Student Handbook

Welcome

Introduction

Welcome to ABC Licence Training, proudly operating as Australian Boating College and ABC First Aid. We are a Registered Training Organisation (RTO: 3399) with a strong reputation for delivering high-quality, nationally recognised training. Our diverse course offerings include Boat and Jet Ski Licences, First Aid, Safety, and Aquatic Education, empowering individuals with essential life-saving skills and practical knowledge for both land and water environments.

Since becoming a registered RTO in 1998, we have been passionate about helping Australians stay safe, whether at home, at work, or on the water. We are regulated by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), ensuring all our courses meet the highest standards of quality, compliance, and relevance.

At ABC Licence Training, we believe that learning should be accessible, engaging, and hands-on. Our safety courses are designed to give learners real-world skills and the confidence to respond in critical situations, whether it is administering first aid, navigating waterways, or understanding vital safety procedures.

Our dedicated and experienced trainers bring each course to life with practical scenarios, up-to-date content, and a genuine passion for teaching. We continuously strive to innovate and improve our training experience, using learner feedback and industry best practice to remain at the forefront of vocational education.

When you choose ABC Licence Training, you are not just signing up for a course, you are joining a community committed to safety, confidence, and excellence.

This handbook should help you understand and make informed decisions regarding your enrolment with us if you choose to do so. We highly recommend that you read this handbook carefully as it details your rights and responsibilities as a student. If you have any questions or want further clarification on the contents of this handbook, please contact us on [email protected] or 1300 484 136. It is our aim to ensure that you are confident and happy with your decision to enrol with us.

We thank you for choosing ABC Licence Training as your training provider and we wish you success with your studies.

Susan Devlin
CEO, ABC Licence Training

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Get in Touch

Contact Information

ABC Licence Training wants to ensure that all our learners have access to the best of student services and may wish to contact any of the listed staff in case of emergencies. All student welfare issues and student services are addressed by the Administration and Compliance Officer. Escalated issues may be referred to the Chief Operating Officer based on the nature of the issue.

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What Drives Us

Our Mission and Values

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Compliance

Governance and Legislative Requirements

ABC Licence Training is a Registered Training Organisation and as such will at all times comply with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 as well as any relevant Commonwealth and State regulatory requirements. It is also mandatory for all our franchisees and third-party providers to comply with all the relevant laws and standards. ABC Licence Training may terminate contracts with third parties or franchisees if any breach is identified.

Please see below a list of some of the legislation that we adhere to. This may not be an exhaustive list.

• National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011
• Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015
• Data Provision Requirements 2012
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Privacy Act 1988
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Racial Discrimination Act 1975
• Age Discrimination Act 2004
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984
• Learner Identifiers Act 2014
• Competition and Consumer Act 2010
• Australian Consumer Law 2011

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Our Services

Our Training Services

We have been approved by ASQA, the national regulator for vocational education and training (VET) in Australia, to deliver and assess the Units of Competency listed on our website at abcfirstaid.com.au/abc-courses. Please refer to our website and navigate to your preferred unit (under the Courses tab) to ensure that there is no required pre-requisite before enrolling with us. Some units may require you to complete a pre-study assessment which may be done online or via hardcopy before commencing the course. If you have any queries or are in doubt, please feel free to contact us.

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Getting Started

Enrolment

An enrolment can be confirmed only once the student has completed and signed the enrolment form, which also confirms that they have read the terms and conditions of enrolment as well as this handbook. Once the form is completed, the student must pay the applicable fee. ABC Licence Training will issue a receipt of payment which is part of confirmation of enrolment.

We highly recommend that you ensure you have met the pre-requisite requirement (if applicable) before submitting the enrolment form and making the payment. A formal email will be sent to the learner confirming the enrolment as well as the details of the classes scheduled.

We highly recommend that you check all the details on the confirmation along with your full name, date of birth and chosen program. In case of any discrepancy, please contact ABC Licence Training immediately.

