Skills Tasmania Endorsed Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Application Guidelines

Transcription

1 Skills Tasmania Endorsed Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Application Guidelines 1. Introduction The Skills Tasmania Endorsed Registered Training Organisation (RTO) system is designed to increase and assure the quality of government subsidised training for learners and employers in Tasmania. It is one part of a quality framework for RTOs that includes: ASQA registration; Selection criteria for subsidised programs and; Skills Tasmania Agreement (contract) compliance monitoring. Registration as a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO is the gateway for RTOs eligibility to apply for Skills Tasmania programs for the delivery of publicly subsidised training in Tasmania. Any eligible RTOs can apply to become a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO by submitting an application to Skills Tasmania. The Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO system will: Ensure that only RTOs with quality outcomes are contracted to deliver government subsidised training; Streamline the application process to access individual Skills Tasmania program subsidies and; Provide recognition of RTOs that deliver quality training in Tasmania. 2. Transition arrangements From 5 October 2013 Skills Tasmania will register all RTOs that hold a current Skills Tasmania Agreement as Provisional Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTOs. Full endorsement as a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO is required by current Skills Tasmania Agreement holders by 30 June 2014 in order to apply for Skills Tasmania program subsidies for RTOs who do not hold a current Skills Tasmania Agreement and who wish to apply for program subsidies must become a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO before applying for subsidies. If an RTO s application is successful, a Skills Tasmania Agreement will be issued. Skills Tasmania will assist RTOs with the application process to become registered as a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO upon request.

2 The table below shows the transition arrangements for registration as a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO: Skills Tasmania Agreement in place Currently receiving subsidies Endorsement status Yes Yes Provisional endorsement up to 30 June 2014 No No Full endorsement as a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO is required before applying for program subsidies and before entering into a Skills Tasmania Agreement. 3. Applying for endorsement RTOs must prepare and submit an application using the approved application form which is available at Applicants must make a declaration that the Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO guidelines have been read and understood before submitting the application. Applications must be submitted using the proper application form and must be submitted as a Microsoft Word or Rich Text File (RTF) document. No other format will be accepted. 4. Contact details All communication for the Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO must be directed to the Purchasing Officer Endorsed RTO by ing: Purchasing Officer Endorsed RTO Skills Tasmania rtoendorsement@skills.tas.gov.au 5. Application form When submitting an application to register as a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO applicants agree that: 1. Submitting an application to become a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO in accordance with this process does not guarantee subsidies under any program nor fully meet criteria for those programs. 2. Application forms will: a. be submitted using the application form provided by Skills Tasmania; b. be in English; c. include appropriate information in every field of the application, as above is not acceptable; d. have required documentation attached; and e. be in the prescribed file format.

3 3. Once an application has been submitted it cannot be altered. Applicants should carefully check all data entered into their application form and review it for accuracy and completeness before submission. Applications may be withdrawn and resubmitted. 6. Application assessment 1. All applications will be assessed to determine whether they are compliant with these guidelines. Non-compliant applications will be rejected or disqualified at Skills Tasmania s sole discretion. 2. Non-compliant applications include those where: the declaration in the application form has not been completed; questions have not been answered, pages are missing, or required documentation has not been attached; or Selection criteria are incomplete. 7. Correction and update of application If an applicant becomes aware that the application form it has submitted contains: 1. Errors or omissions; and/or 2. Circumstances have changed such that the application form is no longer correct, the most senior executive of the applicant (commonly the person who made the declaration with the application) must immediately advise Skills Tasmania in writing (refer section 3 above for contact information) providing details of the errors and/or omissions. The information provided by the applicant will be considered and the applicant will be informed as to whether it will be required to submit a new application. 8. Clarification of applications Skills Tasmania may seek clarification from an RTO if an application is unclear. However, allowing an RTO to provide clarification does not mean that RTOs can revise their original application. Any clarification sought, and the response received, will be fully documented by Skills Tasmania. 9. Skills Tasmania s requirements Skills Tasmania requires applicants to: 1. Declare any actual or potential conflict of interest by its officers or employees; 2. Declare whether it employs or engages the services of any person who has a duty to the Tasmanian Minister for Education and Skills as an adviser, consultant or employee; 3. Not offer any incentive to, or otherwise attempt to influence, any employee of Skills Tasmania involved in the assessment of applications at any time; 4. Have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to be a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO training provider; and 5. Have fully informed itself of all facts and conditions relating to this application process and the requirements to be a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO.

