​USI
All students must now have USI’s and exemptions for one day courses are no longer applicable. Details regarding USI Exemptions can be found on the USI Website

Information regarding USI Collection and the requirement to sign a Privacy statement should be clearly communicated to students prior to enrolment. Our 2018 Student Handbook has been updated to include this information.

The only students who are exempt from providing an USI are;

• International students undertaking their entire VET course outside Australia (also known as offshore training).
• Students who have completed their VET training prior to 1 January 2015 but have not yet been issued with a qualification or statement of attainment in respect of that training.
• Students who have applied for and obtained an individual exemption in writing from the Student Identifiers Registrar because they have a genuine personal objection to being assigned a USI.

 
USIs must be collected at enrolment and you cannot issue a Statement of Attainment or Certificate to a student who has not supplied a USI. Further, missing USIs will mean you will not be able to lodge your 2018 data which will put you in breach of the ASQA Data Provision Requirements.

Details of the 5 changes most likely to have an impact on your current management and training systems are discussed below. We have also compiled a list of all of the Changes to the Contract and Guidelines and you can buy updated documents in our Smart and Skilled Update Kit 2018 (discounted for existing customers).   

Changes to AVETMISS Reporting Requirements
​In most cases your Student Management System provider will have updated your system to ensure that data collection meets the new National VET Data Policy, however, there are some administrative changes that require implementation for the Smart and Skilled collection process.

As in all things, as a Smart and Skilled provider, you are expected to meet all legislative requirements for Registered Training Organisations including those in the new Data Policy, more information on these changes can be found in our post: 2018 VET Data Changes - what they mean for your RTO. However, in this article we focus only on those relating to Smart and Skilled as listed below.

When to use AVETMISS 7.0 and 8.0:

• if you did not submit all your reports for student who completed in 2017 by the Jan 7 deadline then you have until  28 March to do so using AVETMISS 7.0 . After that date all reports must be submitted using AVETMISS 8.0
• for training activity that started in 2017 but will complete in 2018, you must use AVETMISS 8.00.
• any Trainings Activity that commences in 2018  requires AVETMISS 8.00

 
There are also some Data Entry Changes that have reporting implications for S&S training activity, these are:

• Outcome identifier- two new codes: 41 (Incomplete due to RTO closure) and  85 (Not yet started),

Hopefully, none of you will find you have to enter 41 but you also have the option of not entering Code 85 as this field can be left blank if the student has not commenced.

• 90 (Not yet available at interim collection) has been deleted and Code 70 is to be used when a student has not completed training in the Activity Period that is being reported

 
Changes to Smart and Skilled Fee Administration policy
Again, there is only a minor change in the Smart and Skilled Fee Administration Policy; a statement has been added to the effect that when a student obtains a Commonwealth Government student loan, the RTO must comply with all the requirements of the program. This applies to only those Providers who have received Commonwealth funding (which is normally through the VET Student Loans Program). The RTO2Go.com, Smart and Skilled Fee and Refund Policy has been updated to include this statement.​

• Exemptions for victims of domestic violence come under Fee Free Scholarships and are for anyone over 15 who declares themselves to have, or to been,  a domestic violence victim or a  dependent of one. Proof of eligibility is in the form of a letter of recommendation from a Domestic and Family Violence Service, Refugee or other Support Agency.
• Fee Exemptions for Refugees and Asylum Seekers; evidence required to support this application are Visa Documentaion  or Immicard – refer to Appendix 7 of the Smart and Skilled Fee Administration Policy for approved type of visas.

​Updated documents that reflect these changes can be found in the  Smart and Skilled Update Kit 2018.

​Changes to Subcontracting and Brokering Policy
I found it hard to ascertain exactly when this policy was changed to include the definition of Brokering but the major change for 2018 is the addition of a statement to the effect that the Department is unlikely  to accept applications for Brokering arrangements unless under special circumstances where the case is put forward  for support of  students with specific needs.

There is also a slight change in the application procedure whereby a Provider is required to email the Department to inform them of their intention to apply for approval to set up Subcontracting or Brokering and the Department will then inform which application form to use.

For a full list of the Program changes found in the Smart and Skilled Operating Guidelines and Contract for 2018, please click below. 

Training Packages revisions
Most of you will be aware of the changes to Training Packages and which ones affect your RTO. You will no doubt have been keeping in touch with your Industry Skills Councils as to when the updates come into effect.
To date 6 Training Packages have been updated:
    - Automotive Industry Retail, Service and Repair
    - Business Services
    - Financial Services
     - Maritime
     - Information and Communications Technology
    - Printing and Graphic Arts
    - Aeroskills 

What all this means for enrolments in Smart and Skilled.
1. No changes are required if student s have commenced training. Data and reporting is done against   the superseded qualification.
2. In some instances ASQA policy may say that the transition must occur immediately. If the student has commenced training no new Commitment ID is required, however, Providers should update their student management systems with the new/ current qualification and report against it them when submitting data.
3. If a Commitment ID has been issued for a student enrolled in a superseded qualification but training will start after the end date assigned on the Act ivity Schedule, the Commitment ID will need to be cancelled. The Notification of Enrolment will need to be resubmitted for the current qualification and a new Commitment ID will be issued.
4. If a student has not started training and does  not have a Commitment ID then they cannot be enrolled in the superseded qualification  after the qualification end date shown on the Activity  Schedule.

Note: There has been no changes to the prices paid by Smart and Skilled i.e. the new/current Qualification is paid at the same rate as the previous/superseded qualification.