RTO Superhero: Compliance That Drives Quality

Angela’s goal with this podcast is simple – to provide solutions to the problems that RTOs deal with on a day to day basis, from the complexities of compliance and RTO Business Success.  Over the next 12 months there are going to be many changes that will effect your RTO operations, these changes are a result of the Skills Reform, which commenced in 2019. Building on this reform commitment, the Au...

In this exhilarating episode, join us as we soar above and beyond the ordinary, unveiling the secrets behind RTO triumphs. But hold tight, because this isn't just another compliance chat—it's about mastering the finesse behind it! 🦸 Heroes' Genesis: Traverse the birthplaces of legendary training organisations and discover how compliance isn't just a stepping stone but the foun...

In this episode of the RTO Superhero Podcast, join host Angela Connell-Richards as she breaks down the Skills Reform and explores its implications for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) industry in 2023. Discover the key changes and reforms taking place, including industry engagement, qualifications reform, quality reforms, improving access to foundation skills, harmonising and modernisin...

Last month we delivered a series of Masterclasses on the Stellar Trainers Matrix, which was a outstanding success, which made it obvious that a podcast to follow up on the same subject would be a no-brainer. One of the top non-compliance at an ASQA Audit is often the Trainers Matrix and this is due to a lack of knowledge on what should be included within the Trainers Matrix and how to ensure that...

There is a change with how we are regulated, and it is for the better! As the national VET Regulator, ASQA's role is to ensure quality vocational education and training so that students, employers, the community and governments can have confidence in the integrity of training products issued by you as an RTO. We are already experiencing a range of changes in how RTOs are being regulated throu...

So, you've decided to launch an RTO.  This is a big journey to go on when you decide you want to start an RTO, and for those that are already in the training industry, you know how difficult it can be to maintain your ongoing compliance. Starting an RTO is not like most businesses, there is so much more involved with gaining your registration with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA...

Over the last 10 years we have experienced massive changes within the training industry. Since the inception of ASQA in 2011, we have experienced the highs and lows of regulation, including the pressure on RTOs with over regulation. The tides are changing, with ASQA taking a whole new approach to how we are regulated. This has been driven by the Joyce Report from 2019 (a Report on Strengthening th...

The current buzz within the training industry is, “Micro-Credentialling?”, “What is it and how will it affect my RTO? Micro-credentialling is about industry needs and how the training sector will respond to meeting those needs. Spurred on by the Joyce Report, delivered to government in March 2019, which included an independent review of Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) sector to...

In this episode I cover the process of moving your face to face training to online training.  With COVID came a lot of challenges to the Training Industry, including the need to transition training to online or remote, all this led to changes that impacted not only the training we deliver, but how we work now and into the future, where the workforce has changed forever. We really need to identify...

Most RTOs may know that they are non-compliant, but they just don’t know how non-compliant they are… ASQA have identified these 3 top non-compliances many times since their inception in 2011, with RTOs consistently failing to meet the requirements of the standards and putting their RTO at risk. In this episode Angela covers “The 3 Top Non-Compliances at ASQA Audit” , as identified by ASQA, and pro...

In this episode I explain what you need to have within your Training & Assessment Strategy (TAS) to ensure it is compliant with RTO standards. In our experience, this is the area that most training organisations are non-compliant.  But fear not: I can help you! I have addressed the five typical non-compliances and how you can ensure your TAS is compliant. In this episode you will learn: Why TA...

Time and again we have had RTO's who come to us, who are in a state of panic over managing their compliance and meeting the regulatory requirements.  In this episode Angela covers The Top 5 Mistakes RTO’s Make that are easily avoidable and provide strategies that you can implement within your RTO to ensure ongoing compliance. In this episode:   Learn the three main reasons where RTO’s go wron...

In this episode I’m going to give you a rundown on the 8 Critical Drivers you need to grow as an RTO. These are: quality & compliance, financial viability, marketing & sales, systems & practices, leadership & team, training products, students & clients, industry & networking.  There is so much to get through! But by the end of the episode you will be up to speed on the most...

