regulatory activity, as determined by our Regulatory Risk Framework and operationalised through our Regulatory Operating Model, offering greater transparency and accountability for efficient and effective regulation.
We also continue to participate in the broader efforts of the Australian Government to lift regulatory performance and reduce regulatory barriers to make it easier for business to grow and create jobs. This includes inputting into key reforms being progressed through the Government’s Deregulation Agenda as part of the Department of the Prime Minster and Cabinet’s (PM&C) Regulator Leadership Cohort. PM&C are also leading work on progressing a Regulator Performance Omnibus Bill to update outdated administrative provisions that impose unnecessary regulatory burden on businesses and prevent regulators from engaging with business and supporting compliance in a modern and flexible way. I was pleased to be able to propose some areas for amendment that, pending consideration through Parliamentary processes, will streamline certain administrative processes and provide greater certainty for providers.
In this edition, we also bring you an update on the third instalment of insights from our Strategic Review of Online Learning, RTO and ESOS 2022 checklists, and more provider tips to help assist your compliance and continuous improvement.
I hope you will take part in our Annual provider and course owner survey, which serves as another important input to support the continuous improvement of our performance, so that together, we can continue to ensure quality outcomes.
Stay safe and well,
In this edition
- Launching our third online learning insights paper
- Annual declaration on compliance due 31 March
- Checklists for RTO and ESOS providers
- Self-assurance focus groups continue
- ESOS providers: Survey insights coming soon
- How to respond to temporary changes in visa conditions for international students
- Submissions welcome in DESE’s ESOS review
- NCVER online learning research
and more