ASQA Update 8 October

Welcome to the October edition of the ASQA Update.

Ms Saxon Rice, Chief Executive Officer

Ms Saxon Rice, Chief Executive Officer

This past month has seen us progress work to confirm our regulatory risk priorities for 2021-22.

ASQA’s risk-based regulatory program in 2021-22 has been informed by the outcomes of our annual environmental scan, which brings together feedback from stakeholder groups and regulatory data – and includes a focus on both provider and systemic risks.

As a best-practice regulator, ASQA implements a risk-based approach to regulation, focusing regulatory attention on areas of greatest risk exposure to manage our resources effectively and minimise regulatory burden on providers. In doing so, we make the best use of a range of regulatory approaches using a variety of regulatory treatments – education, registration and approvals, course accreditation, monitoring and performance assessment (audit), compliance management and internal review of decisions – to apply proportionate and fit-for-purpose responses.

We are committed to genuinely collaborating with our stakeholders and the regulated community, including to build and support systemic capability for self-assurance and continuous improvement of VET outcomes. In this way, ASQA will review and publish its regulatory risk priorities on a quarterly basis to provide transparency of our regulatory program and support providers to better understand and respond to risk.

ASQA’s regulatory risk priorities for 2021-22 will be published on ASQA’s website in the coming weeks and should be read in conjunction with the ASQA Corporate Plan 2021-22 which outlines our focus on best practice regulation of Australia’s VET sector.

We appreciate the contribution of those stakeholders who have engaged with ASQA and helped inform our regulatory risk priorities for 2021-22 and our approach to jointly responding to address these risks and ensure quality VET so that students, employers, governments, and the community can have confidence in the integrity of national qualifications issued by training providers.

The VET sector continues to play a fundamental role in supporting Australia’s economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19 and now, more than ever, it is critical that students graduate with the skills necessary to take their place in a dynamic and rapidly changing workforce. I know planning for recovery is at the forefront of mind for students, trainers and business owners alike – and this includes how providers and ASQA will respond to the changing delivery landscape and the ongoing take up of online options.

In this issue, we share updates on our VET delivered in Secondary Schools Scoping Study, outcomes from our most recent Provider Roundtable and Stakeholder Liaison Group meetings, insights from our data team, and more resources for providers to ensure quality assessment systems developed as part of our ‘Spotlight On’ series.

We also invite you to join us at our next interactive webinar later this month, where we will discuss the recent changes in our approach to performance assessment.

Stay safe and well.

In this edition

  • ASQA’s VET in Schools Scoping Study
  • Amendments to the ESOS Act
  • Sector Engagement: Provider Roundtable and Stakeholder Liaison Group Communiqués
  • National Skills Commission consultations
  • The conclusion of our third Spotlight on series
  • The NCVER Total VET activity data for 2020
  • Tips from the service delivery team

and more

/Public Release. View in full here.