- [Eleze] Okay, thanks everybody. Welcome. My name's Eleze. I'm the Manager of Provider Market Access as part of the broader Training Services team. Welcome to our final formal onboarding program. I'm coming to you from the land of the Gomeroi people here in North West New South Wales and pay my respects to Elders past, present, and acknowledge any of our Aboriginal friends joining us today. Today's session is Managing Apprentices & Trainees. As per our usual process, please lodge any of your questions in the Q&A section and we will endeavour to answer them throughout the session as well as at the end if we have enough time. But without any further ado, please welcome Linda Jones, who's one of our Senior Project Officers to present today's session. Thank you, over to you, Linda. - [Linda] Thank you. Hi everybody, and thank you for being here today. I want to recognize the Ongoing Custodians of the lands and waterways where we work and live. We pay respect to Elders past and present as ongoing teachers of knowledge, song lines and stories. We strive to ensure every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learner in New South Wales achieves their potential through education. So what's the purpose of today's session? We are going to explain what does Training Services NSW do? What's the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act? What are Apprenticeships and Traineeships? What's a Training Plan for an apprenticeship or traineeship look like? What are the duties of a Registered Training Organization for an apprentice or trainee? And what are your obligations as an RTO under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act? As you can see by the contents, we've got a number of items that we're going to talk about today, everything from what we are, who we are, what we do to further support. So firstly, what does Training Services NSW do? We administer the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act. We also undertake workplace visits and monitor the progress of Training Contracts. We ensure all parties are meeting their obligations under the act. We provide support and assistance to employers and learners, and we ensure that they successfully complete any of their Training Contracts. We're also responsible for subsidized training under Smart and Skilled. We approve, vary and finalize Training Contracts, and we provide conciliation and mediation services. So the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act, what is it? So it's the legislative framework for the delivery of apprenticeships and traineeships in New South Wales. The legislation specifies the obligations of employers, learners, Registered Training Organizations, Apprenticeship Network Providers, and even Training Services NSW. It was published in 2001, or dare I say it was updated in 2001. It was previously a different act and then we reviewed it again in 2018. The Act is supported by various regulations as well as accompanying policies. So what's an Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act? So, sorry, apologies. What is an apprenticeship or traineeship? Apprenticeships and Traineeships combine on the job training with the employer and off the job training with a Registered Training Organizations such as yourself. So in New South Wales, apprenticeships and traineeship vocations are approved using a Vocational Training Order or what we call a VTO. We also publish this on our website, and within that VTO, it's actually linked to a Commissioner's Information Bulletin. Each Commissioner's Information Bulletin may contain multiple VTOs or Vocational Training Orders. As I said, it's on our New South Wales government website. Because it's really important to make sure that everybody is up to date with our VTOs, please make sure you have our website as one of your favorite links to make sure you are delivering the correct training package. Remembering again that a qualification is a formal certificate, and it's issued by you as the Registered Training Organization. It indicates that the learner has successfully completed an educational program to us, and qualifications are awarded to apprentices and trainees based on industry experience within specified combinations of units of competency. These need to meet the industry requirements and they may be elective units or core units. And they're assessed by demonstrating competence and skills and knowledge under workplace conditions. The learner must be able to demonstrate the requirements of that unit multiple times to be deemed competent. Vocational Training Orders also include the requirements for a qualification, the length of an apprenticeship or traineeship and it includes the probationary period. Next slide. So normally an apprenticeship is anywhere from three to four years. For a traineeship, the term is normally one to three years, and depending on the vocation, they could be part-time, full-time, or even a school-based apprentice or trainee. Not all apprentices and trainees are funded, but any funded apprenticeships or traineeships can be found on the Skills List. Okay, apologies, next slide please. How is an apprenticeship or traineeship approved in New South Wales? For an apprenticeship or traineeship to be legal in New South Wales, an employer and an apprentice or trainee must sign a Training Contract. It then comes to Training Services NSW to be approved. So how does this work? So an Apprenticeship Network Provider is contacted by the employer. They go out and they complete a Training Contract. A part of that is a Training Plan Proposal. Under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act, an employer and or a learner can select whichever training organization they would like. It could be a smart and skilled training provider or it may be a fee for service arrangement. The Training Plan Proposal is sent to the nominated Registered Training Organization for them to assign and agree to deliver the formal training. The Training Plan Proposal is then returned to the Apprenticeship