Blogs & Resources

Guides, insights and compliance updates for RTOs and industry partners

Mandatory Child Safety Training for ECEC: Educators and Students Need to Know

14th Aug 2026

All Australian states and the federal government have come together to prioritise children's wellbeing by introducing a mandatory training initiative. Through the National Child SafetyTraining, the aim is to make sure that everyone connected to the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector understands standard child protection practices along with the relevant legal obligations. Understanding what this training involves is valuable for current educators, support staff, and especially students preparing for practical placement. Course Structure: Foundation vs. Advanced The training consists of five courses divided into two clear stages: 1. The Foundation Stage (Courses 1 & 2) This initial stage is compulsory for every individual involved in an Early Childhood Education and Care service. This includes educators, room leaders, cooks, administrative staff, cleaners, volunteers, and students on practical placement. Course 1 Understanding Child Safety Focuses on core principles of child protection, respecting children’s rights, understanding safe boundaries, and establishing environments where young children feel protected and respected in daily interactions. Course 2 Understanding and Identifying Child Abuse and Neglect Teaches participants how to recognize indicators of physical harm, emotional abuse, psychological distress, and signs of neglect. It also details legal duties, outlining mandatory reporting laws and appropriate documentation channels when concerns arise. 2. The Advanced Stage (Courses 3, 4 & 5) These advanced modules address practical everyday safety for room educators, with Course 5 specifically dedicated to nominated supervisors, centre directors, and leadership. Course 3 Creating Child Safe Cultures Through Everyday Practice Explores how to actively embed child safety into daily routines, activities, and curriculum planning. It helps educators build secure environments where children feel safe to learn, explore, and thrive. Course 4 Responding to Safeguarding Concerns Provides actionable steps on how to handle safety concerns, or allegations in a calm, structured manner. Proper handling minimizes risks, prevents situational escalation, and keeps everyone protected. Course 5: Leading and Governing Child Safety Designed for upper management and governing bodies in childcare. It covers policy creation, high-level risk management assessments, and maintaining regulatory compliance across entire facilities. Foundational Training For Placement For students preparing for practical placement, completing the Foundation training 1 & 2 before stepping into a centre is mandatory rather than just an administrative formality. Placement Eligibility: Approved early learning services generally require proof of completed Foundation training prior to day one. Without these certificates.

ASQA Updates

ASQA and TEQSA Sign an MOU: What It Means for Training Providers in Australia

10th Aug 2026

Running a dual-sector education institution in Australia, especially one that provides both vocational training and university-level education, came with a high administration burden. For years, providers like TAFEs and dual-sector universities have had to satisfy two separate regulators, submit similar paperwork twice, and ensure compliance that was designed independently of each other. The administrative load has been significant, and the sector has been speaking about it. ASQA and TEQSA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding MOU to support better collaboration and improve the efficiency of regulatory processes in the vocational education and training and higher education sectors. Alongside this, both regulators have jointly released a Dual Sector Regulatory Strategy, a three-year plan that responds directly to what the sector has been asking for. In this article, we will discuss what is changing after the MOU, what it all means and why it matters. Who Are ASQA and TEQSA? Before getting into the detail, it helps to understand what each regulator actually does and why having two of them has created complexity in the first place. ASQA, the Australian Skills Quality Authority, is the national regulator for vocational education and training. If you are an RTO, a TAFE delivering nationally recognised training, or a provider teaching overseas students on student visas in Australia, ASQA is the agency you answer to. It currently oversees approximately 3,843 registered training organisations across the country. TEQSA, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, does the same for higher education. Universities, university colleges, and institutes of higher education all fall under TEQSA's authority. It oversees 211 registered higher education providers. For most organisations, dealing with a single regulator is straightforward enough. The complexity arises for the 57 providers in Australia that work under both providers delivering VET qualifications and university-level courses simultaneously. These are dual-sector providers, and they must satisfy both ASQA and TEQSA. What It Has Been Like for Dual Sector Providers Imagine having to file essentially the same paperwork with two different government regulatory bodies, formatted differently for each, because each regulator has its own application structure built around its own standards framework. That is the difficult part for dual sector providers in Australia. When a dual sector institution applies for CRICOS registration, renews its compliance status, or submits annual declarations, it often provides similar evidence to both ASQA.

RTOs

What is a USI? And Its Importance in VET Australia 2026

21st Jul 2026

If you are enrolling in a VET course in Australia, one of the first things your RTO will ask for is your USI (Unique Student Identifier). A lot of students have heard the term but are not entirely sure what it is, why it matters, or what happens if they do not have one. This article covers everything you need to know. What Does USI Stand For? USI stands for Unique Student Identifier. It is a reference number issued by the Australian Government to every student enrolled in nationally recognised training in Australia. Your USI gives you access to a government-authenticated record of all your vocational education and training achievements since 2015. Think of it as your personal education ID one number that follows you throughout your entire training journey in Australia, no matter how many courses you do or how many training organisations you study with. When Did the USI Start? Introduced under the Student Identifiers Act 2014, the USI became mandatory for anyone seeking a qualification or statement of attainment from a Registered Training Organisation from 1 January 2015. As of 2026, over 15.6 million USIs have been issued since inception, supporting more than 4 million annual VET students across approximately 5,000 RTOs. If you have studied any nationally recognised VET course since 2015, including while you were at school, you already have a USI. What Does a USI Actually Do? A USI does two main things. First, it creates a permanent record of every VET qualification and statement of attainment you complete in Australia. All your training history is in one place, accessible whenever you need it, whether for a job application, enrolling in another course, or proving your qualifications to an employer. Second, it connects your student loan information to your personal details and is required to access Commonwealth financial assistance. If you are applying for a VET Student Loan, you cannot access it without a USI. The USI acts as a centralised identification system, linking your nationally accredited training records. This ensures that no matter where or when you undertake training in Australia, your information is accurately recorded. Yes, without exception. Without a USI, VET students cannot receive their qualification or statements of attainment upon course completion unless a formal exemption is in place. This means if you complete your.

