Purchasing Vocational Education and Training

Context

Schools have primary responsibility for the delivery of curriculum for their students.

Schools may choose to purchase the VET qualification and/or units of competency that are 'fit for purpose', have local industry recognition, and are age appropriate for school students to undertake within a senior secondary or foundation secondary certificate.

Government schools may choose a VET qualification or units of competency that make up the VET qualification from a range of RTOs for a nominated group of students.

There are various reasons why schools would purchase a VET qualification and/or units of competency, including:

• the school is not registered to deliver the VET qualification and/or units of competency – the school is not an RTO, or the school is an RTO but does not have the VET qualification and/or units of competency listed on their scope of registration
• teachers do not have sufficient training experience or qualifications to deliver the VET qualification and/or units of competency as required under standards required by VRQA or ASQA
• the school does not have the industry standard facilities and equipment to conduct the training under standards required by VRQA or ASQA

It is important for all schools to ensure that they continue to meet their responsibilities and accountabilities in accordance with Department policy when purchasing VET qualifications and/or units of competency from RTOs.

Delivery of VET by an RTO

Schools can enter into a purchase arrangement with an RTO on a ‘fee for service’ basis for the RTO to directly deliver the training and assessment of the VET qualification and/or units of competency to secondary students.

The RTOs can deliver the VET in a number of different settings:

• at the RTO site
• in the school or Trade Training Centre (TTC) or Trade Skills Centre (TSC)
• a combination of the above.

In some circumstances, schools can work collaboratively to develop partnership arrangements where they cluster for the purchasing of VET qualifications and/or units of competency from RTOs.

Auspice arrangements

In auspicing arrangements, the training and assessment of the VET qualification and/or units of competency are delivered by the school under the supervision of an RTO. The RTO is responsible for the issuing of qualifications and/or the ‘statement of attainment’, and must ensure that the school’s training and assessment meets the requirements of VRQA or ASQA.

Before establishing an auspicing arrangement, schools should consider if they can and want the VET qualification and/or units of competency to be delivered on their premises. It will be important to consider if the school’s premises meet the requirements for the delivery of the relevant certificate and that the RTO is able to auspice the VET qualification and/or units of competency. The RTO may assist in this regard by auditing school staff and facilities to consider opportunities for auspicing of identified units of competency.

Where an RTO auspices the school’s delivery of the VET qualification and/or units of competency, the teachers in the school who will deliver the program must have all of the following:

• hold either registration as a teacher or permission to teach (PTT) with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (refer to the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic))
• hold Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122) or an approved equivalent
• have the relevant vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered or assessed (unless the assessor requirements specify other requirements).
• can demonstrate current industry skills directly relevant to the training/assessment being undertaken and
• continue to develop their VET knowledge and skills as well as their industry currency and trainer/assessor competence (see Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations Section 15.4 and Australian Quality Training Framework – Essential Conditions and Standards for Continuing Registration Section 1.4).

Where staff are engaged in providing services at a school and are absent due to unforeseen circumstances, replacement staff must be found that satisfy the criteria listed above. If such replacement staff satisfy the above criteria but not the requirement to hold either registration as a teacher or PTT with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, the replacement staff can be utilised if they are supervised by a VIT registered teacher.

An auspice arrangement can:

• provide sustainable delivery of the VET qualification and/or units of competency in a school’s curriculum, with the teacher delivering within the school’s existing timetable structure
• provide the opportunity to exchange ideas and agree to share expertise, effort, equipment, costs and resources for mutual benefit
• allow schools to host and deliver to students from other schools in their auspiced VET qualification and/or units of competency.

Permission to teach and VET

The Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) has developed a category of PTT designated for VET trainers. For more information on PTT, including PTT (VET), visit the VIT website: Permission to teach.

Written agreements

All government schools entering into direct arrangements with RTOs must have a valid, signed contract. There are 4 contracts and agreement templates that schools must use for the purchase of the VET qualification and/or units of competency.

The 4 types of templates are:

1. Standard VET purchasing contract
2. School to government school-based RTO VET purchasing agreement
3. Standard VET auspicing contract
4. School to auspicing school VET access agreement.

The contracts and agreements for use by schools are available on the Resources tab.

If a government school wishes to access VET through a non-government school that is not an RTO, the parties should enter a suitable agreement. Schools can contact the Legal Division by emailing legal.services@education.vic.gov.au to review the proposed agreement prior to entering into any arrangement with a non-government school.

1. Standard VET purchasing contract

Schools must use this contract when they purchase VET from an RTO (other than a government school-based RTO) where the training will be delivered and assessed by the RTO’s staff, irrespective of the delivery location. This includes non-government school-based RTOs.

If the delivery is on another government school’s grounds (a ‘host school’), schools must:

• insert the host school’s details in the Contract Details section of the contract to indicate delivery site
• ensure the host school also has a current Standard VET purchasing contract with the RTO.

2. School to government school-based RTO VET purchasing agreement

Schools must use this agreement when they purchase VET from a government school-based RTO. For purchasing from non-government school-based RTOs, use the Standard VET purchasing contract.

3. Standard VET auspicing contract

Schools must use this contract when they purchase VET from an RTO where the training will be delivered and assessed at the school by the school’s own staff under the supervision of the RTO (an ‘auspicing’ arrangement).

4. School to auspicing school VET access agreement

Schools must use this agreement when they purchase VET that is delivered by the staff of another government school under an auspicing arrangement with an RTO.

Schools must ensure the host school has a current Standard VET auspicing contract with the RTO.