Network Provider and that provider lodges that Training Contract to Training Services NSW. Where appropriate, the employer may also, sorry, the Apprenticeship Network Provider may also undertake the signup with an RTO at the time, and that's usually for a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship. Once the Training Contract is lodged with us, it's assessed by a delegated officer within Training Services NSW. An Apprenticeship Network Provider uses a Commonwealth system called ADAMS, which is the Apprenticeship Data Management System to lodge with us. So who's an apprenticeship training, sorry, Apprenticeship Network Provider in New South Wales? They actually are funded by the Commonwealth. They're under a contract and they're funded by Department of Education and Workplace Relations. You may know them as DEWR. ANPs help employers and learners to establish the apprenticeships, and they also assist them in applying for Commonwealth subsidies. At the moment there are four main ANPs within New South Wales. It's important to remember where Registered Training Organizations refer a signup to an Apprenticeship Network Provider. That Apprenticeship Network Provider must ensure the parties are aware of their obligations under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act, and they also must meet the eligibility criteria under our Act. And ANP has the right to refuse a signup where they find that the parties do not meet the eligibility. They may also refer the Registered Training Organization to contact the Customer Service and Operations team or even the relevant regional center for further advice. So what's a Training Contract? A Training Contract's a legally binding agreement between an employer and learner to undertake an Apprenticeship or Traineeship Act, sorry, traineeship. The trainee contract outlines what an apprenticeship or traineeship will be undertaken the nominal duration of the apprenticeship or traineeship and the qualification that will be undertaken. As I've said, it also indicate who the Registered Training Organization is that will deliver the training, and it also talks about the employment arrangements such as the award details, as well as it specifies specifically what the obligations are on the contract for the employer and the learner. So the Training Plan Proposal. So in New South Wales, a Training Plan Proposal's required to lodge a Training Contract. So it includes details of the learner, an employer, basically the same information that's on the Training Contract but in a smaller form such as the type of apprenticeship or traineeship, the vocational training ID, whether the learner is part-time, full-time, or school-based, the name of the vocation and qualification, start and end dates of the contract, and the nominated RTO, mode of delivery, and the proposed RTO commencement date. By signing and returning the Training Plan Proposal, the RTO confirms that they accept that they will deliver formal training and develop a full Training Plan in conjunction with the employer within 12 weeks of the approval of the Training Contract. The Training Plan Proposal is also used when we assess some of the Training Contracts. It's important to ensure that you put the start and end date of the training that the delivery will be undertaken by the learner. So what does the Training Plan Proposal look like? So the Training Plan Proposal, it's a great document, and it shows what the learner details are, the Training Contract details, and you can see by the highlighted area, we ask where the training is going to be delivered, the funding source, as well as the important part for you guys, which is 1.4, what your details are. You can see by the highlighted area, I've included information for the RTO start date and the estimated end date. It's really important to remember that training must be within the term of the Training Contract. You can see in Section 1.2, it provides you the start date of the Training Contract, and the start date, sorry, the end date of the Training Contract. If training isn't going to be completed within the term of the Training Contract, you need to negotiate term extensions with an employer and a learner. An employer does not need to agree to extend the term of a Training Contract. It's at their own agreement, remembering it's a mutual agreement. So what's the important part for you guys? The important part is the Training Plan as well. So what is a Training Plan? For us, it provides the details of the formal training and assessment that is being undertaken as a part of the apprenticeship. There's really important, a couple of important parts. Part 1 talks about the employer, learner, and the RTO details. Part 2 talks about the units of competency that the learner will be undertaking to meet their qualification requirements. There'll be core units and elective units. As a part of the Training Plan, all units that are required for the qualification to be deemed under ASQA requirements must be recorded. In Part 3 it talks about training materials and resources, facilities and supervision for that learner, what their requirements are to be able to complete that training. In Part 4, it's specifically for school-based apprenticeships and traineeships and it specifies the number of days the learner is required to attend their formal training, also, the number of days that they're required to complete under the Vocational Training Order. And Part 5 actually talks about the endorsement of the employer for the overall qualification. It's really important to ensure that you have your conversations with the employer throughout the term of a Training Contract to help them understand where the learner is up to with their training when you need to get endorsement from that employer for each unit of competency and for the overall qualification. Next slide. In preparing the Training Plan, you need to ensure you comply with the Vocational Training Order. We can, there's actually a Training Plan proforma on our website and