The Australian Skills and Quality Authority’s Annual Report for the 2020–21 financial year has been tabled in the Australian Parliament. A record of ASQA’s activities and performance for the preceding financial year is contained inside this report, which is available online.
The Australian Government continues to provide nationally consistent, risk-based regulation of vocational education and training (VET) in 2020–21, with the goal of contributing to an informed, high-quality VET sector that serves the needs of the country.
ASQA mentioned that they would like to maintain their regulatory focus despite working through a comprehensive agency reform program, undergoing an audit by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key highlights and comparison to the previous year
- ASQA established a new regulatory operating model:
- Implemented 8 Rapid Review recommendations and commenced work on a further 13
- Implemented key changes to performance assessment (audit) methodology
- Established separate teams responsible for performance assessment, and managing findings of non-compliance
- Introduced agreements to rectify
- Established internal review team
- Introduced new internal quality assurance activities
- Improved data and intelligence reports
- Completed 937 audits (54% of completed audits identified non-compliance) and accredited 112 courses
- ASQA issued 45 sanctions to suspend a provider’s registration. 5 Sanctions to amend scope of registration and 16 sanctions to cancel the registration in full.
- The Administrative Appeals Tribunal affirmed almost 80% of the matters that proceeded to a hearing and a decision.
- The Commonwealth Director of Public Proceducations (CDPP) on behalf of ASQA undertook three (3) criminal prosecutions.
- Managed a 52% increase in provider registration applications, 238 new provider registrations, 213 registration renewals (with a 13% rejection rate) and 6136 applications for change in scope of registration.
- ASQA conducted 23 targeted audits of training providers delivering and assessing the Training and Education Training Package or AVI50419. Of these, 19 have been closed and completed and 8 were found compliant at audit, 11 have been identified as non-compliant, of these, 3 were found compliant after rectification and 6 were found non-compliant at the time of assessment and were not offered rectification and 2 were found non-compliant after rectification.
- ASQA received 881 complaints, 610 reports related to non-compliance with the majority 54% in the category ‘training, assessment or study support’ and the main source was students with 42%.
- Initial applications for registrations increased to 57% from 54% (2019-2020 period) and 36% (2018-2019 period).
You can read more at www.asqa.gov.au/
