This is a top theme right now after a long list of cancelled RTO registrations. “Show me how leadership actually knows and controls the organisation” List of areas analysed and key questions: 1. Governance in Practice How does the CEO know the RTO is compliant? 2. Risk Management How do you identify problems before ASQA does? 3. Self assurance Systems How do you test your systems to know they are working? 4. CEO Declaration Evidence How did th

What is place-based approaches and cultural responsiveness in vocational education and training for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners? Both students and/or apprentice trainees. NCVER have produced excellent research information for consideration. Focused on leading to improved confidence, engagement and more meaningful outcomes for First Nations learners. What does this mean? What does good practice look like? What challenges do training providers face and how

One of the clearest emerging compliance risks for RTOs is assessment integrity — particularly in an AI-enabled environment. Increasing regulatory focus is moving toward: • AI-related assessment misconduct • authenticity of student evidence • observation-based assessment practices • and whether competency can genuinely be verified. Does your RTO assessment evidence demonstrate: ✔the learner completed the work themselves? ✔ the evidence is authentic and current ✔ observa

Increasingly, regulators appear to be assessing whether compliance is embedded into everyday operations — not just prepared for audits. There’s a big difference between: “audit-ready” and “operationally compliant.” The organisations navigating change best are the ones where compliance is part of everyday practice You may have all the documents - but do you have the actions? Interested in assessing your organisation? E: compliance@assessconsulting.com.au #RTO #CRICOS#GT

If you’re a CEO, Compliance Lead, or Board Member across an RTO, CRICOS provider, or GTO — these are questions worth asking today. When was your last real Board due diligence review? Not a meeting. Not minutes. A genuine, evidence‑based assessment of governance oversight. In the last 3–6 months: • Has your Board formally reviewed its own effectiveness? • When was your last Board meeting — and what high‑risk areas were actually scrutinised? • Were actions monitored, closed out

For international students, compliance starts before they accept the offer. Marketing and Information Practices can expose providers as high risk if incorrect. They are a core part of your compliance framework. What a student sees, reads, hears and relies on before they enrol matters. This is a requirement of Standard 1 of the National Code 2018. Issues I continue to see in reviews: • course information that is too broad or unclear • inconsistent information across websit

One of the biggest risk areas I see in practice is this: How did the provider determine that this student should be enrolled in this course? Under Standard 2 of the National Code 2018 – Recruitment of an Overseas Student , providers must recruit responsibly and ensure overseas students are appropriately qualified for the course they are seeking to enrol in. This also means students must be given sufficient information to make informed decisions about studying with the provide

ASQA has already told the sector where they’re looking in 2026. Risk Area 1: Shortened Course Durations. One of the fastest ways is this: Running qualifications in timeframes unrealistic for the learner cohort. I continue to see this issue in audits and reviews — particularly where: • learners are new to the industry • the qualification is in a higher-risk sector • the course duration has been significantly shortened “fast tracked” • there is little evidence showing why