you'll be able to find that in one of our slides that we provide later. The Training Plan's a live document. It's really important to remember that, it could change multiple times throughout the term of the Training Contract. Could change because perhaps the training package is being changed and you may need to vary the Training Plan so the learner can be deemed competent in the most up to date qualification. You must ensure that you talk to the employer and the learner to make sure the employer has the capacity to train in their business for the training package that they'll be undertaking. The Training Plan should be reviewed every six months, or when there's a change. As I've specified, there's a variation such as the training package has changed. You also must provide a copy of the signed document to the employer and the learner and to Training Services NSW when we request it. Next slide. So when is the Training Plan required? It must be developed in consultation with the employer and learner, and it must be within 12 weeks from the date on which the apprenticeship or traineeship is approved by Training Services NSW, unless it's determined under the Commissioner's Information Bulletin by Training Services NSW as being required prior to the approval. An example of this is a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship. That's a required completion before the Training Contract is lodged with us. It must be developed for all apprentices and trainees as per the Commissioner's- Sorry, by the approved commissioner proforma by which the format's on the website. Important thing to remember is that whether the person is actually funded under Smart and Skilled or whether they are fee for service, you still need to complete a Training Plan as an apprentice or trainee, and you must provide a Training Plan whether the Training Contract is being varied, such as an extension of term or a change in the vocation. Next slide please. So the development of the Training Plan. You must use the most recent version that's on our website of the Training Plan proforma. And when developing the Training Plan, the RTO, as you, must be satisfied that the employer has capacity as we discussed. So do they have the right facilities? Are they undertaking the right qualification? Should they be undertaking a different training package? Part of this may be what you talk to an employer about. If there are any issues relating to that, you should contact Training Services NSW so we can discuss further with the parties. So how would you know that they have the facilities? You might actually talk to them by phone, or you may even visit them on their premises. It's important to discuss the work that they're undertaking. If the employer is known to you, you may not need to do that because you know what the premises hold and what facilities that they actually have. The Training Plan must be individualized for that employer and learner. As an example, the UOCs, units of competency may be specific to that work site. You also must make sure you meet the training package requirements and issue the appropriate qualification. The Training Plan is used to support the workplace supervisor to understand where the training is up to for that apprentice or trainee. Next slide please. So school-based apprenticeships and traineeships. For school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, as I've mentioned previously, the Training Plan's actually created prior to the lodgement of the Training Contract or within a specific time, so as soon as possible after the commencement of employment. It's actually a complicated document because you need to develop it in conjunction with the employer, the learner, the parent, the school, and you have to meet any NESA requirements. That enables the learner to use that vocational education training to meet the HSC requirements. As I've said, it's a requirement to be lodged with the Training Contract. It's really important to make sure that you understand what's required in the Training Plan to be able to support these learners. In some cases, there's two training providers that are delivering training to a school-based apprentice or trainee. Usually RTO 1 is the training provider that issues the qualification, and RTO 2 is the training provider that may provide training in a vocational education and training setting such as the school. Next slide please. So updating your Training Plan, you must review the Training Plan every six months in consultation with the employer and learner. You must also indicate formal training and delivery for the overall qualification. It's important to get employer endorsement for each unit of competency to ensure the learner is at industry standard. Any amendments of the Training Plan should be recorded and supported by all parties to the Training Contract. The RTO should discuss the learner's progress with the employer and they should also discuss it with the learner of course, and provide that copy of the Training Plan to both parties. It's really important to seek regular endorsement from the employer. If something happens within the Training Contract term and the employer hasn't provided endorsement, the learner's progress can be affected. What does the Training Plan look like? So the front page of the Training Plan provides the information around the Training Plan itself, the obligations of the Registered Training Organization, as well as explaining the parts of the Training Plan and the obligations of the employer and the apprentice or trainee. In Part 1, just the same as the Training Plan Proposal, it provides the information of where the employer is, what the details are for the apprentice or trainee, where the training details are, whether it's a new entrant trainee, existing worker, or an apprentice, whether the learner's full-time or part-time. And in Section 1.4 it actually specifies the Registered Training Organization for, Registered Training Organization 1. You can see straight after there's RTO 2. So if it's