Clauses 1.13 to 1.16—Employ skilled trainers and assessors

Clause 1.13

In addition to the requirements specified in clause 1.14 and clause 1.15, the RTO’s training and assessment is delivered only by persons who have:

1. vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered and assessed
2. current industry skills directly relevant to the training and assessment being provided
3. current knowledge and skills in vocational training and learning that informs their training and assessment.

Industry experts may also assist in training delivery and/or the assessment judgement, working alongside the trainer and/or assessor to conduct the training and/or assessment.

Clause 1.14

The RTO’s training and assessment:

1. if delivered on or prior to 30 June 2019, is delivered only by persons who have the training and assessment credential specified in Item 1 or Item 2 or Item 3 of Schedule 1.
2. if delivered on or after 1 July 2019, is delivered only by persons who have the training and assessment credential specified in Item 2 or Item 3 of Schedule 1.

Clause 1.15

Where a person conducts assessments only, the RTO ensures that:

1. on or prior to 30 June 2019, the person has the training and assessment credential specified in Item 1, or Item 2, or Item 3, or Item 4, or Item 5 of Schedule 1; or
2. on or after 1 July 2019, the person has the training and assessment credential specified in Item 2, or Item 3, or Item 5 of Schedule 1.

Clause 1.16

The RTO ensures that all trainers and assessors undertake professional development in the fields of the knowledge and practice of vocational training, learning and assessment including competency-based training and assessment.

What clauses 1.13 to 1.16 mean for your RTO

Quality training and assessment depends on the skills and knowledge of trainers and assessors.

The Standards specify that trainers and assessors are skilled VET practitioners with current industry skills and knowledge. This ensures students receive the training they need and graduates are properly assessed before being issued with a qualification or statement of attainment.

ASQA’s strategic industry reviews have consistently found high levels of non-compliance with these clauses. This non-compliance undermines the quality of the student experience and directly affects the quality and credibility of qualifications. Students have told ASQA that it is important to them that their teachers are professional and knowledgeable about their subjects.

To provide training that reflects current industry practice and valid assessment, your RTO’s trainers and assessors must maintain the currency of their skills and knowledge in both:

• their industry area
• vocational education and training.

It is also acceptable for an appropriately qualified trainer and assessor to work with an industry expert to conduct training and assessment together.

Requirements from March 2024

Trainers and assessors

As of March 2024 trainers and assessors must hold:

• TAE40116/TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (or its successor)

or

• TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment plus the following units:
  • TAELLN411 (or its successor) or TAELLN401A, and
  • TAEASS502 (or its successor) or TAEASS502A or TAEASS502B

or

• a diploma or higher level qualification in adult education.

or

• a credential issued by a higher education provider (as defined by section 16-1 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003) which would enable the individual to satisfy the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher in accordance with the registration requirements in at least one State or Territory, and one of the following credentials or the successor to one of the following credentials:
  • TAESS00011/TAESS00019 Assessor Skill Set or
  • TAESS00024 VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set

Assessors

As of March 2024, anyone who provides assessment only (i.e. does not deliver training) must hold the following:

• TAESS00011 Assessor Skill Set or its successor

or

• TAESS00001 Assessor Skill set plus one of the following:
  • TAEASS502 Design and Develop Assessment Tools or
  • TAEASS502A Design and Develop Assessment Tools or
  • TAEASS502B Design and Develop Assessment Tools

or

• a diploma or higher level qualification in adult education

or

• a credential issued by a higher education provider (as defined by section 16-1 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003) which would enable the individual to satisfy the academic requirements for registration as a secondary school teacher in accordance with the registration requirements in at least one State or Territory, and one of the following credentials or the successor to one of the following credentials:
  • TAESS00011/TAESS00019 Assessor Skill Set or
  • TAESS00024 VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set.

