New approach to student surveys
ASQA and the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) recognise it is essential for RTOs to maintain feedback systems that enable them to understand and continuously improve their performance and monitor outcomes for students and employers.
A new VET student survey has been developed in partnership with DESE and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in response to feedback from providers about the Quality Indicators Learner Survey. While the Quality Indicators Learner Survey is currently the primary tool to gather input from students, work has commenced to map out a plan to make it easier for RTOs to be able to collect data they need to meet their reporting requirements. The VETSES is an important first step. We expect that this, alongside other improvements to data collection over the coming years, will make it easier for training providers to monitor their student experience and reduce the administrative burden.
The VETSES is a short online survey to capture information from currently enrolled students about their training experiences so far including training intentions, satisfaction, pre-enrolment and enrolment processes, and motivation. Selected RTOs will be invited to participate and asked to supply up-to-date enrolment and student contact details so students can be contacted for the primarily on-line survey. The administration of the survey will be undertaken by the NCVER with an independent third party collecting and collating the data.
Each participating RTO will receive a short infographic report summarising their students’ responses, where enough students respond to ensure reliable information. This information can then be used by the provider for continuous improvement of training delivery or for other purposes such as marketing.
The survey is designed to be administered progressively throughout the year, with the first wave starting in April 2021. RTOs participating in this or future VETSES will not be required to undertake the Quality Indicators Learner Survey in that same year.
The students of selected RTOs who opt into participating in this wave will be contacted from mid-May to the end of June 2021.
The information gathered from the VETSES will complement the National VET Student Outcomes Survey, which collects information on training outcomes and satisfaction after students finish their training.
The survey is expected to lessen the administrative burden for RTOs and will provide ASQA and DESE with data about RTOs from the perspective of the student, to assist work in supporting quality outcomes in the VET sector.