Practice Guide - Facilities, resources and equipment

Key concepts

The following key concepts are covered in this practice guide:

Standard 1.8

Suitability of facilities, resources and equipment
Access and safety
Work placements

Download a PDF copy: Practice Guide - Facilities, resources and equipment (PDF 255.2 KB)

Achieving these Standards in practice

The following table lists examples of activities that may demonstrate compliance with the Standards, as well as risks to mitigate or control. These examples are not a complete list of every activity or risk, nor do all the activities listed need to be completed to satisfy compliance requirements. Rather, they are a guide and should be considered within the context, size, scale and student cohorts of your RTO’s operations.

To help determine whether you have achieved the Standards refer to the self-assurance questions below.

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:
1. that the facilities, resources and equipment are, and will continue to be suitable and safe for use by VET students;
2. 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.

Example activities and considerations for compliance

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.
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 copyright, fair use, or licensing for all resources.
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
- equipment for each training product is fit-for-purpose, safe and regularly maintained
You can demonstrate how you approach making reasonable adjustments to facilities, resources and/or 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 that may pose a risk to safety
- 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.

Known risks to quality outcomes

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’s 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.

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?

What consideration have you given to the appropriateness of virtual assessment before proceeding with it? For example, if asking a student to record an assessment activity that involves interacting with another person, has that person given consent to being recorded?

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?