RTO Standards 2015 Clauses 1.26-1.27 Manage transitions from superseded training products
With a number of qualifications currently going through transitions and teach out, it is important that you understand what this means for your students and what implications may arise if this is not properly managed. Your RTO should be communicating with you at all stages of the teach out period if you are in a partnership agreement.
There are a few terms to be familiar with:
- Superseded: where a training product i.e. qual, UoC, skill set has had a version upgrade e.g. TAE40116 to TAE40122. This is normally as a result of industry needs changing so that the current version is aligned to current industry practices. Generally speaking, most quals have a life-span of around 5-7 years max but it depends on the industry as some progress much quicker than others. There is no hard and fast rule.
- Removed or Deleted: this is where a product’s life has been completed and has not been superseded by a newer product. It may be because industry has identified that there is no longer sufficient demand for a qualification to justify it being maintained and listed on TGA. E.g. AGF10107 Certificate I in Agri-Food
- Teach Out: as products are superseded or deleted/removed, different teach out stages or completion due dates apply depending on the product. Qualifications have a longer teach out timeframe than a single unit of competency. No student assessment work can be acknowledged once the teach-out date has passed including time for resulting and issuance. The teach out time may also be extended in some cases but this request must come from RTOs or Industry Groups (not schools or students).
- Transition: this is where students are moved from the superseded qualification into the updated version of the qualification prior teach out time. E.g. ICT20115 to ICT20120. This requires a well organised approach by the RTO and the pathway clearly defined to allow any applicable CTs or gap assessments to be undertaken.
Refer to the TAC Fact Sheet for the table on teach out period based on different products.
So how does this effect VET in Schools?
E.G. If you commenced the qualification ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies, the RTO had until 12 April 2023 to complete all training and assessment, resulting and issuance of any testamurs due. This course was superseded by ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Studies 12 April 2021 - the 2 years teach out period applied. You can commence training in a superseded qualification but you must have a clear and defined pathway to a completed teach out or transition to the current qualification.
Therefore, it is important that you stay up to date with your qualification life-spans especially when they have been superseded or contain superseded UoCs within the qual. There is nothing an RTO can do to assist any student assessment submitted on or past the teach out date. Keep full communication channels open with your RTO so that your students are not disadvantaged.
Refer to the full list of Teach Out dates by qualification using the ASQA link below:
