1. Australian Apprenticeship Support Services – The Under the new model for Australian Apprenticeship Support Services, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) has appointed 9 organisations to provide support for apprentices. The new model is anticipated to be rolled out from 1 July 2024.

2. New Energy Apprenticeships Program – From 1 June 2024, the government is expanding the New Energy Apprenticeships Program.

3. Budget 2024-2025:

• VET & Budget
• HE & Budget
• Detailed analysis of the budget done by The Koala News

4. Increase to the Financial Capacity Requirement – Minimum funds required to meet the financial capacity requirement for Student and Student Guardian visas has been increased to AUD29,710.

5. Warning letters issued – Department of Home Affairs has issued warning letters to 34 education providers for non-genuine or exploitative recruitment practices.

6. Draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework has been released to set a path for government and the sector to work together so international education can continue to deliver benefits to our economy, communities and international students. Through the Framework, the government is taking an active role in supporting a sector built on quality and integrity. You can provide your feedback via Consultation Form on the Department website.

7. ESOS Amendment Bill (Quality and Integrity) 2024 – The first reading of the ESOS Amendment Bill 2024 has been introduced on 16 May 2024. If passed, the Bill will giver broader powers to the government to control education agents and control the international student numbers in Australia.

8. Review of ICT training package – The Future Skills Organisation (FSO) has commenced the review of ICT training package.

9. Skills ministers Council – Following a meeting of federal, state and territory skills minister last Friday, the VET reforms agenda has been pushed forward. Read the Skills Minister’s communique.

Read more about VET sector updates in 2024 the previous posts:

• VET Sector Updates – Jan 2024
• VET Sector Updates – Feb 2024
• VET Sector Updates – March 2024

The post Updates in VET Sector – April & May 2024 appeared first on Education and Training Compliance Solutions.

1. Qualification Reform Update – The Qualification Reform Design Group have provided initial advice to Skills Ministers on reforming Australia’s vocational education and training qualification system last month i.e.; March 2024. The proposed qualifications system is purpose-driven and supported by Qualification Development Quality Principles. Three broad purposes have been identified:

• Purpose 1 – qualifications leading to a specific occupation (for example a licensed trade)
• Purpose 2 – qualifications that prepare learners for multiple occupations in the industry
• Purpose 3 – qualifications that develop cross-sectoral or foundation skills and knowledge which may be applied across industries, or lead to tertiary education and training pathways

The Design Group, assisted by Jobs and Skills Councils and states and territories, will report back to Skills Ministers on progress of the work, with further advice to be provided by the end of 2024 along with plan for implementation of the new qualifications model by 2025. The Design Group March 2024 update and Advice Paper to Skills Ministers can be downloaded from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website.

2. NVETR Act 2011 Amendments – On 29 March 2024, the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment Act 2024 (the Act) was enacted. The amendments implement recommendations from the Braithwaite Review and respond more broadly to the findings of the Nixon Review in relation to VET sector integrity risks. A copy of the Bill can be downloaded from the Parliament of Australia website.

The Bill amends the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 in relation to:

• the automatic lapse of a registered training organisation (RTO);
• preventing an RTO from adding new courses to its scope of registration in the first 2 years of registration;
• increasing the period within which the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator can conduct an internal review of decisions;
• the order of initial applications for registration; suspension of applications for registration;
• offence and civil penalty provisions for false and misleading representations made by RTOs; and
• an increase in penalty units; and National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Transitional Provisions) Act 2011 to provide for transitional arrangements.

ASQA has published details about the changes and how the changes may impact education providers.

3. Migration Strategy – The Govt has finalised and taken actions on some of the key recommendations from Migration Strategy that impacts the international education sector. The changes that came into effect in march include:

–  Genuine Student Requirement that replaced the previous GTE requirement. The Department of Home Affairs website has detailed information the new Genuine Student Requirement.

– Increased English language requirements.  Watch my last video VET Sector Updates – Feb 2024 where this change was discussed in detail. The Department of Home Affairs has also published the new English language requirements on its website.

– Migration (Suspension Certificate Matters) Specification (LIN 24/034) 2024 – The Government has introduced a new legislative instrument, Migration (Suspension Certificate Matters) Specification (LIN 24/034) 2024, that outlines a method to calculate ‘relevant score’ for the CRICOS providers based on their compliance requirements with student visa regulations. The score is believed to be determined twice every year using a 14-step method listed in the legislative instrument and will play an important role in minister’s decision making on issuing suspension certificates to CRICOS providers.

Read more about VET sector updates in 2024 the previous posts:

• VET Sector Updates – Jan 2024
• VET Sector Updates – Feb 2024

The post Updates in VET Sector – March 2024 appeared first on Education and Training Compliance Solutions.

1. 2024 Australian Apprenticeship Priority List
19 new occupations to 2024 apprenticeship priority list. Check out the full list of qualifications.

2. National Skills Passport
Consultation process has commenced on National Skills Passport. Visit the Department website to share your feedback.

3. Annual Declaration on Compliance 2024
ASQA regulated RTOs need to submit the ADC by 29 Feb 2024. For more details visit ASQA website.

4. VET Activity AVETMISS data
The deadline to submit total VET activity for 2023 is 29 Feb 2024. Visit NCVER and ASQA website for more details.

5. Updated Compliance Checklists
2024 RTO and ESOS obligations checklists are now available on ASQA website

6. Australian Migration Strategy
The Australian Migration Strategy was released on 11 December 2023 with a policy roadmap containing 8 key actions and over 25 new policy commitments and areas for future reform. For details on how the migration strategy impacts VET sector, read the details on Department of Home Affairs website.