4 10. Ministerial Priorities for Training and Workforce Development When submitting an application form to become a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO, applicants should make themselves aware of the Ministerial Priorities for Training and Workforce Development These are available at: Applicant consent and authorisation 1. As a condition of submitting an application form to be a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO the Applicant agrees and grants its consent for: a. Skills Tasmania and any regulator who may have oversight of the operations and registration of the Applicant to exchange any information regarding the RTO s operations; and/or b. Skills Tasmania to disclose information to any other parties for the purpose of verification of the information provided by the Applicant (this includes but not limited to contacting any student or students). 2. By submitting an application to become a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO, the applicant authorises Skills Tasmania to seek information from any person or agency (whether State, Territory or the Commonwealth) to verify the bona fides, experience 1 and operational status of the Applicant. 3. If Skills Tasmania considers it necessary to have the consent and/or authorisation from the applicant separately in writing, the applicant must take all steps and execute all documents necessary to provide such consent and/or authorisation. 12. General Workplace Health & Safety requirements 1 The Applicant, if successful, must at all times, identify and exercise all necessary precautions for the health and safety of all persons including the Applicant s employees, subcontractors, subcontractor s employees, employees of the Principal and other persons who may be affected by the delivery of the Principal s Requirements. In this regard, the Applicant must at all times be aware of and discharge its obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 and all other Legislative Requirements. 2 The Applicant will inform itself of all workplace health and safety duties, Codes of Practice, policies, procedures or measures required under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012, any other Legislative Requirement and otherwise by the Principal and/or the occupiers of any premises at or within which the successful Applicant will perform the Principal s Requirements. The Applicant will comply with all such duties, Codes of Practice, policies, procedures or measures; and in the event of any inconsistency, will comply with such duties, Codes of Practice, policies, procedures or measures that produce the highest level of safety. The Applicant must comply with any and all directions by or on behalf of the Principal relating to workplace health and safety. 1 Solvency and registration status

5 13. Legislative compliance The RTO, if endorsed, must comply with and ensure that all of its employees, subcontractors and agents comply with the provisions of all Acts, Regulations, local laws and by-laws, Codes of Practice and the Principal s Health and Safety policy and procedures, which are in any way applicable to the Skills Tasmania Agreement or the delivery of the Principal s Requirements. 14. Eligibility and evaluation criteria 1. An applicant must be an RTO that is registered by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to deliver training in Tasmania. 2. Applications will be evaluated against the selection criteria outlined in the application. Applicants are required to demonstrate: 1. Regulatory record as an RTO; 2. Compliance with contractual obligations in delivering publicly subsidised training (where applicable); 3. History of training outcomes; 4. Learner and employer satisfaction and satisfactory graduate outcomes; 5. Engagement with industry and enterprises; and 6. Relevant qualifications held by trainers and assessors 15. Receipt of applications All applications will be acknowledged on receipt by Skills Tasmania by return within three (3) working days. If an acknowledgement is not received, the Applicant should Skills Tasmania at rtoendorsement@skills.tas.gov.au after that period to confirm the application was received. 16. Outcome of application 1. Skills Tasmania will notify each applicant in writing of the outcome of its Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO application within three (3) weeks provided the application received is complete and able to be assessed. Delays may occur in assessing applications in the first six months of operation. 2. If the RTO is successful in becoming a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO, the initial period of endorsement will be up until 31 December At the sole discretion of Skills Tasmania; RTOs may be rolled over into a Skills Tasmania Agreement as a fully endorsed RTO, provided quality outcomes are demonstrated throughout the monitoring for endorsement. 3. An applicant whose application is not successful will be notified in writing with a summary of the issues that led to the decision. 4. The decision to offer registration as a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO to an Applicant or any person is at Skills Tasmania s sole discretion. 17. Submitting further applications if endorsement is unsuccessful 1. Where an Applicant is advised that their application was unsuccessful it may submit another application after the expiration of three (3) months from the date of the initial

6 notification. Such further application must address the issues that led to the decision not to approve the first application. 2. Where an application is declined after submitting a second application, the applicant may not submit a further application until the expiration of the time specified by Skills Tasmania in the written notification of issues that led to that decision. Any exclusion period will be at Skills Tasmania s discretion and is not negotiable. 3. Skills Tasmania will assist RTOs, whose applications to become a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO are declined. Assistance will be in the form of VET professional development programs. 4. Any application submitted in contravention of this paragraph will not be considered by Skills Tasmania. 18. Cost of application The applicant is responsible for all its costs of preparing and submitting an application and all other costs of the applicant arising out of this application process. There is no fee levied on an applicant for submitting an application. 19. Monitoring of endorsement status Skills Tasmania and the RTO agree to undertake monitoring throughout the period of endorsement. The monitoring will determine the RTO s ability to retain endorsement status as a Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO and to enter into further Agreements with Skills Tasmania for the delivery of training. 20. Contract compliance monitoring In addition to Skills Tasmania monitoring Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO status, Skills Tasmania will also monitor RTOs compliance against their Skills Tasmania Agreement in accordance with clause 15 Compliance Monitoring (or 16, dependant on the version of the Skills Tasmania Agreement the RTO holds) which states: Skills Tasmania has the right to conduct any type of audit of the RTO and any organisation in a sub-contracting arrangement with the RTO for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of this contract or any preceding or subsequent contract.