Keeping course structure relevant

Does your course structure benefit industry and students?

Training package developers replace units when they stop meeting the needs of industry.  

It takes time to update VET courses (qualifications, skill sets and accredited courses) to include new units. This means a current or superseded VET course may ‘package’ (or list) non-current units.  

A VET course may also require students hold a non-current unit to enter the course (known as a pre-requisite unit). 

We expect providers to monitor, evaluate and continuously improve their delivery to ensure excellent outcomes for students and industry. This includes considering if your course structure is relevant to industry and will give students the skills they need to enter that industry. 

Reviewing your course structure  

You should review your scope for VET courses that package non-current units and gauge the needs of industry. If a non-current ‘superseded’ unit no longer provides students the outcome they need to enter the workforce, it doesn’t provide a quality training outcome.  

In this case, you may consider delivering the current version unit instead of the superseded unit in the packaging rules.  

ASQA does not require you to apply to deliver a current unit in place of its superseded version in a VET course, provided you document why the current version is more suitable.  

You may also accept the replacement version of a non-current pre-requisite unit for entry to a course. 

Keeping evidence

You must keep evidence showing how you evaluated the needs of industry and why substituting a superseded unit for its replacement version better meets the needs of students and will result in a better training outcome. For example, if an industry regulator mandates the current version of a unit, there is a clear basis for substitution. 

When having delivered a current version unit within a VET course, ASQA does not require you to then “back-credit” the student for the superseded version.   

Important considerations

You are responsible for what you deliver so you should do all necessary due diligence into all potential impacts before changing your course structure. 

Remember too that industry regulation varies across jurisdictions, and the best outcome for students in one location won’t necessarily translate to another location. 

If you choose to deliver a current unit in place of a non-current unit within a VET course you must:  

• check that substitution maintains the intended outcome of the course
• check that substitution meets the needs of industry and students
• check that funding or data reporting is not impacted
• keep evidence to justify your decision.