With the end of the year fast approaching it is important that RTO’s have processes in place that ensures housekeeping for key activities conducted in 2020 is completed. Have staff check these tasks off before they take their leave so they can return to work at the beginning of next year well prepared. We have created a free end of year checklist you can download here to help you wrap up this year effectively!

Review training and assessment strategies:

The end of the year is an ideal time to review your TAS’s and evaluate their effective implementation in 2020. The outcomes of your reviews will inform you as to what improvements and changes you need to make for next year and subsequent intakes of students. You should ensure you have a TAS in place for each training product on scope and unique student cohort. RTOs should consider any recent changes to specific training packages; industry technology and techniques or legislation when determining if a TAS needs updating. Your RTO should also update TAS’s at this point to reflect any staff changes e.g. matrix so they are reflective of what is planned to occur in the delivery for 2021. It is important for RTOs to ensure they maintain comprehensive records of reviews and appropriate version control of each TAS for self-assurance purposes.

Undertake course reviews:

RTOs should have processes in place to review courses at least annually and analyse data from enrolments; surveys; feedback; complaints and validation to effectively monitor the quality of your training and assessment. Involving trainers and assessors in your monitoring processes at the end of the year is an effective way of reviewing training and assessment strategies and practices. Allowing staff to reflect on how courses were delivered in 2020 will help you determine how well your RTO performed and if you need to make any significant changes to processes for next year. Ensure that you use AVETMISS data such as completion rates and student outcomes to get an insight on how your RTO can improve practices, systems and processes. Also use feedback obtained from students and employers throughout the year to identify if you met their expectations. You can also refer to outcomes of validation activities and internal audits to determine if specific courses have areas of concern that need addressing.

Update trainer and assessor files:

If trainers and assessors haven’t had the chance to update their staff profiles as they were undertaking currency activities during the year then it is critical they provide evidence for their files before going on leave. Managers should have a process in place for confirming trainer and assessor records are up to date and compliant at the end of each year.