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Standard 1.1
Training is engaging, well-structured and enables VET students to attain skills and knowledge consistent with the training product.
Performance indicators
An NVR registered training organisation demonstrates:
- training is consistent with the requirements of the training product;
- the modes of delivery enable VET students to attain skills and knowledge consistent with the training product;
- training is structured and paced to support VET students to progress, providing sufficient time for instruction, practice, feedback and assessment;
- training techniques, activities and resources engage VET students and support their understanding; and
- where the training product requires work placements or other community-based learning, necessary skills and knowledge are able to be attained in that environment.
- You can demonstrate that your training is consistent with the training product requirements as outlined on the National Register, including meeting packaging rules and any pre-requisite requirements.
- You can evidence how your chosen mode of delivery (e.g. face-to-face, online, workplace, traineeship, blended methods, etc) is engaging and appropriate for the skills and knowledge being delivered and has been considered against VET student needs.
- When using artificial intelligence (AI) supported e‑learning, virtual assistants or simulation tools, you can justify why these modes enable students to attain the specified skills and knowledge and show how they are balanced with human instruction, practice, feedback and assessment opportunities.
- You can show how your delivery structure and pacing is designed in the context of your student cohort, the complexity of skills and knowledge to be acquired, resources available and industry expectations.
- You provide students with sufficient opportunity to reflect on and absorb the knowledge, apply feedback, and practice their skills in different contexts/environments before they are assessed.
- Where you are delivering similar or complementary units at the same time and have decided upon ‘clustering’, you have documented your rationale before proceeding.
- You can demonstrate how students are given sufficient time and access to training support services and relevant resources to support their learning.
- You can demonstrate how you incorporate relevant and appropriate techniques, activities and resources in your training to engage students and support their understanding.
- You ensure AI activities supplement rather than replace hands‑on practice where the training product requires physical or practical skill development.
- You ensure that any work-integrated learning, work placements or other community-based learning has been incorporated in the training delivery at appropriate times to support and develop student’s skills and knowledge.
- You can demonstrate how you select appropriately supervised environments for work placements or other community-based learning.
- Assuming each student has the same skills, experience, and learning preferences.
- Applying an approach that does not take a holistic view of the student cohort, learning environment and training product requirements when designing training.
- Failing to consider Australian Qualifications Framework requirements regarding volume of learning, including considering the time required to increase students’ likelihood of successfully achieving the learning outcomes and ensuring that the integrity of the qualification outcomes is maintained.
- Failing to have sufficient regard to industry regulator licencing requirements in designing training.
- Not adequately ensuring that online training will deliver quality outcomes, for example:
- using online delivery where the training product requires skills to be developed in a physical environment
- using online delivery to develop practical skills in high-risk courses or industries without confirming that they are appropriate
- condensing training in ways that reduce meaningful engagement and compromise the depth and quality of learning
- not providing enough personalised support or guidance for effective learning.
- Failing to review your design and delivery of training after cohorts have completed the training product, and missing opportunities to incorporate lessons learnt and continuously improve.
- Accelerating or shortening training (including through the use of AI tools), and not providing students sufficient time for skill development and knowledge application.
- Not undertaking a review of purchased resources to ensure full coverage of unit requirements, or contextualising purchased resources to reflect your RTOs training delivery practices.
- Using AI-generated materials or AI-supported training practices that do not appropriately reflect training product requirements or current industry practice.
- Using AI‑generated materials without appropriate validation to ensure accuracy.
Standard 1.2
Engagement with industry, employer and community representatives effectively informs the industry relevance of training offered by the NVR registered training organisation.
Performance indicators
An NVR registered training organisation demonstrates:
- how it identifies relevant industry, employer and community representatives and seeks meaningful advice and feedback from those representatives;
- it uses relevant advice and feedback to inform changes to training and assessment strategies and practices; and
- training reflects current industry practice.
- You can show how you identify and routinely review the industry, employer and/or community representatives you engage with about your services.
- You can demonstrate how your engagement with these representatives generates meaningful advice and feedback on your training and assessment strategies and practices, taking into account:
- the type and complexity of training you deliver
- industry-specific licencing, accreditation and legislative requirements
- the structure and size of the industry.
- You can demonstrate how training and assessment is informed and continuously improved by direct and ongoing industry engagement – for example, in response to industry innovation, regulatory changes or emerging local skills needs. You can demonstrate how this informs your approach to:
- offering the courses that will best meet the needs of industry, employers and the community
- structuring the most relevant electives for the training (in accordance with any training product packaging rules)
- verifying foundational skill and training product entry requirements
- verifying the skills and knowledge required by your trainers and assessors
- determining the appropriate mode of delivery, training techniques and activities
- establishing the amount of training necessary to ensure students sufficiently develop skills to an industry standard
- designing your assessment strategies and practices in line with industry standards.
- Relying on a generic strategy that is insufficient to demonstrate genuine engagement with industry, employer and community groups.
- Failing to engage with the relevant industry, employer and community representatives that can provide contemporary feedback and input into VET courses you offer.
- Only participating in once-off engagement with an industry representative to ‘sign off’ training, without any broader consultation.
- Failing to ensure that your engagement is sufficient and timely to capture current industry practices, particularly in rapidly evolving industries.
- Not systematically incorporating the feedback received into improved training strategies and practices.
Self-assurance questions
- How do you know your training design and delivery is fit-for-purpose and consistent with the requirements of the training product?
- How do you assure the accuracy and currency of AI‑generated materials and simulations?
- How do you identify relevant industry, employer and/or community representatives and engage with them to ensure your training reflects current industry requirements, expectations and practice?
