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Standard 1.8
Facilities, resources and equipment for each training product are fit-for-purpose, safe, accessible and sufficient.
Performance Indicators
An NVR registered training organisation demonstrates:
- how it identifies the facilities, resources and equipment required to deliver the training product, including how it identifies which facilities, resources and equipment will be provided by third parties instead of the organisation;
- where facilities, resources and equipment are provided by the organisation or third parties – how the organisation ensures:
- that the facilities, resources and equipment are, and will continue to be suitable and safe for use by VET students;
- that VET students have access to the facilities, resources and equipment they need to participate in the training and assessment relevant to the training product; and
- it has documented strategies and procedures in place to identify and manage risks associated with VET students using facilities, resources and equipment when undertaking work-integrated learning, work placements, or other community-based learning as part of their learning.
- You can identify the facilities, resources and equipment required to deliver training and assessment for each training product you have on your scope of registration, including any Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled tools.
- You can demonstrate ownership and/or leasing arrangements of facilities and appropriate student access to these facilities (where appropriate access means students will have sufficient access at reasonable times to practice and demonstrate their skills).
- You can demonstrate that training and assessment resources are used consistently with applicable intellectual property rights, including evidence of ownership, licensing or other permissions where required, and compliance with applicable copyright requirements and exceptions.
- You can demonstrate the systems you have in place to monitor and assure the ongoing suitability and safety of facilities, resources and equipment, including where third parties provide these. For example, your:
- facilities comply with all relevant Commonwealth, State and local government health and safety requirements and building codes
- facilities are large enough for your student cohort(s) and contain suitable and sufficient amenities (such as toilets and disability access)
- resources and equipment used in training and assessment align with all requirements set out in the training product
- resources and equipment are contemporary and relevant to current industry practice, including any emerging technologies
- AI-enabled facilities and resources are monitored to ensure ongoing suitability (e.g. regular updates, cybersecurity checks)
- equipment for each training product is fit for-purpose, safe and regularly maintained.
- You can demonstrate that agreements with third party providers specify responsibilities for maintaining facilities, resources and equipment, ensuring they remain safe, accessible and aligned with training product requirements.
- You can demonstrate how you approach making reasonable adjustments to facilities, resources and equipment as required for students with varying needs, while still ensuring the requirements of the training product will be met.
- You can demonstrate that students are made aware prior to enrolment of indicative costs they will incur for resources and equipment.
- You can demonstrate how any simulated environments used for training and assessment reflect current industry settings.
- You can demonstrate your active commitment to work health and safety in your training environment(s) – for example by ensuring:
- safety risks or hazards are promptly identified and addressed
- students receive guidance and instruction prior to using equipment
- any incidents involving facilities and/or equipment are investigated and corrective measures are put in place to prevent recurrence.
- You can demonstrate the specific strategies you use to manage risks associated with facilities and equipment used for work placement or work integrated learning – for example how you:
- engage with employers to understand potential risks to students, collaboratively identify strategies for mitigating those risks, and agree on roles and responsibilities for putting these strategies in place
- manage concerns raised by students, staff or employers during work placements.
- You can demonstrate how you approach the design and delivery of online training and assessment to ensure students can adequately demonstrate the required skills via virtual supervision or observation.
- Maximising student enrolment numbers without considering the availability of facilities, resources or equipment including suitable placements, or capacity to support and assess students while on work placement.
- Having poor quality facilities, equipment and resources that do not enable students to sufficiently gain required skills and prepare for the training product.
- Not adequately considering the appropriateness of delivering training or assessment via online or virtual means. For example, over-reliance on simulated work environments, virtual supervisor observations or requiring students to digitally record their assessment activities in a public space without considering privacy implications.
- Offering poor quality work placements that do not sufficiently prepare students for the workforce. For example, not confirming with work placement employers that they will ensure students are given adequate time and opportunity to practice/demonstrate all skills required during their placement.
- Not sufficiently servicing your regional/rural/remote locations to ensure that students there have access to appropriate facilities and work placements.
- Not including third party facilities, resources and equipment when self-assuring against this standard, including work health and safety.
- Delivering training using resources and/or equipment that is outdated and no longer in use by industry.
- Failing to document or mitigate risks associated with AI-enabled resources, facilities and equipment in work placements or community-based learning.
Self-assurance questions
- Do the training product requirements include specific facilities, resources or equipment?
- How has industry, employer, community, staff and student feedback influenced the facilities, resources and equipment you use?
- How do students access the facilities, resources and equipment? Do all students have reasonable and equitable access?
- What risks are associated with the facilities, resources and equipment and how are these risks proactively managed, including by your third parties, to ensure the safety of students and staff at all times?
- Have you confirmed that all facilities, equipment and resources (including AI-enabled resources) are safe, reliable and fit-for-purpose before use?
- Are there any specific risks associated with facilities, resources or equipment used for work-integrated learning, work placements or other community-based learning? If so, how are these being managed?
- Have you checked that AI-enabled resources comply with data security and privacy requirements?
Case study
Planning appropriate facilities, resources and equipment
RRR Training Pty Ltd (RRR) is preparing to deliver the AUR20720 Certificate III in Automotive Vocational Preparation qualification.
RRR conducted a comprehensive training and assessment analysis with the aim of ensuring that facilities, resources and equipment for the training product were fit for purpose, safe, accessible and sufficient for their student cohort. As part of the analysis, RRR engaged with its industry partners to select appropriate equipment and consumables, ensure facilities, resources and equipment reflect current industry expectations and have appropriate insurance coverage. Trainers contributed to the planning process by applying their firsthand knowledge of the qualification, student needs and class requirements to identify potential resource gaps and support coordinated allocation of resources across all sessions.
Following the analysis, RRR sourced a fully equipped, industry approved automotive workshop, including enough hoists, tyre-changing machines, modern diagnostic tools and a range of vehicle types for their cohort size. RRR also reviewed their health and safety procedures to ensure that they had appropriate safety signage in their training facilities, readily available personal protective equipment (PPE) for students and clear safety instructions, including a safety induction, for all facilities and equipment.
To ensure that facilities, resources and equipment remain suitable and safe for students over time, RRR’s continuous improvement plan includes:
- conducting regular internal audits with industry, employers and community representatives on facilities, resources and equipment
- maintaining resource mapping documents that link facilities and tools to specific units
- ensuring sufficient quantity and quality of equipment for all students
- planning for maintenance and upgrades.
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What does ASQA expect providers to do to ensure third party facilities remain suitable, safe and accessible to students?
Where facilities, resources or equipment are supplied by a third party, the provider remains responsible for ensuring they are suitable and safe for the intended training and assessment activities and that students have reliable access to them when required. Providers should be able to demonstrate how they ensure students can access the facilities, resources and equipment necessary to participate in training and assessment. Evidence may include timetables, booking arrangements, access schedules, student information, inventories, service agreements, or other records showing that required facilities and equipment are available when needed.