Purchasing Vocational Education and Training

On 14 July 2008, the Children’s Services and Education Legislation Amendment (Anaphylaxis Management) Act 2008 (Vic) came into effect amending the Children’s Services Act 1996 (Vic) and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) requiring that all licensed children’s services and schools have an anaphylaxis management policy in place. From more information, refer to: Anaphylaxis.

ASQA(opens in a new window) is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector. ASQA regulates courses and training providers to ensure nationally approved quality standards are met. ASQA has the authority to investigate formal complaints that allege training organisations are breaching, or have breached, the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth) and/or its associated legislative instruments.

The Disability Action Plan 2023-2027(opens in a new window) outlines a wide range of strategies and actions that celebrate and recognise diversity and the achievements and contributions of people with disabilities in our economy and communities.

Schools must have a contract with each organisation providing education, training or assessment on its behalf, including education, training or assessment delivered by a school on behalf of an RTO, and keep a register of these agreements. Template agreements have been developed for use by government schools and are available at the top of this page.

The Disability Standards for Education(opens in a new window) clarify the obligations of education and training providers and seek to ensure that students with disability can access and participate in education on the same basis as other students. The Standards were formulated under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and came into effect in August 2005.

The department provides a range of policies, programs and resources for schools to support the delivery of high quality schooling for all students, including students with disabilities. These resources may be provided in the Student Resource Package, through student support services including psychologists, social workers, youth workers, speech pathologists and visiting teachers or through specific early identification and intervention programs. The PSD is one such form of provision available to schools. For more information, refer to: PSD guidelines(opens in a new window).

Guidelines are available for schools and stakeholders outlining the roles and responsibilities in relation to School-based apprenticeship and traineeship (SBATs)(opens in a new window). This general resource could be used to inform and support students about the option of undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship as part of their school program.

The Standards(opens in a new window) are used by Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) as an instrument in protecting the interests of all students undertaking VET in Australia. The Standards guide nationally consistent, high-quality training and assessment services in the VET system.

A users’ guide to the Standards(opens in a new window) for RTOs 2015 is also available.

Structured workplace learning (SWL) is on-the-job training during which a student is expected to master a set of skills or competencies, related to a course accredited by the VRQA or ASQA and undertaken as part of either the VCE or VCE including the VCE Vocational Major.

The department has developed the SWL statewide portal(opens in a new window), a website which provides students and teachers with a single, easy to navigate, information and referral point for SWL opportunities offered by a diverse range of employers. Searching on the portal can be done by location, industry or VET certificate.

VET qualification and/or units of competency are considered standard curriculum, therefore government schools must provide VET tuition free of charge. This is a reference for Victorian government schools. For more information, refer to: SRP guide – Reference 143(opens in a new window).

This publication is an all-inclusive guide for principals, teachers and administrators(opens in a new window) outlining the rules, regulations and policies governing the delivery of the VCE and VCE including the Vocational Major. The handbook is updated every year and is published by the VCAA.

VCE VET programs(opens in a new window) are vocational training programs approved by the VCAA following consultation with schools, industry and training providers. VCE VET Programs lead to nationally recognised qualifications, thereby offering students the opportunity to gain the VCE and a VET qualification.

Selected VCE VET programs have a study score component based on the designated Units 3 and 4 sequence of their program. For scored VCE VET Programs, the study score is calculated using assessments of each student’s levels of performance. For more information, refer to: VCE VET scored assessments(opens in a new window)

The VCAA is an independent statutory body responsible to the Victorian Minister for Education, serving both government and non-government schools.

The mission of the VCAA is to provide high quality curriculum, assessment and reporting that enables individual lifelong learning.

The Victorian Institute of Teaching(opens in a new window) is a statutory authority for the regulation of the teaching profession in Victoria established by the Victorian Institute of Teaching Act 2001 (Vic).

The VRQA(opens in a new window) is the statutory authority responsible for ensuring that employers of apprentices and trainees and providers of education and training (including course and qualification owners) meet quality standards, and that information is readily available to support informed choice in education and training.

The VRQA:

• registers certain education and training providers and awarding bodies
• registers certain qualifications and accredits courses
• registers children for home schooling(opens in a new window) in Victoria
• regulates apprenticeships and traineeships(opens in a new window) in Victoria.
• may investigate complaints with respect to registration standards of providers of education and training.

VRQA guidelines for VET providers

The VRQA has developed the VRQA Guidelines for VET providers(opens in a new window) to strengthen the quality of VET in Victoria.

VET(opens in a new window) is a key component of the Victorian government’s strategy to increase student retention, improve year 12 or equivalent completion rates, and address skill shortages by providing options for all students.

VET for secondary school students comprises nationally recognised certificates undertaken by Victorian students which can contribute towards the completion of a senior secondary certificate through either the VCE or the VCE Vocational Major.

Students can undertake workplace learning(opens in a new window) through work experience, structured workplace learning (SWL), a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SBAT) or school community work (volunteering work).