Many RTOs have cancelled face-to-face classes, including practical and work-based training, to comply with social distancing requirements to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Emergency remote training:
To ensure continuity of services RTOs have the option of using remote teaching solutions to deliver classes that would otherwise be provided face-to-face or adjusting their delivery models to blended or mixed mode in the interim with the intent of returning to the usual format once the COVID-19 crisis is over. The purpose of emergency remote training is not to reinvent your training and assessment strategies and practices but to rapidly deploy access for your students to training and support reliably during the coronavirus pandemic.
In deciding whether to live stream your classes or pre-record them and make them accessible for your students online you should consider the following:
- Do your students have access to the right IT infrastructure? Not everyone has the right hardware or sufficient bandwidth. Those that do might struggle with limitations of data caps.
- Are all your student cohorts computer literate?
- Does your RTO have suitable resources to deliver training in this way? You may need to convert supplementary resources e.g. class handouts to digital formats.
- Set clear expectations for trainers and assessors in preparing for and conducting livestreaming classes and encourage them to do the same with their students to ensure a quality learning experience. Consider implementing a web conferencing policy for your RTO.
- Ensure you have provided targeted professional development for you trainers and assessors in using your RTO’s selected web conferencing tools for their remote classes. As with any other technology, your staff and students have to learn how to use it competently. Your RTO needs to ensure you have the right support mechanisms in place to ensure technical issues are addressed promptly and professionally as they arise.
Adjustments to training and assessment strategies:
It is important for RTOs to document all adjustments made to the courses you offer during the pandemic. ASQA have advised that RTOs must maintain records for individual students regarding why they may have not attended scheduled classes. This is particularly important if you have international students. This will ensure you can justify decisions and actions taken during your response to the coronavirus pandemic should a regulator or licensing authority require this information in the future. While it may not be feasible to amend all your RTOs training and assessment strategies while you are dealing with the crisis, you should at a minimum keep a register of adjustments made to courses such as:
- Change of delivery modes e.g. classroom based to mixed mode
- Re-sequencing delivery of units or components of units e.g. bringing theory classes forward
- Delaying practical assessment and work placement
- Delaying delivery of courses where adjustments to delivery are not possible
EDministrate has a free template here that RTOs can use to record adjustments make to training and assessment strategies during the pandemic. Where assessment cannot be undertaken due to the delaying of certain components of delivery your RTO should have mechanisms in place to track and monitor your students partial completion of the training and assessment. This could include the assigning of “interim” results that indicate they are yet to complete assessment. This will ensure you can report accurately on your training activity during this crisis and plan to finalise outstanding training and assessment in the near future.
Regulatory requirements:
AQSA have advised that any changes RTOs make during this period to training and assessment must maintain the integrity of the specific training package requirements. Therefore, you must continue to ensure you comply with all the requirements including assessment conditions for each unit of competency delivered prior to issuing the final result. Some SSO’s and accreditation bodies have provided guidance for permissible adjustments for specific training products such as:
- SkillsIQ for First Aid Training
- PWC’s Skills for Australia for TAE delivery
- ANMAC for Nursing
RTOs who continue to deliver critical courses during the pandemic should reinforce to students and employers the additional hygiene measures you have implemented to minimise the risk of infection.
The COAG Skills Council in its meeting on 3 April also agreed to meet regularly to enable short-term and urgent adjustments to be rapidly made to the qualifications and training package requirements to support critical training delivery. RTOs should monitor any announcements made regarding these adjustments.
ASQA has released a temporary changes notification form that your RTO is required to submit to notify of temporary changes to locations of your delivery, temporary cessation of all or part of your operations, or adjustments to delivery modes or methods. This requirement also applies to any delivery you have off-shore or conducted by third parties. A guide for CRICOS registered RTOs to assist with understanding provider default obligations under the ESOS act has been developed by the National Regulator.