It’s that time of year folks… time to get your annual declaration of compliance in! I’m going to talk to you about standards 2.1, 2.2, 8.4 and 8.6, and what you need to do to get up to date. Rest assured, this is much more than a simple box-ticking exercise. Did you know that ASQA investigate 5% of RTOs? If you’re one of those, you’ve got to make sure you’re ready. Even if you are not investigated...

In this episode, I discuss the impact of the VET Reform and how you can have your say in it, including the standards, quality issues and future workforce requirements. Also, how exactly is VET Reform going to affect you? VET Reform is the biggest thing to happen to the industry since we moved from state regulation to national regulation. Nowadays the government and the regulator have more teeth be...

The roles are reversed on this episode of RTO Superhero. This time it was up to me to answer some great questions from Paul Dunn, co-founder of B1G1 (Buy One Give One). It was awesome to have the opportunity to share my thoughts on the industry and exactly what drove me to be where I am today. I’ll also give you a heads up on some of the key reforms coming up in the RTO industry… listen up and mak...

Part two of my guide to auditing is REALLY going to make you ‘RTO audit ready’. Now you’ve heard my journey through the audit process in Part One, it’s time to drill down into some specifics. By the end of the episode you’ll have a long list of easily actionable tips to help you sail through your next RTO audit. Listen up and take notes!   In this episode you will learn: Why you need an ASQA deliv...

In this episode I will give you the benefit of my experience of over 400 ASQA RTO audits. As an RTO Consultant of many years, I’ve been around the block when it comes to audits and I’ve even conducted many audits on other people. But I wasn’t always an expert. In fact we all start off as novices at everything, right? Listen up as I go through my journey right from the beginning as a novice… there...

With unemployment at the highest rate for two decades, upskilling Australia’s workforce has never been more important. In what is potentially great news for our sector, the government has announced $1.5bn of funding for training via the JobTrainer Fund.  So what exactly do RTOs need to do to benefit from JobTrainer? Listen to this week’s episode to find out... In this episode you will learn: What...

Someone asked me a great question the other day: just how do you become an RTO superhero? So I thought I’d answer it for the benefit of all of you in this short episode, the first of our newly branded RTO Superhero Podcast.  In over 20 years in the VET sector, I’ve worked with a rich and diverse range of clients in almost every industry you could think of. How did they become RTO superheroes? List...

We are very excited to announce our new Podcast the RTO Superhero which will replace our Education in Isolation Podcast. We have had some great guests on our Education in Isolation Podcast, sharing with us how they have progressed through COVID 19, including the challenges they overcame during the pandemic and how they have adapted to the “new norm”. It is now time to move onto our new podcast, co...

We had a very enlightening conversation with Reay & Katie Mackay from aXcelerate, providers of a cloud-based student management systems, about how the current crisis is redefining education and training. Reay is the Managing Director with a particular passion for education and training, while Katie is the Sales Executive having previously specialised in onboarding and client engagement.  You c...

In this episode we will explore the challenges of moving from face-to-face to online training with Lachy Gray, MD of Yarno, providers of remote learning platforms. Lachy and his team help clients to upskill remote staff, so it was a great opportunity to pick his brains about how we can all adapt our training and onboarding during the current crisis. Could COVID be a great catalyst for how we do th...

In today’s Education in Isolation Podcast, I interview Marc Ratcliffe, CEO of MRWED Training and Assessment, and a multi-award-winning trainer, author and education entrepreneur.  Marc delivers Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and PD for Trainers and Assessors. When COVID hit, Marc was stuck in the US and has been there ever since, running his RTO from Minnesota.  Marc shares his views on...

In this episode, we get to learn about Richard Finlayson, his business, and how he and his team are adjusting to Covid. Richard is the Managing Director of Quality Training and Hospitality College and Hospitality Jobs in Australia. They have campuses in Adelaide, South Australia, and Sydney, New South Wales. They deliver hospitality training and management, and cookery classes. Richard shared the...