Student Placement

Student Rights During a Work Placement in Australia - Guide

4th Aug 2026

For students, starting placement is one of the most exciting parts of a vocational course. But before starting, a student must understand that he has rights and protections. Even though it is not a proper employment. Knowing these rights helps the students to focus on their learning, give their best, and know exactly what to do if something does not feel right. This guide explains what rights a student has and who to report in case the rights are violated. Is Your Work Placement Legally Unpaid? Under the Fair Work Act 2009, a VET work placement is classified as a "vocational placement." This means it is lawfully unpaid, but only when all four of these conditions are met: Placement is mandatory work that students have to do, it’s not volunteer work or work that students choose to do. The course should be delivered by an institution authorised under Australian law, including all RTOs, TAFEs and training providers. There is no contract or agreement entitling students to be paid for their work. Placements are not covered by an industrial award or registered agreement. When all four conditions are met, the host employer is not required to pay the student under the Fair Work Act. Students are not considered employees during placement, meaning minimum wage rules and standard employment entitlements do not apply to placement hours. What if the conditions are not met? If the placement does not satisfy all four conditions, it no longer qualifies as a vocational placement under the Fair Work Act. At that point, it may be considered employment, meaning the host employer could be legally required to pay. Students who are unsure about their specific situation can contact the Fair Work Ombudsman at fairwork.gov.au. These Safety Rights Always Apply Even though Fair Work employment entitlements do not apply to vocational placements, Work Health and Safety rights absolutely do. The WHS Act 2011 applies to everyone in a workplace, including students on placement, with no exceptions. Meaning host employers are obliged to provide a safe environment to students: Host employers are expected to perform a risk assessment of the workplace before the students start and address any identified hazards. Students should be provided a proper induction before they begin to do any task, covering emergency procedures, safety equipment and who to contact if.

Industries

NDIS Price Guide 2026-27: What Has Changed and Why

3rd Jul 2026

The NDIA reviews NDIS prices every year to make sure they are fair for participants and sustainable for providers. This review is called the Annual Pricing Review (APR), and it checks whether prices are up to date based on market data, research, and feedback from participants and providers. For 2026-27, the NDIA used data from over 16 million therapy transactions to make sure therapy prices reflect what is actually being charged in the real market. That is 5 million more data points than the previous year, so the changes are based on a bigger picture than ever before. The Biggest Change In Support Worker Rates The change most participants and providers will feel first is the increase in support worker pay rates. The standard weekday rate for a support worker has gone from $70.87 to $73.58 per hour, an increase of about 4.8%. This happened because the Fair Work Commission increased the minimum wage for disability support workers, and the NDIS pricing follows that increase. Here is what the new rates look like across different times and days: Weekend and public holiday rates are higher because support workers receive penalty rates under the award that covers their employment. These rates are the maximum a provider can charge, not a set amount that every provider must charge. For participants: Your plan budget is generally adjusted to keep pace with price rises, so in most cases, you will not end up with less support. If you are an agency or plan manager, your provider will update their rates from 1 July 2026. They must speak to you before changing your service agreement, and you must agree to the change. Why Some Therapy Prices Are Up and Some Down This is where the 2026 27 changes get more detailed. Not all therapy prices moved in the same direction. The NDIA compared NDIS prices against Medicare and private health insurance data to see where NDIS rates were too high or too low compared to the broader market. Psychology went up. The rate for psychologists increased from $232.99 to $252.99 per hour. This was done because NDIS rates for psychologists were lower than what psychologists earn outside the NDIS, which was making it hard for participants to find a psychologist. The increase is meant to fix that. Dietitians went down.

Industries

The NDIS: What Is It and How Does It Work in 2026

3rd Jul 2026

If you are a person with disability, a family member, or someone supporting a person with disability, you have probably heard about the NDIS. But understanding how it actually works, what it covers, who is eligible, and how to access it can feel confusing. In this guide, we explain the NDIS in simple, plain language with no complications. Just what you need to know. What Does NDIS Stand For? NDIS stands for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It is an Australian Government program that provides funding to people with permanent and significant disability so they can access the support and services they need to live their lives. The scheme started rolling out in 2013 and is now one of the largest social programs in Australia. There are currently 761,442 participants on the scheme as of early 2026. How Does the NDIS Work? The NDIS works by giving eligible people an individual funding plan, a budget that they can use to access supports and services that help them with daily life, work, community participation, and personal goals. Every person's plan is different because every person's needs are different. The amount of funding and the types of support covered depend entirely on the individual. The NDIS does not give you cash directly. Instead, your plan gives you a budget that pays for approved supports. You use that budget to access services from NDIS-registered providers or, in some cases, unregistered providers, depending on how your plan is managed. The key principle behind every funding decision is whether the support is "reasonable and necessary." Meaning the support must be directly related to your disability, represent value for money, and help you work toward your goals. Who Is Eligible for the NDIS? Not everyone with a disability qualifies for the NDIS. Eligibility is based on specific criteria. To be eligible, you need to be under 65 years of age at the time you apply. You need to be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or a Protected Special Category Visa (SCV) holder. And you need to have a permanent and significant disability that substantially affects your ability to take part in everyday activities. The NDIS is not means-tested your income, savings, and assets do not affect your eligibility or the amount of funding you may receive. The types of disability.