not a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship that has two RTOs, you don't need to put any information for RTO 2 in Section 1.5. One of the important things that is recorded on this Training Plan is the requirement for a direct supervisor's name for regulated trades as well as the license number. This is normally provided by the Apprenticeship Network Provider. As an RTO, you may want to review that number but is not a requirement. We've provided a link further along in the presentation that will enable you to review those license numbers. It's important to remember that a contractor license allows individuals and companies or partnerships to contract and advertise to do work. This is not sufficient for them to supervise an apprentice or trainee that where there's a requirement under the Vocational Training Order for a regulated trade. A qualified supervisor certificate does allow an individual to supervise, or do the work described on that certificate and it allows them to supervise that apprentice. An endorsed contractor license is also issued to individuals who apply for a contractor license and who have the qualification and experience needed to be a qualified supervisor. This is also sufficient to supervise an apprentice. Our main concern is to ensure that apprentices are supervised by qualified licensed people as per the Vocational Training Order. Next slide. So in Part 2, the Training Plan requires that you list all the units of competency, the unit code, the type of delivery that's going to be undertaken, as well as the start and end dates. You can see that there's an indication of who's going to be responsible for the training as well and if the learner are part of an SBAT HSC program or requirement for the HSC. There's details around the assessment method, and that, as you can see, we've talked about competency and we'll talk a little bit further. The employer confirmation for the units of competency is required in the yellow section, and of course the date deemed competent by you as the RTO is required. In Part 3, this is the place that we have specified before where it talks about, well what support is required for that learner to be deemed competent in the workplace? What's the on-the-job training requirement and also any supporting documentation or materials that are needed for the learner to complete the qualification. For Part 4, this is specifically around the SBATs. So school-based apprenticeships and traineeships. You can see in Section 4.4 it talks about the on-the-job training days required. So for any learner it can be from 100 days to 180 days depending on the Vocational Training Order. Learners may start in Year 10, 11, and may even recommence in Year 12. We require how many days to be listed in each of those years, as well as post HSC so we can ensure that the learner's going to complete the required on-the-job days through the term of the Training Contract. You can see in 4.5 it also indicates, well which days the learner is going to be at work doing formal training for school. And the last part that's really important is 4.6. We actually need the employer, the apprentice, the RTO signature, the school representative, the regional representative, and the parent and or caregiver to sign the Training Plan. This is to ensure that everybody understands what the requirements and their obligations are under the school-based apprenticeship and traineeship. Next slide. So competency in an apprenticeship and traineeship. Now a learner must be able to apply their knowledge and skills to complete work activities in a range of environments. Must be measured against the standards that are required under the training package, which are usually specified by industry as well as SBAT. The learner must be able to undertake the role or task multiple times to be deemed competent. It's really important to remember that. Next slide please. So what do we believe competency is? Well, do they know how to do the job? Do they understand the workplace policies and procedures that relate to that job and those units of competency? Can they do that requirement in multiple areas? Can they deal with everyday problems that may occur due to an issue relating to that training requirement? Do they understand what they should be doing and why it should be done a specific way? Can they apply those skills consistently throughout the term of the training? And are they able to transfer those skills to different situations? Sorry, understanding the A&T Act, it's an RTO's obligation to confirm endorsement with the employer. Failure to do so may be considered an Event of Default against the Smart and Skilled contract and it can be referred to the Commissioner for investigation. Next slide. So employer endorsement, the employer representative or workplace supervisor is required to confirm that the learner is competent on the job by signing against the relevant unit of competency on the Training Plan. So it must occur before you as the RTO can deem that learner as being competent in that unit of competency. This also means that you as the RTO, cannot report that competency via Smart and Skilled eReporting data before you have employer endorsement. Please ensure that you follow those requirements. It can be considered an event of default against the Smart and Skilled contract and be referred to the commissioner for investigation if these requirements aren't followed. So one of the big things on the Training Plan is Part 5, the employer endorsement of the qualification. Overall, an employer needs to confirm that the learner is at industry standards for the qualification. This means they have to sign Part 5 of that Training Plan. By signing that part, they're actually saying that the learner is competent to industry standards and they can seek the completion of their apprenticeship or traineeship before the term ends. This is called a Competency-Based Completion or CBC. It's imperative that you get this endorsement as part of your contract. Again, it can be considered