While the Standards do not prescribe how trainers and assessors must maintain their currency in industry skills, it is the responsibility of your RTO to retain evidence that shows:

• your trainers’ and assessors’ current industry skills and knowledge
• that trainer and assessor knowledge directly relates to the training and/or assessment they are providing.

The industry skills and knowledge held by trainers and assessors must be consistent with:

• information gathered through your industry engagement activities
• any specific requirements expressed in relevant training packages and accredited courses.

Your RTO must ensure that all trainers and assessors undertake professional development in VET—including in competency-based training and assessment. This includes trainers and assessors employed or contracted by your RTO and those engaged by a third-party
delivering training and assessment on behalf of your RTO.

The Standards do not prescribe how often professional development must occur, but it must be sufficiently frequent to ensure your trainers and assessors have current knowledge and skills in vocational training, learning and assessment. Simply delivering training and assessment does not constitute professional development.

A guide to compliance

Evidence relating to trainers’ and assessors’ industry skills can take many forms.

If a trainer and assessor holds the qualification they are delivering and has recent extensive industry experience, this may be sufficient to demonstrate they hold both current industry skills and vocational competencies.

In some cases, people may have significant industry experience but not hold any formal qualifications—in such cases, you would need to analyse the skills and knowledge they deliver and compare this to their industry skills and knowledge. Consider all units of competency (including electives) in this analysis to ensure that you are meeting the requirements for trainers and assessors specified in the training package or accredited course.

Current industry skills

Training and assessment should only be provided by those who have current industry skills and knowledge. Training and assessment is best provided by those who can undertake—to an industry-standard level—all of the tasks defined in the elements of units of competency and modules.

To confirm trainers and assessors have current industry skills, and all training and assessment is delivered by people who are themselves competent practitioners, your RTO should ideally ensure that trainers and assessors are regularly exposed to industry workplaces and participate in workplace tasks.

Trainers and assessors need to show how they have maintained, upgraded or developed new skills relevant to current industry needs. Evidence showing trainers’ and assessors’ industry skills can take many forms.

Currency in skills will depend on the industry area. Some examples of how trainers and assessors can demonstrate current industry skills include:

• volunteering or working part-time in the industry area
• undertaking accredited training relevant to the industry area
• belonging to industry associations
• engaging with industry (for example, through discussions with employers or attending industry networking events)
• reading industry journals and subscriptions
• staying informed about changes to technology
• keeping up to date with changes to legislation.

Delivering training and assessment in a workplace does not constitute the development of current industry skills. However, attending a workplace to experience the latest techniques, processes and resources could contribute to the
demonstration of current industry skills.

Vocational competency for trainers and assessors

RTOs must retain evidence that all trainers and assessors have undertaken relevant professional development in VET. The Standards do not prescribe what form this evidence takes, but you may choose to include registers of the development activities your trainers and assessors have completed.

How can my RTO demonstrate and provide evidence of compliant practice?

Your RTO should take appropriate steps to verify information about trainer and assessor’s qualifications, vocational competencies and current industry skills.

These steps may include:

• viewing qualifications and contacting the provider named on the person’s qualification to confirm that the document is genuine
• reviewing academic transcripts
• confirming the VET study completed through the online Unique Student Identifier (USI) Registry (do not rely on printed transcripts)
• conducting referee checks at the time of employment to confirm relevant industry experience.

You should retain evidence of how you have verified this information—for example, by maintaining records on each person’s human resources file.

Your RTO should also retain evidence of your approach to professional development and of how you engage with industry to confirm, review and update the required skills and knowledge for trainers and assessors. Examples of possible approaches include:

• implementing a requirement for a certain number of professional development hours per year, with your RTO to approve development activity in advance in order for the hours to be counted as part of the annual requirement
• collecting evidence of trainer and assessor participation in communities of practice
• requiring trainers and assessors to participate in industry exchanges and/or placements
• conducting an annual review of the skills and knowledge required for trainers and assessors with local industry representatives, in order to ensure currency and relevance
• maintaining information on professional development activities on a register.