Practice Guide - VET workforce management

Key concepts

The following key concepts are covered in this practice guide on this page:

Standard 3.1

Identifying appropriate staffing levels
Professional development for staff

Download a PDF copy: Practice Guide - VET Workforce Management.pdf (218.75 KB)

Achieving these Standards in practice

The following table lists examples of activities that may demonstrate compliance with the Standard, as well as risks to mitigate or control. These examples are not a complete list of every activity or risk, nor do all the activities listed need to be completed to achieve compliance. Rather, they are a guide and should be considered within the context, size, scale and student cohorts of your RTO’s operations.

To help determine whether you have achieved this Standard refer to the self-assurance questions below.

Standard 3.1: The workforce is effectively managed to ensure appropriate staffing to deliver services.

An NVR registered training organisation demonstrates:

how it ensures the number of trainers, assessors and other staff are appropriate for the delivery of the services it offers; and
it facilitates access to continuing professional development opportunities to enable staff of the organisation to effectively perform their role.

Example activities and other considerations for compliance

You can describe the system you use to continuously assess and ensure that you have an appropriate number of trainers, assessors and other staff required to deliver your RTO’s services. Factors for consideration may include:
- number of students
- mode/s of delivery
- number and type of training products offered
- volume of third parties you manage
- student cohort diversity and composition
- scheduled delivery hours
- assessment practices and dates.
You can demonstrate how you define the different roles within your RTO and the skills and knowledge needed for each, including how you engage with industry to ensure that the skills and knowledge are current and appropriate.
You have documented systems, policies and processes for attracting, recruiting, verifying and retaining appropriately skilled and qualified staff.
You can demonstrate how your strategies are effective in ensuring that third parties engaged by your RTO are maintaining adequate levels of appropriately skilled and qualified staff.
You can demonstrate the plans you have in place to respond to sudden or unexpected personnel changes within your RTO.
You can demonstrate how you invest in staff professional development – for example by:
- using a professional development framework
- ensuring trainers and assessors are allocated time to complete professional development
- providing resources to assist in staff professional development, for example by purchasing licences to industry journals
- conducting regular reviews of the industry skills and knowledge required for trainers and assessors with industry representatives
- supporting trainers and assessors to participate in communities of practice, industry exchanges or placements
- supporting staff to undertake professional development in specific areas relating to their role, such as VET reporting systems, cultural awareness and promoting wellbeing, or to obtain higher level VET qualifications.
You have systems in place to regularly monitor and review staff performance to determine if professional development offered is sufficient to enable them to effectively perform their roles.

Known risks to quality outcomes

Failing to determine the appropriate skills, qualifications and workload for all roles, including staff, contractors and third parties.
Not having a workforce plan in place to ensure there are sufficient trainers, assessors and staff available to deliver services to current and future student cohorts.
Failing to undertake due diligence or verify credentials of applicants during the recruitment of new staff.
Having a staff to student ratio that does not adequately support students through their training and assessment pathway.
Not having a systematic approach to assessing and evaluating the performance of your staff and addressing their professional development needs.
Not providing staff with the opportunity or time to undertake professional development relevant to their role in your RTO.

Self-assurance questions

What are the keys risks to your workforce over the next five years and what strategies do you have in place to mitigate these risks?

How do you know that you have the right number and mix of staff to deliver quality training and assessment?

How are you ensuring that your third parties are maintaining adequate staffing levels with the necessary qualifications, skills and knowledge?

How do you monitor and review the performance of your staff to identify opportunities for improvement / professional development?

How do you facilitate access to continuing professional development for your staff?