an event of default if you do not do so. There are too many implications around the completion of training, which may affect an apprentice or trainee or an employer if the qualification is issued prior to the learner being deemed competent by you and the employer endorsing it. What does Part 5 look like? So as I've said, it's really important that you discuss the progression of training with the employer. It's especially important that you as the RTO obtain that employer's endorsement. It's not the supervisor that can endorse the Part 5, it must be the employer. By endorsing that they're saying the learner is at industry standards, you can see by this Part 5, we talk about that the employer's confirming that they support the issue of the qualification by you as the RTO. They may be obligated to pay a higher rate of pay if the qualification is issued, that also the learner, employer, even, sorry, the learner or employer can seek a completion prior to the end of the term. As a part of that also, the department may issue a Competency-Based Completion letter and offer either both parties, so the employer and the learner to complete early. The important part down the bottom is where you are having trouble getting information from an employer to confirm the competency. We're expecting you to attempt to resolve this yourself. If you can't resolve that, you need to contact Training Services NSW to request assistance. I'll talk to you further about that, how you do that. So for Competency-Based Completion, when you issue the qualification, we may issue that letter. It could, the learner could be deemed competent, as in a Competency-Based Completion. And if the employer agrees, they may complete a number of months early. They also might turn around and ask us if they could select an alternate date, or even continue to the end of the Training Contract term. Each parties may express the same agreement or even have a different view about the competency date that they wish to select. What normally happens is that the employer and the learner may contact Training Services NSW and we attempt to negotiate an agreed completion date. It's really important that you explain what competency means to both the employer and the learner, or not just for the units of competency or each unit of competency, but also for the whole training qualification package. What happens if the employer or the learner doesn't agree to that? I specify that we've got information in this slide, which is that the RTO notification process can be followed by the training provider. So you're required under the act to notify us of any matter that may affect the successful completion of an apprenticeship or traineeship for which you are the nominated trainee provider. You need to let us know as soon as possible or within 21 days of the issue. So is the learner not attending class? Is the learner failing? What happens if the learner doesn't or won't finish before the end of the term of the Training Contract? If the learner also may change employers, if the employer's not releasing the learner to attend class, if the learner is on extended sick leave or workers' compensation, or if the employer won't respond to you or any of your communication around the training of that apprentice or trainee. There's actually a form on our website which will be provided as a link in one of our slides. Training Services NSW are required to provide feedback to you once you've notified us of an issue. We investigate the matter and we provide that feedback in writing. Next slide. So one of the things you may come across is contract changes. So what does that mean? Anytime the contract is changed, such as the employment, they could go from part-time or full-time or vice versa. They may change the qualification or the vocation, may require a term extension and they may change their RTO or even they change the delivery mode. Another variation could be that they change statuses such as a suspension, a cancellation, or a transfer to a new employer. The forms related to this are on our website and we've provided a link It's really an important thing to remember that under the Act for any changes, it has to be a mutual agreement from both the employer and the learner. So if one party doesn't agree, we as Training Services NSW will contact the other party to try and resolve the issue and get their agreement. Next slide. So technical variations. When notified by you as the RTO that the learner is being enrolled or transitioned into a brand new qualification, maybe the old qualification has been superseded. We have a process called a technical variation. We have a form on our website and it is specifically for equivalent qualifications where under the Act, we have the ability to vary the Training Contract which relates to the qualification. So what normally happens is you complete the form and you lodge it to your local Training Services NSW regional office. You are required to provide the TCIDs of the affected learners, the qualification and the effective date that the learners are being enrolled in that qualification. What will happen is that the regional office will process those variations, and they will advise you once that is done. Variations for non-equivalent qualifications must be submitted with a variation form signed by both parties along with an amended Training Plan. So in some cases the training packages are released by ASQA as being non-equivalent. And that means that we need to ensure that the learner has the ability to complete the Training Contract before the end of the term. If you have any questions around this process, we have information on our Training Services NSW website, and you can also contact your local regional center or have a conversation with your SRM. So the duties of you as an RTO, as you are aware, you need to report training every 28 days for each learner. The training activity cannot be reported without an approved Training Contract. This means you must collect and maintain records in connection with