How we engage and educate
A key feature of our regulatory approach is engagement and education.
Our approach focuses on building long-term relationships with stakeholders.
Effective stakeholder engagement is an essential part of our regulatory approach and government priorities for vocational education and training (VET) quality outcomes and continuous improvement.
On this page
We collaborate and co-design new regulatory tools with a range of stakeholders to:
- build a common understanding about our role, how we regulate and what to expect from us
- help providers understand and maintain their responsibilities under the standards
- gain input into changes to our regulatory approach
- gather intelligence to inform our understanding of regulatory risk
- design regulatory approaches that are well-informed and provide clear support for providers to enable them to focus on quality, continuous improvement through having robust systems to monitor and evaluate ongoing compliance with the Standards for providers.
Our stakeholders include:
- the Australian Government and state and territory governments
- other entities that form Australia’s VET regulatory framework
- individual VET providers
- peak body representatives of VET providers
- industry and employers
- students and the consumer protection network
- course owners and developers.
The VET Sector Strategic Forum (VSSF) is ASQA’s primary forum for strategic engagement and consultation with the peak VET, dual sector and English language provider associations on regulatory design, reform and benefits realisation.
The VSSF is chaired by the CEO of ASQA and comprised of senior representatives from:
- Australian Skills Quality Authority
- Adult Learning Australia
- Community Colleges Australia
- English Australia
- Enterprise Registered Training Organisation Association
- Independent Higher Education Australia
- Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia
- TAFE Directors Australia.
More information about the VSSF's objectives and members is detailed on our VET Sector Strategic Forum page.
The purpose of the ASQA Provider Reference Group is to engage and consult with sector experts on ASQA’s regulatory engagement and education and interactions with regulated entities as part of ASQA’s Regulatory Operating Model.
More information about the Provider Reference Group objectives and members is detailed on our Provider Reference Group page.
Education is one of our primary regulatory tools.
As a regulator, one of ASQA’s key roles is supporting the VET sector by providing high quality and accessible educational resources.
Our most important educational tools for VET and Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) is our website and Info Line.
We also conduct regular webinars to support providers to focus on quality, continuous improvement through having robust systems to monitor and evaluate ongoing compliance with the Standards for providers.
We have a range of resources to help providers understand our regulatory approach and their responsibilities under the Standards, they include:
- About the Standards
- About accreditation
- our Infoline which responds to email and phone questions
- Additional resources
ASQA regularly attends and presents at a range of industry events and forums each year.
The presentations cover a broad range of popular topics impacting the VET sector.
To enquire or find out more please email engage@asqa.gov.au.
Access our library of past videos and webinars through our YouTube channel.
Consultation
ASQA is committed to best practice regulation, adding value as a regulator, and ensuring we are efficient and effective. We undertake consultation activities to ensure we are continuously improving.
Your feedback as an applicant, training provider or course owner is important to us. Please find below details of our consultation activities.
Annual consultation activities
Past consultation activities
Between 9 - 23 June 2022, ASQA invited industry and government stakeholders to provide feedback on our performance and achievements against our 2021-2022 Corporate Plan and strategic deliverables as part of our annual reporting requirements. We use feedback from our stakeholders to help us continuously improve.
Between April – June 2022, ASQA invited all training providers and VET stakeholders to provide feedback on the most recent version of the draft model for self-assurance which has been co-designed with the sector. We welcomed suggestions on any modifications or changes that should be considered in the ongoing development and refinement of this model, which will aim to help providers manage their operations to ensure a focus on quality, continuous improvement and ongoing compliance with the Standards.
This feedback will be integrated with the findings from previous rounds of consultation with the sector.
Between December 2021 and February 2022, we invited the VET sector to provide its second round of feedback on the proposed fees and charges set out in our draft Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (draft CRIS) to support our transition to full cost recovery from 1 July 2022.
We also worked closely with the Provider Roundtable and the Stakeholder Liaison Group on the implementation of full cost recovery.
Following review of the received feedback, ASQA incorporated the necessary changes to the final CRIS, which received ministerial approval on 17 March 2002.
Read more here: Cost Recovery Implementation Statement 2022-23.
From 12 November 2019 to 9 December 2019, ASQA invited the VET sector to provide feedback on proposed measures to support ASQA’s transition to full cost recovery from 2020–21
Read more here: 2020-21 consultation paper.
Also visit our Consultation on fees and charges page for further information.
We invited providers to provide examples of self-assurance across the sector.