Changes proposed in the strategy that will impact the sector will include:

– Increased English language requirements for both student and temporary graduate visas. Minimum IELTS test score required for student visa has increased from 5.5 to 6 and for temporary graduate visa, it’s increased from 6 to 6.5.

– More targeted scrutiny to student visa applications will be achieved via 2 newly introduced ministerial directions. 1^st direction will outline areas of consideration to support decision making to grant student visa. And the 2^nd direction will prioritise student visa applications based on provider risk levels.

– Restrict onshore visa hopping – by a newly implemented Genuine Student Test – requires students to demonstrate that their proposed new study aligns with their career progression. As a result, temporary graduate visa holders will be restricted from applying for student visas while still onshore.

– The temp graduate visa durations have been revised and some international students will now have a comparatively shorter period of stay. The strategy focuses on “strengthening graduate visas” to ensure more graduates are employed at their skill level, rather than being stuck working in low-skilled jobs. Graduates working in skilled jobs will have the opportunity to apply for the new Skills in Demand visa or a permanent skilled visa.

 Read more about VET sector updates in the previous posts:

• Updates July to Nov 2023
• Updates May to June 2023
• Updates in VET sector Feb to April 2023
• Updates in VET Sector & Events

The post Updates in VET Sector – December 2023 to January 2024 appeared first on Education and Training Compliance Solutions.

1. Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs)
JSCs have been established to provide industry with a stronger voice to ensure Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) sector delivers better outcomes for learners and employers. Read more about all 10 established JSCs here.

2.Fit and Proper Person Requirements
Amendments have been made to the Fit and Proper Person Requirements, which are in effect 5 Sep 2023 onward. Visit ASQA’s website for details on key changes made.

3.International Student Delivery
Following the Rapid Review into the exploitation of Australia’s visa system by Christine Nixon earlier this year, the Australian government has taken several measures in an attempt to prevent unethical practices. Read more about Nixon Review in detail here.

Details on concurrent studies can be found here.

Details on change in the minimum fund requirements for international students in order to get student visa can be found here.

Following an inquiry into Australia’s tourism and international education sector, the joint committee on Foreign affairs, defense and trade released its interim report with 29 recommendations, that can be read here.

Some of the other announcements that were made as part of these measures include:

i. Establishing a new integrity unit within the regulator, with broader powers to ensure and monitor provider compliance.

ii. Establishing a monitoring framework and developing systemic risk indicators, with a focus on student attendance and agent performance data.

iii. The ban on onshore education agent commission for student transfers between the providers.

iv. Suspending the “high-risk” CRICOS providers, from recruiting international students

v. Preventing cross-ownership of businesses by education agencies and education providers

More details on these announcements can be found across multiple sources listed below:
– Action to end rorts
– Next steps to strengthen the integrity of international education
– Stamping out dodgy VET providers

4. National skills passport
Read details on National Skills Passport here –  https://ministers.education.gov.au/chalmers/national-skills-passport

5. National Skills Agreement
Detailed information about National Skills Agreement can be found here.

6. VET Qualification Reforms
Visit Department’s website for all updates on VET Qualifications Reforms –

7. Draft Standards for RTOs
Visit Department’s website for the revised copy of Draft Standards for RTOs – https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/quality-reforms
Provide feedback on draft of revised Standards by completing the online survey here.

8. ESOS Reforms
Following the sector feedback on the ESOS review discussion paper released last year, the Department sought further stakeholders’ feedback throughout.  Few of the anticipated upcoming changes as a part of ESOS Reform may involve amendments to written agreements between students and providers, English language requirements, additional protection requirements for minor students, increase in proportion of allowable online delivery to onshore overseas students potentially up to 50% while retaining the minimum of 20 scheduled course contact hours per week and education agents. Nothing has been announced yet and consultations are still ongoing in this space.

9. ASQA’s updated application requirements for initial registration
ASQA has updated its application forms and supporting evidence requirements for new entrants to the vocational education and training market. From 27 November 2023, all applications for initial registration must be made via new form and accompanied by the required supporting evidence. Read more on ASQA’s website – https://www.asqa.gov.au/news-events/news/updated-application-requirements-initial-registration

Read more about VET sector updates in the previous posts:
– Updates May to June 2023
– Updates in VET sector Feb to April 2023
– Updates in VET Events

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A number of CRICOS providers define compassionate or compelling circumstances as situations that lie outside a student’s control and significantly affect their well-being or studies. While framing the criteria in this manner can be beneficial for both providers and students, it is crucial for providers not to restrict their assessment of a student’s circumstances solely to those falling within this definition. Provider policies should not be too restrictive about what may be considered compassionate or compelling and should allow the decision-maker to make a professional judgment based on individual student circumstances.

When determining whether the circumstances are compassionate or compelling the important factor to consider is the evidence that is provided by the student to support their claims. Quite a number of CRICOS providers include examples of what may be considered as an acceptable evidence within their policies and guidelines. Though this is helpful and guides both your students and staff to understand the evidence requirements, it’s important to not limit your acceptance of evidence documents to just those listed within your policies.

The most commonly used evidence in these situations is the medical evidence. Some providers state in their policies that they won’t accept medical certificates issued by GPs and instead they require students to provide evidence from a medical specialist and some providers require students’ medical evidence to be verified by the provider’s preferred GP or a specialist.

Providers need to be mindful that they don’t impose unnecessary requirements for the type of evidence or the amount of evidence that students need to provide to support their claims.

Providers should be mindful that medical information is sensitive personal information and students should not be made to share their medical information or the diagnosis if they don’t wish to.

Watch this video to understand how you assess overseas students’ compassionate/compelling circumstances. To watch more videos related to CRICOS requirements, go here.

Other related videos:
Reporting Student Visa breach on PRISMS
Standard 7 Overseas Student transfers

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