Coronavirus (COVID-19)—Compliance arrangements

Excluding training in Melbourne, it is ultimately up to individual providers to decide whether they continue to deliver practical training and assessment in a face-to-face environment, based on a risk assessment of the situation. You must check if there are any specific restrictions in place in your state or territory and only operate based on what activities are permissible.

For practical delivery, staff and students should maintain suitable distance between them where possible, in accordance with general health advice.

• Where it is safe to do so and where it maintains the integrity of the applicable training package, providers may review practical tasks that usually require close interaction and identify ways to modify these to increase physical distancing.
• Where it is not possible to modify practical training and assessment, providers can continue to deliver practical training that requires close interaction, but should limit the number of participants in any task and should ensure equipment is cleaned between each use.

Providers may instead implement other measures such as to re-sequence training and assessment strategies to deliver theoretical training and assessment, and offer practical delivery at a later time.

Should your RTO continue to deliver practical training, social distancing should be practised and RTOs should provide additional methods to allow students to keep their hands clean.

RTOs must have stringent infection control measures as part of their standard operating procedures. Equipment should be thoroughly cleaned in between use according to requirements. RTOs should also increase cleaning, particularly of classrooms, toilets, common areas, and door handles.

Any student who is unwell, or who is required to self-isolate, must not attend class and must be sent home.

For more information to help stop the spread, the Australian Government Department of Health has released resources for employers and others; and Safe Work Australia has released guidance on physical distancing and hygiene measures for universities, RTOs and ELICOS providers.

Where a provider is unable to attend a workplace to conduct training or assessment, consideration could be given to remote observation via other mediums. For example, a provider can:

1. use video recordings (from recording on a phone to more complex technologies)
2. use Skype and other video conferencing software for real-time observation and engagement.

If a student is working at their normal place of work, assessors can view that student’s participation in activities remotely and, using the same observation checklists they have when on site, continue to make valid and sufficient judgements.

It may be necessary to defer conducting the observations until such time as the RTO can effectively undertake this process.

Schools have discretion to determine who they allow onto their site. Like most organisations, schools may have introduced additional hygiene measures which must be observed by visitors.

The Australian Government has stressed that practicing good hygiene and keeping a physical distance between individuals are in place to fight this virus. If a trainer is feeling unwell, or is required to self-isolate, they must not attend any location and must be sent home.

Where work placement is mandatory but students are not allowed to attend a particular workplace, that placement will need to be deferred until such time that it can be conducted.

However, there are a range of actions that providers can take to mitigate the impact of the current situation on students who need to undertake workplace hours. ASQA supports all providers (including those delivering to overseas students) in implementing these actions where they are able to:

1. training – bring forward theoretical training across single or multiple units to continue learning
2. training – adjust training and assessment strategies to continue to deliver units of competency that do not contain workplace hours
3. training – make use of simulated workplace environments to allow for practising of skills
4. training and assessment– where students are in different locations, make use of technologies such as video recording and Skype
5. assessment – where the training package allows, make use of simulated workplace assessment.

Where work placement has been partially completed, both students and the provider should retain evidence of the placement completed to date, including any log books.

Students may be able to undertake training in a simulated environment before going to a workplace to continue their learning or to conduct assessment (when they are able to attend a workplace). Simulated training can be conducted remotely however providers should consider how students gain access to resource requirements to effectively practice these skills.

Providers should consider the specific assessment conditions described in the assessment requirements of each unit of competency. In some instances, assessment requirements allow for assessment to be conducted in the workplace or a simulated environment. Where simulation is allowed, providers should review the specific training package requirements to be able to replicate the simulated environment.

However, where assessment can only be conducted in the workplace, that component of assessment will need to be deferred until such time that it can be conducted. In these instances providers:

1. should ensure students are aware of, and have record of, the portion of assessment completed for the unit
2. can adjust their training and assessment strategy to rearrange sequencing of delivery of units of competency
3. should deliver an alternate unit of competency (that does not require practical assessment, or where theoretical learning can be provided in part).

Providers must consider the work environment they are replicating. The Australian Government has placed restrictions on certain businesses which, while these businesses can continue to operate, guide the number of customers that can be on the premises. In a training work environment, these restrictions must be observed.

