General
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) General Direction - Learner transition requires RTOs to update the enrolment of students within 12 months (or 18 months in some circumstances) of a qualification being superseded. This requirement applies equally to apprentices and trainees as to other vocational students. The mapping from a superseded to an updated qualification is specified in a new Training Package or an updated version of the same Training Package.
RTOs have an obligation to notify Training Services NSW when they are updating the enrolment of an apprentice or trainee from the qualification specified on the training contract.
RTO Notifications
RTOs that will be updating the enrolment of apprentices and trainees should provide an email and/or spreadsheet to the local Training Services NSW regional office listing the names and TCIDs of the apprentices and trainees whose enrolment will be updated. The correspondence should also specify:
- the name and national code of the updated qualification in which the apprentices or trainees will be enrolled,
- the date on which the apprentices/trainees have been or will be enrolled in the updated qualification.
Although RTOs will need to gradually update Training Plans to reflect the change of qualification, they are not required to provide updated Training Plans at the time they notify Training Services NSW regarding an ASQA qualification rollover.
Large RTOs are requested to consolidate information advising Training Services NSW regarding ASQA qualification rollovers. Training Services NSW preference is to receive a single spreadsheet each semester setting out the names and TCIDs of all apprentices and trainees whose enrolment will be updated. A separate worksheet tabs should be used for each individual qualification.
RTOs may provide information about ASQA qualification rollovers directly to Training Services NSW. Alternatively this information may be relayed to Training Services NSW via an Apprenticeship Network Provider.
Technical Variations
When notified by an RTO that an apprentice or trainee is to be enrolled in an updated qualification, Training Services NSW must vary the apprenticeship or traineeship. Such variations may be processed as technical variations authorised by the Commissioner for Vocational Training under section 21A (2) of the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001. They do not require the consent of the parties to a National Training Contract.
Technical variations can only be approved where the training.gov.au website confirms that the proposed qualification supersedes the qualification currently specified on the National Training Contract/s.
Senior managers in Training Services NSW regional offices have delegated authority to approve technical variations on behalf of the Commissioner.