your obligations and as well as meet the requirements by ASQA for the RTO standards and the Smart and Skilled contract terms and conditions. It's really important to ensure that you maintain your registration with ASQA and you ensure that approved qualifications remain within the scope of registration for the delivery of that training to learners in New South Wales. Next slide please. Oh, there's one thing that I wanted to remember to remind you of today that you may also have fee for service apprentices or trainees. In this case, there is an ability in STS Online for you to report to us that the learner has completed. The part of the portal is called the Completions Portal and you may be able to lodge that training, that successful training for that qualification in that portal. It's really important to remember this is only for fee for service learners and not for Smart and Skilled learners, and it's only for apprentices and trainees. So fees. Trainees and apprentices in New South Wales are currently fee free until the 30th of June, 2024. Please ensure you review the Smart and Skilled Fee Policy 'cause it outlines instances where there may be incidental expenses related to the delivery of training. Some of those student fees that you may be able to, that you need to remember you can't charge for, are where learning resources such as workbooks or learner guides that are essential to that delivery, you can't charge for that. Where hard copies can be provided, sorry, apologies, where there's a free online version, you can't charge for a hard copy text textbook unless the student is informed of the additional fee. You can't charge for in-house resources, or you can't also charge for anything that is replicated by you as an RTO where you are photocopying or providing a computer printout. Next slide. So non-compliance, it's important to remember that under the Smart and Skilled contract, non-compliance is an event of default which can affect your funding or ongoing contract. Under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act, if there is found to be a breach, it may attract an official warning in the first instance, also may attract a penalty notice, which you may need to pay to the Office of State Revenue. There's also the loss of reputation. It's important to remember that you need to meet the compliance of both the Smart and Skilled contract and the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act and or legislation as an RTO. So we've provided a number of links to you for Smart and Skilled resources as well as apprenticeship and traineeship resources. It covers everything from forms and documents, completing the Training Plan, the Tradesperson License Check, as well as visa information and vocational training guidelines. If you require further support, please contact your Strategic Relationship Manager, your Regional Provider Support Manager, Customer Service & Operations, and your Training Services NSW Regional Office. Thank you so much. - Thank you Linda. Really appreciate that. Just want to reiterate the notes there on that final slide. Hopefully by now you've received contact from your Regional Provider Support Manager and or Strategic Relationship Manager. They have very similar roles and they're there to support you with any general Smart and Skilled contract requirements there. Obviously any technical or systems type situations, please contact the Customer Service team, and then your regional offices are your main contacts for apprenticeships and traineeships as well. So I'm sure you would be across them if you've started delivering this year. Alright, look, we thank you so much Linda, really appreciate that and we might come to you for some of these questions. We do have a number there that we've tried to respond, but there are still some outstanding. So just in general, everyone, appreciate that we might not get to everyone today, but we will make sure that we gather the responses and answer them to you. So Linda, if you could indicate to me if some of these are technical, you want to take them offline, that will be great. So the first one, I actually had a message that was answered, but I should just mention, Chelsea Taylor asked, what roles in an RTO can sign the TPP for it to be valid? Do we have any specifications in the contract for that? - Not as far as I'm aware. It is just important to ensure that that person understands that by signing it, they're saying that there is a place and that they will follow all the requirements to deliver training to that apprentice or trainee. - Thank you. This is along similar lines here. Fiona wants to confirm, can we please confirm that the ANP is responsible for the TPP for SBATs and not the RTO, is that correct? - Yeah, so for the Training Plan Proposal, it's definitely the ANP that completes that. However, for an RTO, they must complete the full Training Plan that's required for an SBAT. - Terrific, thank you. From Mark, does the TPP start end dates need to match the CID start and end date as there is sometimes a mismatch? - Yeah, that sometimes happens. However, the TPP start and end dates actually indicate the term of the Training Contract. Your CID start and end dates should indicate how you're going to deliver the training throughout the term of that Training Contract. - Thank you. - So can I just put another note in that? Which means I did mention it today, which is that you have to make sure that the term of your delivery is within the term of that Training Contract. Otherwise you'll get errors. - Okay, thank you. And I think that answers Sid's question, which is should the RTO enter the actual proposed end date or adjust to a shorter time to be within the contract training end date? - Yeah, it has to be within the term of the contracts. Just remember that if the learner, you know, learners change, they can deliver, or sorry, undertake training and be deemed competent in different timeframes. Every learner's different and that's something that you need to take into consideration. But