RTO2GO.COM
  • Home
  • Smart and Skilled
  • RTO Policy Manual
  • VET Consulting Services
  • RTO Startups
  • Store
  • Contact
  • Blog

Smart and Skilled 2018 - 5 Changes That Impact Your RTO

27/1/2018

0 Comments

 
To write this article we trawled the Smart and Skilled Operating Guidelines 2018, the 2018 Contract Terms and Conditions and the Smart and Skilled Policies and Supporting Documents comparing them with those of 2017. This was not high on my list of fun things to do over a holiday weekend but, hopefully, my time spent can be put to good use by those of you juggling all it takes to run a successful RTO.
Smart and Skilled 2018
Those aside, we have identified the following changes as the ones that will most impact you in your administration and management of the Program:
  1. Changes to AVETMISS Reporting Requirements
  2. Changes to the Smart and Skilled Fee Administration policy
  3. Additional Fee Exemptions
  4. Changes to the Subcontracting and Brokering Process
AVETMISS 8.00 2018
​Possibly because the time-frame of the program is only 6 months (Jan – June 2018), changes are minimal and on the whole legalistic,  mostly focusing on inserting clauses that ensure the Department has the power to take action with any identified non-compliance in program delivery or when an ‘event of default’ occurs.
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.​
Addition of classes Fee Exemptions (Notification of Enrolment Policy)
Fee Exemptions for Victims of Domestic Violence and Refugees and Asylum Seekers have been  added to the Eligibility Criteria.​​
Picture
  • 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. 
Smart and Skilled Updates 2018 - Buy Now
Changes to Smart and Skilled 2018
0 Comments

June 17th, 2015

23/6/2015

0 Comments

 

Smart and Skilled Eligibility Made Simple
(Including Fee-Free Scholarships)



You would recently have received an email from State Training Services with several documents attached relating to a new fee exemption category for Smart and Skilled: Fee-Free Scholarships.

While we are very happy to see the introduction of measures that makes training more inclusive it seems that determining student eligibility for Smart and Skilled just got one step more complicated. This blog is an attempt to provide a simple explanation of how to go about determining eligibility, concessions and exemptions including Fee-Free Scholarships.

If you feel you understand these requirements but just want to know what you have to do now with regard to the changes around the Fee-Free Scholarships – skip to The To Do List at the end the blog.
Picture
Please note: We have updated all relevant documents in the Smart and Skilled Resource Kit to ensure compliance with the adjusted S&S compliance requirements around the Fee–Free Scholarships. Existing customers should have received by email copies of these documents, please contact us if you have not.

Read More
0 Comments

 

20/6/2015

0 Comments

 

Smart and Skilled Transitioning – Made Simpler

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 do these changes  this mean for Smart and Skilled?
Picture
The fundamental change is that the Smart and Skilled 2015 NSW Skills List has been updated.
2 qualifications have been deleted from the Skills List (91138NSW and TDM30107)

12 qualifications have been deemed equivalent to the ones that have been superseded. You can check out these qualifications here:

s&s_tp_updates-_equivalent_quals_june_2015.docx
File Size: 20 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

Apprenticeships and Traineeships
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.

The May update to the 2015 NSW Skills List includes qualifications where amendments to VTOs have resulted in a change to apprenticeship or traineeship status. This includes:

 Where the qualification can no longer be delivered as an apprenticeship or traineeship

 Where the qualification pathway has changed from an apprenticeship to a traineeship or vice versa

Where the qualification can now be delivered as either an apprenticeship or a traineeship (dual pathway).
Note:  There are some changes to student fees as a result of VTO changes.
 

Picture
All Providers should check the changes as per the table in the word doc below:
s&s_tp_updates_changes_to__vtos_june_2015.docx
File Size: 34 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

0 Comments

    Author

    Hi, I am Anne

    On this blog I share tips on changes in VET Compliance and how  to stay up to date with Smart and Skilled. For updates please sign up below.

    Categories

    All
    Smart And Skilled
    VET For RTOs

    2018 VET Policy Update KIt
    2018 Smart and Skilled Update Kit
    Smart and Skilled Resource Kit
    Submit

    Archives

    January 2018
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    RSS Feed

RTO2Go.com: take away compliance - making life easier.
Services
Smart and Skilled 
VET Consultants
RTO Initial Registration


Resources
Smart and Skilled Kit
Smart and Skilled Quiz
VET Policy and Procedure Manual


Shop
RTO2Go.com Store
​Contact
0400 718998

admin@rto2go.com

ABN: 70 229 931 664
  • Home
  • Smart and Skilled
  • RTO Policy Manual
  • VET Consulting Services
  • RTO Startups
  • Store
  • Contact
  • Blog