In a training environment clients may not be required to pay for the service and, in these instances, simulated transactions may be more appropriate.

When conducting assessment however, all assessment conditions must be met and this can include the requirement to have real customers that pay for the service. Providers could consider:

1. promoting the extensive hygiene requirements of the course
2. undertaking increased cleaning, particularly of classrooms, toilets, common areas, door handles and equipment
3. encouraging students to promote the services to others
4. utilising paperless and contactless payment methods
5. adjusting prices to suit the current market.

The Australian Government has stressed that the measures of practicing good hygiene and keeping a physical distance between individuals are in place to fight this virus.

Should you deliver face-to-face, you must ensure that appropriate physical distancing measures are implemented where possible. This includes in classrooms, in computer laboratories, in other training rooms or locations, and in common areas.

Safe Work Australia has released guidance on physical distancing and hygiene measures for training providers. This includes information about how to structure rooms to achieve the maximum space per person.

Providers should also increase cleaning, particularly of classrooms, toilets, common areas, door handles and equipment.

Any student who is unwell, or who is required to self-isolate, must not attend class and must be sent home.

Providers conducting delivery online should ensure that students (domestic and overseas) are regularly logging in, and undertaking their learning, in order to progress through their course.

It is important that the RTO has a process in place to document and evidence student progression through online delivery. Maintaining regular contact with the student by telephone and email to discuss the online content and their progression will help in comprehension, will enable them to feel supported, and can also assist the RTO in verifying the authenticity of the student.

ASQA has developed a dedicated webpage for providers delivering by distance mode, which includes online delivery. This webpage provides information and advice on how to remain compliant with aspects of the Standards for RTOs when using distance learning techniques and tools.

The Australian Government has stressed that practicing good hygiene and keeping a physical distance between individuals are in place to fight this virus.

People may be concerned during this time and may be self-isolating or limiting contact outside their home. People living in Melbourne are unable to travel for study and all training must be delivered remotely or delayed if delivery cannot be provided. We encourage all RTOs to be aware of these situations and consider all student concerns.

The Australian Government has placed certain restrictions on gatherings and businesses. Currently these restrictions do not apply to education institutions. However you must check if there are any restrictions in place in your state or territory and only operate based on what activities are permissible. It is ultimately up to individual RTOs to decide whether they remain open based on their own risk assessment of the situation. RTOs can reinforce to students the additional measures they are putting in place to promote good hygiene practices.

It is important that RTOs maintain records on a student-by-student basis detailing the reasons why a student may not have attended, and how they have implemented adaptive measures to assist students during this period.

For more information to help stop the spread, the Australian Government Department of Health has released resources for employers and others; and Safe Work Australia has released guidance on physical distancing and hygiene measures for universities, RTOs and ELICOS providers.

As required by the Standards for RTOs, an RTO must have documented training and assessment strategies. Records of adaptations made for individuals (or individual classes) may be captured across multiple documents.

ASQA recognises that providers may need to implement temporary measures as they adapt and respond to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ASQA is committed to providing a flexible regulatory approach to support providers to maintain quality.

We’ve released an online form that makes it easy for you to meet your obligations of notifying us of temporary changes to where you deliver training. You can use this form to let us know if you have temporarily ceased all or part of your operations, or made any adjustments to delivery modes or methods. 

On 3 May 2021, the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) provided additional advice relating to the delivery of the first aid units of competency from the HLT Training Package, and particularly relating to training and assessment of CPR.

RTOs may resume delivering cardiopulmonary resuscitation as normal with appropriate risk assessments and compliance with State and Territory Health requirements. Reasonable adjustments can also be provided to individuals who have particular concerns surrounding the CPR assessment process. This includes having students perform breaths to the side of the manikin.

All other Assessment Requirements must also be assessed.

In assessing these units of competency, assessors must meet the trainer and assessor requirements of the Standards for RTOs and must also a hold current first aid certificate of HLTAID003 or higher.

RTOs must retain appropriate records of the reasonable adjustment applied for students.