overall the CID proposed start and end dates cannot be outside that Training Contract term. - Wonderful, thank you. Question from Amy. Does Part 3 of the Training Plan need to be signed by the employer after every unit of competency has been achieved by the learner at the time it has been achieved? Or can it wait until the end of the course or after a few units are completed? - So it's important to remember that it needs to be reviewed every six months through the term of the Training Contract. That's when you should be getting endorsement. You may have different processes in place where you request endorsement at a quicker level, remembering you can't report that the learner is competent without that endorsement. So my suggestion would be to make sure that you are getting that endorsement in a more timely manner than waiting six months because otherwise you won't be able to report. - Okay, so it's not necessarily every time at the time, it can within a reasonable timeframe. Okay, brilliant, thank you. Question from Isabella. At the time, sorry, if qualifications are made superseded but can be still delivered for at least 12 months or longer, if there's an ASQA extension, those qualifications drop off from VTO search. Is it possible to have those qualifications under VTO search until the end of the life of the quals? Is that something in our area or is that- - No, it's me, it's our side. The qualifications are removed because they no longer can be delivered under the Training Contract. It's a requirement for an RTO to ensure when somebody starts training, that they've been trained in the most up to date qualification. We do keep qualifications active for a specific period of time, and that actually allows an RTO to deliver maybe up to six months or even 12 months. But you need to make sure that that qualification is appropriate for that vocation. So if they're going to supersede in three months' time, I don't know how you would ensure that the learner would complete an appropriate number of units of competency before they need to transition to the new qualification. - Thank you. A question here from Meg, which I think we've answered around, who needs to sign the Training Plan from the RTO? So that one I think's fine. Caroline asks, can you clarify when the RTO can actually commence training if we have a Commitment ID? - The Training Contract needs to be approved by Training Services NSW. Under the contract, it does specify that it's at the provider's detriment or own risk dare I say, if that Training Contract is not approved and you've already started training. - Thank you. A question from Mark. In the Training Plan, are the unit training start dates and, oh sorry, jumped, I beg your pardon. Let me try that again. In the Training Plan under obligations, we are seeking an amendment to the full-time three hours of study to be adjusted prorata for those part-time. - We're looking at the policy around that and we'll provide further advice, but I can't say that it's going to happen, but we are looking at the policy. - Thank you. Sorry, this screen, I beg your pardon. The questions jump as soon as they're answered. So let me try this one again. Question from Sandra. In the Training Plan, are the unit training start dates and the unit training end dates, proposed dates or actual dates? Do you enter these dates as the proposed plan training dates and then update them as they occur? Or are we just putting in the final end date in the date deemed competent field? Sorry, that's a long one. I hope you got all that. - So remembering like when you create a Training Plan at the beginning, this is when you are proposing to deliver that training. You're going to review that Training Plan throughout the term of the Training Contract, which means you need to put the actual date the learner started training, and the date, the learner finished training or was deemed competent in that unit of competency. - Thank you. Question from Rebecca. Does the RTO need to submit the signed Training Plan with Part 5 signed by employer to anyone? - No, but you must keep it on file. So if we request it, you have it to show that you've spoken to the employer and that they have actually provided that endorsement in writing. - Thank you. A question from Leon, is employer endorsement required, when it is agreed that the UOC is achieved solely in a simulated work environment? - I will take that on notice. I will provide advice further down the track. - Alright, thank you. Question from Brett. If we have a document that a supervisor or employer signs off for each unit of competency, do they still need to sign the Training Plan for each unit? - I think it's important to remember that the Training Plan is what we would request. So if you're getting them to sign something, say they're endorsing it, why wouldn't you get them to sign the Training Plan? - Thank you. A question from Timothy. How do we calculate the new term of training when someone changes from full-time to part-time and build a new Training Plan based on those dates? Is there an STS calculator? - We do have one, but it's only available on our, I think it's available on our website. But if you do have questions about changing the term due to the change of part-time or full-time, please contact our regional centers because it is a complicated process. - Thank you. Feel this one may have been answered, but a question from Fiona. Does the employer need to sign the Training Plan every time a student completes a UOC, or will the employer signature on the training record book for each UOC be sufficient? I think that's similar to. - That's answered before. - Yeah, thank you. Amy asks, if we have a trainee that has changed employers without discussing this with the RTO first and has one unit to submit, what is the process? Do we need to withdraw? No. I think this, okay, thanks. Do we need to withdraw as they're no longer employed with the employer? - Yep, so what happens now is that we will transfer the learner to the new employer. They'll lodge