APRIL, 2018  VOL.

01

THE VET SECTOR

The Official Newsletter from Compliance and Quality Assurance (CAQA)

Our first newsletter IN THIS ISSUE

By Anna Haranas 
OUR FIRST NEWSLETTER
Welcome to The VET Sector, our official newsletter for
the Australian VET education and training sector.
This monthly publication is an initiative of the team at
Compliance And Quality Assurance (CAQA).
The newsletter will be a vehicle for news and views on the WHAT TRAINING AND
current vocational education and training issues. It will
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
cover some of the fundamental VET concepts, provide a
number of professional development opportunities and SHOULD INCLUDE?
we aim to support everyone who is involved in the
Australian vocational sector. 

HOW TO HANDLE STRESS

I look forward to hearing from you and your thoughts
regarding our VET sector.  AT AUDIT?
Write to me at info@caqa.com.au or call 1800 266 160.

Anna Haranas  “HOW GOOD ARE YOUR

General Manager  COMMUNICATION
Compliance and Quality Assurance (CAQA) 
SKILLS?”

2018 www.caqa.com,au All rights Reserved

APRIL, 2018  VOL. 01

"TASs are your roadmap to

deliver quality training and
assessment to your students."

• The pathway from (the course), the

pathway into (the course) and
employment pathways
• Relevant entry and exit points
• Industry consultation and how it has
contributed to changes
• Information about having sufficient

TRAINING AND trainers and assessors

ASSESSMENT • Information about sufficient

STRATEGY educational and support services to

meet the needs of the learner cohort/s
undertaking the training and
assessment
• Information about learning
What should our training resources to enable learners to meet
the requirements for each unit of
and assessment strategy competency, and which are accessible

include? to the learner regardless of location or

mode of delivery.
By Sukh Sandhu, Anna Haranas and Ben Thakkar 
• Information about sufficient
facilities, whether physical or virtual
A training and assessment strategy is a roadmap to
 how your RTO will deliver quality training and and equipment to accommodate and
assessment to your students. support the number of learners
It should be written in a clear, easy-to-follow and concise undertaking the training and
manner. assessment.
As a minimum you need to include the following
• Training plan covering the sequence
information:
• Qualification code and name and structure of training and
• The mode of delivery assessment delivery
• Characteristics of your learner cohort and explanation • The delivery arrangement including
how their training needs will be met types of assessment and teaching
• Explanation of how training and assessment will take
methods
place (when, what, how and where)
• Qualification packaging rules including elective and • Amount of training and AQF volume
core units of learning for each learner cohort
• Course aims and outcomes • Validation plan
• Entry requirements set by the training package • Licensing requirements
• Pre-requisite or co-requisite set by the training package
Would you like to check your TAS
• Admission requirements set by the RTO
• Explanation of how the special needs and requirements against this criteria?
of each learner will be addressed Download our TAS checklist, here. 
 APRIL, 2018  VOL. 01

How to handle stress at audit!

By Ben Thakkar

1. Be ready! Ask the auditor for a list of the items needed during the audit.

2. Have all information handy when, where, how, why

3. Follow directions
4. Listen carefully to the auditor
5. Ask for clarification if you do not understand
the question
6. Work with the auditor
7. Have realistic expectations
8. Be respectful, the Auditor has a job to do
9. Make sure you understand the framework
10. Have support staff or consultants available to
help you!

2018 www.caqa.com,au All rights Reserved

 APRIL, 2018  VOL. 01
“How good are your
communication skills?”
By Anna Haranas 
In order to be good trainers, we need to be good
communicators. The ability to communicate effectively is
important in relationships, education, and at work.
Here are some tips to remind you of good communication
skills.  Communication starts with building rapport with
the receiver, your students. Building rapport and
engaging with people takes practice and much of it is
based on intuition.  It’s about creating a bond, link,
connection, and understanding, in order to get your
students thinking, feeling, reacting, and involved: -  to the other person's words and ask for
Be approachable: a nice, friendly, open nature will make
you more approachable. Use the student’s name: take the
time to listen and remember people’s names and use them
in your interactions. People will appreciate you taking the
time to learn their name and its use shows they are
important to you
Stay upbeat: be known for your positive attitude and
willingness to help others.  and they practice good communication and
Communication is transmitting the correct message:
written words e.g. in presentations and student manuals,
nonverbal cues e.g. body language, and spoken words.
We need to practice good communication skills by;
2018 www.caqa.com,au All rights Reserved
Making eye contact -whether you are speaking or
listening, looking into the eyes of the
person/people can make the interaction more
successful. 
Using gestures by including your hands and face
in face-to-face communications -using smaller
gestures for individuals and small groups, with
gestures getting larger with larger groups. 
Be aware of what your body is saying -an open
stance with arms relaxed at your sides indicates
that you are approachable and open to questions
or hearing what people have to say. 
Develop effective listening skills -one must listen
clarifications or summarise back to them the
important points, as you understand them. Avoid
the impulse to listen only to the end of their
sentence so that you can get out the ideas or
memories in your mind while the other person is
speaking. 
Excellent trainers have an extensive knowledge
and skill base, they take the time to build rapport,
listening skills. If you want to be an expert
trainer, you need to be effective at all points in
the communication process.                             
 HAVE YOU READ THIS? IF SO WHY NOT SAVE
A COPY IN YOUR TRAINER FILE AS EVIDENCE
OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
APRIL, 2018  VOL. 01
VET
Updates from the
Australian Skills Quality
Authority
By Sukh Sandhu, Anna Haranas and Ben Thakkar 
ASQA's updated statement on TAFE SA (RTO 41026) 
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has
announced that it will revoke its 1 December 2017
regulatory decision to suspend ten qualifications from the
registration of TAFE SA (RTO ID 41026). ASQA has today
issued TAFE SA with a written direction to rectify minor
outstanding non-compliances in relation to its delivery of
vocational education and training.
For more information https://www.asqa.gov.au/news-
publications/news/updated-statement-tafe-sa-rto-41026 
Upcoming events
If you have not booked your training session yet, you still
have time. ASQA is running a number of face-to-face and
online briefings during May and June. 
For more Information, please
visit https://www.asqa.gov.au/news-publications/events
NVCER News
Improving the VET Student outcomes
VET student outcomes can be improved if training
providers take a more regional approach to their
course offerings and institutional learning
support. Improving participation and success in
VET for disadvantaged learners shows that VET
providers who focus more on immediate regional
needs can also help improve opportunities for
disadvantaged Australians and their communities.
The report presents three main areas for training
providers to consider when developing a
successful regional approach, drawn from thirteen
case studies where both participation and
completion rates were high for disadvantaged
learners.
The findings from this report have been included
in another new release, From school to VET:
choices, experiences, and outcomes, which brings
together recent research and data to highlight the
often complex issues school students face when
transitioning into the VET system.
For more Information, please
visit https://www.ncver.edu.au/about/news-and-
events/media-releases/regional-approach-to-vet-
may-improve-student-outcomes
Other Events and News
Professional Development Events by ACPET 
https://www.acpet.edu.au/services/professional-
development/upcoming-pd-events/
Message from the AISC Chair - April
2018 https://www.aisc.net.au/hub/message-aisc-
chair-april-2018 
Copyright: changes to the Statutory Education
Licence https://www.asqa.gov.au/news-
publications/news/copyright-changes-statutory-
education-licence
2018 www.caqa.com,au All rights Reserved
 A COMPLIANCE AND QUALITY
ASSURANCE INITIATIVE

1800 266 160  

www.caqa.com.au

2/10 Lawn Court, Craigieburn, VIC 3061 

info@caqa.com.au