The re gulator for the vocational education and training (VET) sector, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (AS QA), has been criticised by Andrew Laming MP in a hard -hitting speech to parliament. According to the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (I TECA), the peak body representing independent providers in the higher education, vocational education and training sector, the v iews of Mr Laming echo those of most quality independent providers in the VET sector.
Mr Lam ing 's speech canvassed the experience of many providers in dealing with ASQA. It highlighted how award -winning RTOs are being accu sed of failing to meet regulatory standards for min or technical bre aches of the l egislation or on matters that have no bearing on student quality such as the colo ur of a logo on a website.
ITECA encour ages all with an interest in t he challenges facing quality RTO 's to list en to the speech. It was made in parliament on 31 July 2019 and can be found online at.
www. youtu.be/bNnwn5gY8OM "The experience of many ITECA members can be found in Mr Lami ng's comments. He 's drawn attent ion to how ASQA 's app roach keeps good people running quality RTO s up at night," said Troy Williams, ITECA Chief Ex ecutive.
Mr Lam ing 's speech h ighlighted how many quality RTO 's face the wrath of ASQA for compliance issues that ha ve little to no outcome on the provision of quality providing of training to s tudents.
"ITECA isn 't calling for the regulatory system t o be wound -back, s imply that the approach of ASQA be modified to focus less on what Mr Lam ing c orre ctly called a dmi nistrivia," Mr Williams said.
In his comments Mr Laming said "Ever y provider I spo ke to said that if there were to be another provider engaged in fraud, mismanagement or irrespo nsible training practice of course they should be driven from the training system ". ITECA supports this view without qualification.
The work of ASQA was consider ed in the report Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia's Vocationa l Education and Training System autho red by Mr Stephen Jo yce and commi ssioned by the Australian Government. ITECA believes this report sets a roadmap for reform that will help quality RT Os.
"ITECA and our members are supportive of the board direction set out in the Joyce report and we 're comfo rted by the en gagement that we 've had at a Ministerial and department al l eve l to assist the government develop an appropr iate response," Mr Williams sa id.