Training Contract information with us. But you as an RTO do not need to create a new commitment ID. You can just change the TCID date once that's the transfer's gone through and continue reporting. - Thank you, thanks Linda. And Timothy asks, can you get electronic signatures for Training Plan full? - We do have electronic signatures and we're actually going to write a policy around that, so there's no confusion of what we would expect the electronic signatures to look like. - Okay, thank you. This question's from Ben. Training package MSL18 to 22 was superseded in December last year , and we still cannot select qualifications or apply credit transfers through STS Online. We can't start these candidates. Yes, I don't know if you, is that something you want to take on notice, Linda? - I think I'll have to take it on notice, but when we create a new Vocational Training Order, it's actually a process with industry, sorry, with ITABs, and it does take some time, but I'm happy to look into that for you. - Thank you. A question from Wayne, should the provider report fee for service completions that are from interstate students? Excuse. - So I'm going to interpret this as an interstate student that is perhaps from another, like under another state training authority. If that's the case, then no, because we only want learners that are in our state that are recorded in our database. But if you are saying that it's a learner that we have as a registered Training Contract in New South Wales, then yes, you can report them via the Completions Portal. - Thanks Linda. I'm trying to avoid a coughing fit here, so hopefully that doesn't take over. Question, if the students are not coming from a company, how do you provide endorsement from an employer? I'm not sure about that scenario. - I don't understand that question. And maybe we could take it on notice and try and find some more information from the RTO 'cause I'm not quite sure on that. - Great, thank you. When a UOC has been superseded in the training package, can we complete a technical variation form to have the unit updated in the Training Plan? That's from Alicia. - So technical variations are for the whole qualification, not for a unit of competency. If you're having issues relating to specific unit of competency reporting, please contact the Customer Service and Operations team. - Thank you and thanks Mark. We can see your email there. We'll make sure you get the response, thank you. Question from Lauren, is the Queensland Training Plan sufficient? We complete this at signup with employer and apprentice. - So we have an approved Training Plan in New South Wales. Everything must meet the, whatever's on the Training Plan. So we have specific requirements. You can have your own version, but we must have exactly the same version that we have under the Act. We can talk further, Lauren. - Thank you. Michelle asked, can a document be electronically signed by all parties? - We've kind of talked about that and further policy and advice will be done. - Okay, brilliant. Sorry, I'm just trying to make sure we get through. Mimi asked why does it take ANPs to process TPPs over eight to 12 weeks? Okay, I don't know if we can answer that. - I don't know why. Sometimes it's very quick, sometimes it takes longer. Sometimes there's issues with databases. Sometimes there's issues with the evidence that's been provided from the employer and the learner. My advice would be if you've signed the TPP, you contact, and it's not appearing in our system, you need to contact the Apprenticeship Network Provider to find out where the Training Contract's up to. - Thanks Linda. And Rebecca asks, the Completions Portal, do we have information? - Yeah, so the Completions Portal is a part of STS Online, and it allows you to complete those learners that are fee for service. I'm happy to create something to send out to training providers, and we could add it onto the end of that presentation if that's okay with you, Eleze. - Great, thank you. And if an employer, from Michelle, if an employer changes their company name and ABN and have students enroll, do we need to withdraw and re-enroll? - No, they keep the same commitment ID. - Great, thank you. All right, wow, nearly got away. There's one more from Natalie. If the student transitioned from a superseded qual to current qual and has done some UoCs from the superseded qual, should we have two Training Plans or can we-- - No. - [Eleze] Yep, so continue with that. - Yeah. - All right, thank you everybody. I know it's getting close to the end, but I wanted to call out a large team behind the scenes. We have had a number of presenters since we started the webinar, so I want to acknowledge those that are on the panel here today. So if I can ask our presenters, past presenters to turn their cameras on to say hello and really appreciate everyone's support in pulling together the webinar series that we've had. As you can appreciate, we have a number of people working behind the scenes to support the process and to bring it to fruition. So thank you Wojciech, thank you Nathan, Andrew, there are others that can't be here today. We've had Diana and Katie and others. And thank you again to Linda for presenting for today. There will be a survey sent out to everyone. to get your feedback, and also ask you if there are any other topics that you would like presented. For the questions we haven't been able to get to today, we'll make sure that they're responded to you and provided out to everyone. So just in closing, really appreciate you being with us along the journey and hope that you've found the webinar sessions useful. And please remember to reach out to our contacts within the regions as well as your SRM and our Customer Service team if you have anything further. So in signing off, thank you for, yeah, for the opportunity to present. I really enjoyed bringing these series to you and a big call out to the team behind the scenes as well. So thanks everyone. All the best and we'll see you next time. Bye for now.