VET sector regulation

ASQA cannot provide advice on funding.

ASQA’s role as the national vocational education and training (VET) regulator is to register VET and Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) providers and accredit VET courses.

There are a range of funding bodies in different states and territories. State/territory governments provide funding for VET in various ways, and Australian Government funding is for the most part provided through agreements with those state/territory governments.
Providers are advised to contact their state funding body or state training department for information on funding.

• Go to the list of state and territory government training departments.

ASQA works with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and with the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment, to regulate multi-sector providers.

Through the arrangements outlined in a memorandum of understanding agreed between ASQA and TEQSA in 2011, the agencies seek to implement the following principles in the regulation of multi-sector providers:

• clear and consistent regulatory expectations
• streamlined data requests from TEQSA and ASQA to minimise duplication
• common evidence requirements to demonstrate compliance with common standards applicable  to higher education and vocational education and training regulation
• joint regulatory and quality assurance assessments, where feasible.

ASQA regulates training providers against the vocational education and training (VET) Quality Framework and has no jurisdiction over regulatory requirements of other authorities. Similarly, other authorities such as state occupational health and safety regulators or Work Safe Australia do not have the authority to mandate requirements for delivery of nationally recognised training. However, these authorities may refuse to recognise qualifications or statements of attainment which have been issued by providers that do not meet their standards.

Providers that come under the jurisdiction of multiple industry regulators may need to comply with multiple requirements.

Training organisations in Victoria and Western Australia can only register with ASQA if they fall within ASQA's jurisdiction.

If your organisation is currently registered with the Victorian or West Australian regulator, but falls within ASQA’s jurisdiction, you should contact your current regulator and apply for a transfer to ASQA. The transfer is a simple process that does not attract any fees.

If you are in Victoria or Western Australia, and are applying for initial registration as a registered training organisation, you should apply to ASQA if you will be operating within ASQA’s jurisdiction.

Your organisation falls within ASQA’s jurisdiction if:

• you are registered on Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) for delivery to overseas students.
• your organisation offers courses online (in this case, you are considered to be offering these courses for delivery nationally, unless your application process specifically states otherwise, or
• you offer courses in any of the following states:
  • the Australian Capital Territory
  • New South Wales
  • the Northern Territory
  • South Australia
  • Queensland, or
  • Tasmania.

If you are in Victoria or Western Australia and do not fall within ASQA's jurisdiction, you should register with the Victorian or West Australian regulator.

• Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) regulates RTOs that operate solely in Victoria and do not offer courses online or to overseas students.
• The Training Accreditation Council (TAC) in Western Australia regulates RTOs that operate solely in WA and do not offer courses online or to overseas students.

ASQA regulates those registered training organisations in Victoria and Western Australia that:

• offer courses to overseas students, and/or 
• offer courses to students (including by offering courses online) in:
  • the Australian Capital Territory 
  • New South Wales 
  • the Northern Territory 
  • South Australia 
  • Queensland, or 
  • Tasmania. 

If you do not fall within ASQA's jurisdiction, you should register with the Victorian or West Australian regulator.

• Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) regulates RTOs that operate solely in Victoria and do not offer courses online or to overseas students.
• The Training Accreditation Council (TAC) in Western Australia regulates RTOs that operate solely in WA and do not offer courses online or to overseas students.

ASQA’s role as the VET regulator does not extend to instigating structural changes to VET or Higher Education systems. However, ASQA works closely with TEQSA when dealing with multi-sector providers to ensure that actions relating to those providers are consistent.

ASQA’s Regulatory strategy 2019-21 outlines the systemic risk priorities that will be the focus of ASQA’s regulatory efforts over the next two years, including a new target area, VET in Schools.

As part of this strategy, ASQA will undertake a scoping study and consult with other government bodies to identify the risks associated with VET in schools. This will allow ASQA to determine whether a regulatory response and/or further work is required, including a potential strategic review into VET delivered in secondary schools.