ASQA understands that students studying in Australia on a student visa may be unable to meet this requirement based on the current situation. It is important that any adaptive measures during this period are documented, including reasons why a student may be unable to meet their 20 hours of attendance requirements.

The coronavirus outbreak is causing significant stress on all Australians, including from a financial and mental health perspective. We encourage all providers to be aware of this and consider all student concerns.

Providers should consider the information they have published in their documented policies and procedures relating to payments, refunds, and unable to pay situations. Providers may choose to offer payment plans, of smaller and more manageable amounts, for students who want to actively continue to study. Providers could also defer a student’s study for the time being, until they are able to continue.

While the Australian Government has placed certain restrictions on gatherings and businesses, these restrictions do not apply to education institutions. You should check if there are any restrictions in place in your state or territory and only operate based on what activities are permissible. Where staff are working from home, RTOs should ensure it has all resources available to staff to be able to continue to meet its obligations.

There is no specific requirement in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) regarding printing testamurs and statements of attainment. Further, in this current environment, it may be more suitable to issue testamurs electronically.

Providers must still ensure the document is protected against fraudulent issuance and that the person who has issued the testamur is authorised to do so. Including a unique identifier (such as a document number) that is mapped to a qualifications issuance register allows a provider to keep record of all testamurs issued. PDF documents can also be marked with a digital signature to maintain integrity and authenticity of the document.

Providers may consider sending a printed copy of the testamur when it is able.

While the Australian Government has placed certain restrictions on gatherings and businesses, these restrictions do not apply to education institutions. You should check if there are any restrictions in place in your state or territory and only operate based on what activities are permissible.

Where staff are working from home, providers should ensure it has all resources available to staff to be able to continue to meet its obligations.

Providers may need to develop procedures to put in place to ensure it is able to continue to maintain suitable records, including reporting for state / territory funding requirements, should all staff work from home.

All providers (whether CRICOS approved or not) with active registration are able to market to, enrol and deliver to students who are living offshore. A provider must be assured however that the course is able to be provided entirely by remote delivery to ensure all training package / course requirements or other regulatory requirements are met.

If an international student studies a course while they are living offshore, they do not need a visa for Australia. Students only require a visa when they intend to enter Australia.

VET providers must ensure they meet all requirements of the Standards for RTOs, even when delivering offshore. Where an RTO requires, either directly or through a third party, a prospective or current student to prepay fees in excess of a total of $1500, the RTO must meet the fee protection requirements that are described in these Standards.

Providers must also ensure they report TVA data accurately for this delivery, including that the delivery was conducted in an online delivery mode to students residing offshore.

PRISMS is administered by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE). The PRISMS website provides news and information which may assist providers.

Providers should continue to review information provided by DESE on its dedicated website, relating to regulatory information for universities VET, ELICOS and higher education providers.

ASQA has also released a guide to support providers to meet default obligations under the ESOS Act.

If you believe that your provider is not adhering to social distancing measures, visit the Australian Government’s COVID-19 page.

You can then select the State or Territory relevant to your training.

Excluding training in Melbourne, it is ultimately up to individual providers to decide whether they continue to deliver practical training and assessment in a face-to-face environment, based on a risk assessment of the situation. You must check if there are any specific restrictions in place in your state or territory and only operate based on what activities are permissible.

Excluding training in Melbourne, where it is not possible to modify practical training and assessment, providers can continue to deliver practical training that requires close interaction, but must implement other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including limiting the number of participants in any task and ensuring equipment is cleaned between each use.

Any student who is unwell, or who is required to self-isolate, must not attend class and must be sent home.

For more information to help stop the spread, the Australian Government Department of Health has released resources for employers and others; and Safe Work Australia has released guidance on physical distancing and hygiene measures for universities, RTOs and ELICOS providers.

As students are unable to attend work placement at present, can I conduct the full assessment by simulation?

Where assessment conditions state that assessment of skills must be conducted in the workplace, the unit cannot be assessed entirely by simulation.

In the above example, the assessment conditions allow the use of simulations only where the full range of contexts and situations have not been provided in the workplace (where the skill to be assessed would generally only occur in an emergency or unplanned situation), and not where the entire range of contexts and situations are not provided.