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We use a risk-based approach to determine the most significant risks to achieving ASQA’s purpose, which is to ensure quality vocational education and training (VET) and the integrity of national qualifications issued by training providers.
This approach recognises that we cannot mitigate every risk, so we use a rigorous process to determine our risk priorities.
We conduct extensive research and synthesise data and information from a range of sources to understand what the greatest risks to the VET and English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sectors are.
We call this an environmental scan and the insights we gain from this process are invaluable.
The scan involves a combination of surveys; face to face interviews; engagement with a range of stakeholder groups. This includes consulting with providers; industry and sector peak bodies, state and territory governments; and analysing regulatory data and data from other sources.
Regulatory Risk Priorities 2026-27
ASQA is the national regulator overseeing the VET sector in Australia. Our purpose is to ensure quality VET so that students, industry, governments and the community can have confidence in the integrity of national qualifications issued by training providers.
We use an intelligence-based and data-driven approach to identify the most significant risks to the integrity of national qualifications and ensure quality VET outcomes for students, industry and the broader community. We make full use of our regulatory powers to take action and ensure best practice.
Environmental scan on regulatory risk
A central component of our approach is our annual environmental scan (e-scan). We consult closely with key stakeholder groups to identify the key risks, both ongoing and emerging, to the VET sector. We then undertake further research to contextualise those risks into themes and adjust our regulatory risk priorities accordingly.
A risk theme, in the context of the e-scan, describes a recurring pattern of challenges, behaviours or concerns that have the potential to impact the sector’s reputation, integrity, market health or student educational outcomes. Identified risks are grouped within themes to better reflect their multi-dimensional nature and the dynamic interaction between risks within the VET sector.
The 2026 Environmental Scan has identified four deeply interconnected risks:
- Provider governance, market conduct and non-genuine operations
- Quality, sufficiency and fitness-for purpose of training delivery
- Integrity of qualifications and competency outcomes
- Transparency, accountability and assurance in complex and international delivery models.
Our previous years risk priorities are available to view below: