First steps in the transition to new RTO standards

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has identified a number of elements of the Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2012 that do not have a direct equivalent in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015.

As an initial step in the transition process, audits conducted by ASQA will no longer include the following elements:

• Essential Standards for Initial Registration – 5.2, 5.6, 6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2 (this impacts initial registration audits only)
• Essential Standards for Continuing Registration – 16.2, 17.1, 17.2, 18.2 (this impacts post-initial, compliance, renewal of registration and change to scope audits).

RTOs are still required to comply with all requirements of the current standards until the new standards take effect for new RTOs from 1 January 2015 and from 1 April 2015 for existing RTOs.

However, RTOs will no longer be requested to provide evidence against any of these elements.

ASQA is currently developing comprehensive information about the transition to the new RTO standards. This information will be published to the website soon and RTOs informed through the ASQA Update newsletter.

More information about the standards is available at www.asqa.gov.au/standards