• The National VET System
• Industry and Community Consultation
• Australian Apprenticeships
• Training Awards
• Accreditation and Registration
  • Accreditation and Registration Council
  • Higher Education
  • Accreditation of Higher Education Courses
  • Registration of Higher Education Providers
  • Registration of VET Providers
  • Accreditation of VET Courses
  • CRICOS
• Funded Programs
• Adult and Community Education
• Vocational Learning in Schools
• Contact Training and Tertiary Education
• Out of Trade Register

The ACT Accreditation and Registration Council (ARC) is responsible for the process of recognising training organisations that have the capacity to deliver, assess and issue qualifications for nationally recognised training. It also quality assures the Vocational Education and Training system in the ACT and nationally. Once registered, a training provider is known as a ‘Registered Training Organisation’ (RTO).

All training organisations seeking registration are required to demonstrate compliance with the Essential Standards for Registration. A copy of the standards is available from www.training.com.au .

Registration is initially for 12 months. A post-initial audit is conducted prior to the expiry of the initial registration to determine if an RTO can be registered for another four years.

RTOs may apply to change their scope of registration (the qualifications/courses and/or units of competency delivered and assessed by the RTO) during the period registration by submitting an Extension to Scope application (EXTRTO-002)  (113kb).

National Complaints Code

The Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEST) has a national complaints code which strengthens the quality of Australia's Vocational Education and Training (VET) system.

The Code, agreed by the Commonwealth, States and Territories, highlights the service standards consumers can expect from training providers and regulators.

The National Code of Good Practice for Responding to Complaints about Vocational Education and Training Quality ('the Code') seeks to ensure prompt action and consistency in all responses to complaints about training. The ACT Accreditation and Registration Council (ARC) works to monitor the quality of VET.

Responsive complaints management by RTOs is a key part of the quality assurance system in place here in the ACT.

The Australian Quality Training Framework requires RTOs to have an effective and transparent complaints handling process in place. VET consumers who have complaints with their training organisation are to lodge their complaint directly with that organisation in the first instance. Should consumers still feel their complaint is un-resolved, they should contact the ARC secretariat on 6205 7091 for advice on further action. A copy of the National Complaints Code is available from www.dest.gov.au/train/index.htm

Amending registration

Providers may apply to change their scope of registration (the qualifications/courses and/or units of competency they deliver and assess) during the period registration. More information here: Extending Scope for RTO

Providers must notify ARC of any substantive change to registered details, for example address, phone numbers, websites and names of responsible staff. Some changes could prompt a site audit in some circumstances. The form for this process is found here: Notify RTO Detail Changes.

(February 2010: Higher Education Providers may use the RTO form, while a specific form is being developed).

Quality Standards that support accreditation and registration

The national VET sector quality standards, known as the Australian Quality Training Framework 2007, are available from: http://www.training.com.au/aqtf2007. The VET registration process is detailed here: Becoming a Registered Training Organisation

Quality standards for the higher education sector are known as the National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes, and are available from the DEEWR website. Protocols A and B relate to the non-university higher education providers registered by ARC. The Protocols refer to providers as “non self-accrediting higher education institutions”, reflecting the fact that registration of this provider type first requires ARC accreditation. More information here: Higher Education Approvals.

In both sectors, the national standards give both the provider and the registration body clear direction on registration requirements, monitoring and auditing of the provision of education and training, accreditation of courses and the issuing of qualifications.