VET News

New Bill Gives Stronger Tools to ASQA to Act

National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No. 1) Bill 2024.

The NVETRA Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No.1) Bill 2024 has been passed in Parliament.  It gives stronger tools to the Australian Skills and Quality Authority (ASQA) to act against the minority of registered training organisations (RTOs) doing the wrong thing.

It amends the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (NVETR Act) to:

• enable the automatic lapsing of a Registered Training Organisation’s (RTO) registration where the RTO has not delivered training and/or assessments for 12 consecutive months from 1 January 2023
• prevent RTOs from changing the courses they are registered to deliver to students in the first 2 years of registration
• extend the period ASQA can conduct internal reviews of decisions when a review application is made by an RTO—from 90 to 120 days
• provide greater flexibility to ASQA in terms of how it prioritises initial applications for registration
• provide the Minister for Skills and Training with the power to determine, via a legislative instrument, a specified period where ASQA is not required to or must not accept or process initial applications for RTO registration
• expand offence and civil penalty provisions regarding false and misleading representations made by RTOs
• increase the penalty units specified under certain provisions of the NVETR Act
• make amendments designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of VET regulation.

The Minister for Skills and Training, Hon Brendan O'Connor, noted that "this legislation is the next step in our reforms to strengthen quality and integrity in VET – and there is more to come. There is no place for dodgy providers in the sector who take advantage of students and undermine the sector."

To read the Bill, see here: National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No. 1) Bill 2024.

To read the Bill summary and background information, see here.  

To read the Minister's media release, see: Legislation to crackdown on dodgy VET providers passes Parliament.

To read ASQA's statement, see: Bill to amend National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act passes parliament.

Date posted Mar 28, 2024