- What has informed your understanding that the structure and pacing of training allows students to achieve the outcomes set out in the training product? How do you adjust this for different student cohorts?
- How do you ensure trainers are appropriately skilled, qualified and resourced to deliver training in an effective and engaging way?
- How will you keep pace with industry’s adoption of AI in relation to the courses you have on scope?
- What professional development will your trainers and assessors need to maintain industry currency?
- How do you collect industry, employer and/or community representatives and student feedback and use this to inform improvements to training design and delivery?
- How do you evaluate whether engagement activities are influencing decisions, and whether the industry engagement was effective?
- How do you evaluate whether work placements provide students with sufficient opportunity to gain the necessary industry-relevant skills and knowledge?
- How do post‑cohort reviews (including student and industry feedback) demonstrate that AI‑supported delivery has improved engagement and outcomes and informed changes for the next cohort?
Case study
Designing training that meets industry needs
In response to feedback from industry, EEE Training (EEE) redesigned its delivery of RII30920 Certificate III in Civil Construction to improve engagement, structure and industry relevance.
EEE first validated the existing program, then consulted with industry employers, site supervisors, and community representatives, asking:
- What new skills are needed onsite to keep up with modern practices?
- Where are the gaps in graduate competencies?
- What delivery methods suit the workforce?
The feedback received informed the program design, including updated electives aligned with job roles. Instead of a fast-track model, training was delivered over 12 to 24 months, depending upon individual student needs. The mode of delivery was updated to incorporate more face-to-face workshops, onsite practical sessions, online support for theory modules and trainer check-ins. Training used engaging, hands-on approaches with industry-current equipment, including realistic, simulated worksites, scenario-based learning and role plays and interactive online modules (quizzes, videos, case studies).
To allow for improvements before rollout, the training program was reviewed by trainers and industry experts to ensure it met training package requirements, assessment standards and employer needs.
- How do Volume of Learning, Amount of Training and nominal hours fit with the 2025 Standards?
Providers are required to continue complying with the VET Quality Framework which includes the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). This means that the AQF’s Volume of Learning (VoL) requirements still apply – that is, the notional duration of all activities required for the achievement of the learning outcomes specified for a particular AQF qualification type. Whilst Amount of Training (AoT) is not featured in the 2025 Standards, providers are still required to demonstrate that ‘training is structured and paced to support VET students to progress, providing sufficient time for instruction, practice, feedback and assessment’ (Standard 1.1). Providers will need to consider and justify how their chosen amount of training for a particular training product meets this Standard.
- Is there a minimum number of delivery hours a trainer should provide per unit of competency?
The 2025 Standards require providers to demonstrate that training is structured and paced to support students to progress, providing sufficient time for instruction, practice, feedback and assessment. The number of hours per unit depends on a range of factors, such as the student cohort, mode of delivery, the resources, technology platforms and facilities available, the expectations of industry, employers and/or the community, and the breadth and complexity of the skills and knowledge to be acquired. - The Standards state that training is to be structured and paced to support students to progress. Does this mean I need to record attendance? How should I demonstrate student progress?
The 2025 Standards do not prescribe a requirement for providers to record student attendance. However, there is a requirement for providers to ensure the structure of the training provided to students supports their progress through the course - for example, sequencing units of competency in a logical way. Please note that an ESOS provider or a provider with government funding may have additional requirements, including the requirement to monitor and document course attendance.
- The Standards state that training needs to be engaging, well-structured and enable students to attain skills and knowledge consistent with the training product. How would I demonstrate that the training is engaging?
Students are diverse and have varied learning needs, styles and preferences. Using a range of training techniques, activities and resources to deliver training enables providers to cater to these diverse needs and improves outcomes for students. Training should consider an array of training techniques and activities that seek to engage, interest, energise and involve students and enable them to build skills and knowledge in multiple different ways.
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When importing an elective into a qualification, does the unit you import have to be in a qualification you have on scope?
Generally, qualification packaging rules allow for one or more elective units to be selected from any currently endorsed training package qualification or accredited course, noting the unit should be relevant to the qualification, maintain the integrity of the AQF alignment and contribute to a valid, industry-supported vocational outcome. The elective unit(s) selected must be on the RTO's scope of registration. If the selected elective unit(s) is on scope, the RTO can deliver it as part of the full qualification delivery program without notifying or formally applying to ASQA. If the selected elective unit(s) is not on scope, the RTO must apply to ASQA to add the unit(s) to its scope of registration.
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If we are an industry association or an Enterprise RTO, can we conduct industry engagement internally?
Where a provider is a key stakeholder in the industry, they can include internal engagement as part of their industry engagement. However, it should not be the only form of industry engagement conducted. Providers should ensure there are mechanisms for ongoing industry engagement, considering all relevant industry, employer and community representatives.
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Do we need to engage with industry, employer and community representatives?
Yes. The Standards require providers to demonstrate how they identify relevant industry, employer and community representatives and seek meaningful advice and feedback from those representatives. Advice and feedback from all of these stakeholders will help providers remain attuned to the needs and expectations of the workforce and community and inform updates to their training so that it reflects current industry practice.
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What should RTOs do when training package requirements do not align with current industry practice, while still meeting unit of competency requirements?
Providers must train and assess against the requirements of the training product and cannot remove, alter or substitute mandatory unit requirements, even where they may not reflect current industry practice. Industry engagement can inform the contextualisation of training and assessment. Where industry practice exceeds training package requirements, providers may include additional training or assessment activities, provided they supplement rather than replace mandatory requirements. Where training package requirements appear outdated, providers are encouraged to provide feedback to the relevant Jobs and Skills Councils.