Elevate Your RTO: Get Ready for the Revised Standards!
The revised (draft) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) aim to streamline compliance, enhance training quality, and improve student outcomes. These draft Standards represent a proactive approach, setting the benchmark for best-practice in RTO business models.
So, what is different:
✅ Shift in focus – A shift from compliance processes to a more flexible, outcomes-focused approach.
✅ Student support – A student-centred focus on identifying and supporting learner needs, wellbeing, creating culturally safe environments for First Nations people and promoting inclusion.
✅ Industry engagement – RTOs are expected to have ongoing industry engagement and actively incorporate industry insights into training and assessment, to ensure the students learning reflects current industry needs.
✅ Governance and leadership – More explicit requirements regarding leadership and accountability, risk management, and a stronger emphasis on continuous improvement and quality culture.
✅ Trainer and assessor requirements – Expanding the use of industry experts working under direction.
✅ Improved quality – Moving beyond periodic “tick-box” compliance check, to a focus on real skills for current jobs.
✅ Third Party arrangements – Clearer specifications about third party obligations and requirements for managing third party arrangements.
💡 What does this mean for RTOs?
The changes will modernise the operations of your RTO. This is a positive shift — it’s about putting the focus back where it belongs: on delivering great training and assessment that prepares learners for real jobs.
📢 The release of the revised Standards for RTOs is expected in mid-2025, but now is the time to start preparing! What can we do now?
➡️ Start reviewing your training and assessment practices — do they genuinely reflect current industry needs?
➡️ Consider how you identify and support learners – are you meeting individual learner needs?
➡️ Review your professional development processes — how do you ensure trainers stay current?
➡️ Engage with industry — stay current with what employers want.
➡️ Embrace continuous improvement — don’t just wait for audits.
➡️ Discuss as a team — how do we demonstrate quality outcomes for students and employers, not just compliance?
💬 Questions for discussion with your team:
What support do you need to adapt to these changes?
How do you think these changes will affect your day-to-day work?
What quality improvements can we start working on now?
Let’s work together to make sure we’re ready for these changes, not just to stay compliant, but to truly enhance what we do for our learners and industry partners. Harris Styles provides staff professional development (PD) on Preparing for the new Standards for RTOs, which can be tailored to be specifically relevant for your RTO. For more information on our PD workshops, please contact us at margaret@harrisstyles.com.au or call 0418 102 045.