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Your Data

Privacy Policy

Purpose

ABC Licence Training and their third parties are committed to protecting and maintaining the privacy, confidentiality, accuracy, and security of its students' personal information, in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles.

As a compliant RTO, ABC Licence Training and their third parties are required to collect certain information about its students and provide this information to external bodies such as:

• the National VET Regulator;
• NCVER (National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd.); and
• other relevant regulatory training authorities.

Please refer to the VET Data Privacy Notice and NCVER's Privacy Policy for further information.

ABC Licence Training and their third parties will treat any personal information only as authorised by law, and in relation to such personal information, will promptly notify the OAIC upon becoming aware of any notifiable data breach.

What personal information we collect and store

ABC Licence Training and their third parties collect personal information from our clients, students, suppliers, employees, contractors and job applicants. The types of personal information we may collect include contact information (such as your name, date of birth, address, email address, telephone number, fax number, emergency contact information), details and copies of your identity documentation, licences (including driver and industry licencing), and banking details.

The purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information

All personal information collected by us is solely used for our business functions and activities. It may be used for the purposes of:

• responding to your requests, enquiries and/or complaints;
• billing;
• maintaining your account details;
• providing you with our products or services that you have requested;
• providing you with any communications in which we think you might be interested, or which you have requested;
• letting you know about developments in our procedures, products, services, activities and programs that might be useful to you;
• meeting our employer obligations, contacting next of kin in an emergency, and ensuring that our employees and contractors have the skills, experience, qualifications and clearances required to perform services for ABC Licence Training and our customers;
• collecting feedback and information from third parties relating to our employees, contractors and suppliers' performance of services for or on behalf of ABC Licence Training;
• considering employment applications;
• verifying your competency for certain tasks or activities; and
• emergencies.

We will take reasonable steps to ensure personal information that it keeps is accurate, up-to-date and relevant to the purposes for which it is to be used.

The purposes for which we may disclose personal information

ABC Licence Training and their third parties will only use or disclose a student's information where:

• it is required to be provided to regulatory bodies for compliance purposes;
• ABC Licence Training believes the disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious and imminent threat to a life, health or safety, or a serious threat to public health or public safety;
• the disclosure is required and authorised by, or under, law; or
• the student has provided written permission for the disclosure of their personal information.

ABC Licence Training will not transfer any personal information collected or accessed in connection with issuing GCIT cards outside of Australia, except with the prior written consent of the Regulator, and will take steps to prevent unauthorised use or disclosure of personal information collected or accessed in connection with issuing GCIT cards.

Direct marketing

ABC Licence Training will only engage in direct marketing practices in accordance with the law. You may contact [email protected] at any time to request that you no longer receive any marketing information from us.

Retention of personal information

ABC Licence Training only retains personal information for periods required by law and/or our business operations. Otherwise, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or permanently de-identify the personal information.

Website browsing, links to other websites

Accessing ABC Licence Training's websites will result in some information being logged, including the time of access, IP address and the pages that have been viewed or accessed.

Our website may contain links to third party websites. We do not operate these websites and therefore are not responsible for the collection or handling of personal information by the operators of these websites.

Cookies

Cookies are files with a small amount of data that are commonly used as anonymous unique identifiers. These are sent to your browser from the websites that you visit and are stored on your device's internal memory.

Our website does not use these cookies explicitly. However, the website may use third party code and libraries that use cookies to collect information and improve their services. You have the option to either accept or refuse these cookies and know when a cookie is being sent to your device. If you choose to refuse our cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of this service.

We use cookies to:

• help remember and process the items in the shopping cart;
• understand and save the user's preferences for future visits;
• keep track of advertisements; and
• compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interactions in order to offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We may also use trusted third-party services that track this information on our behalf.

You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser settings. Since each browser is a little different, look at your browser's help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.

Rights of individuals located in the European Union (EU)

In addition to the Privacy Act, individuals located in the European Union (EU) may also have rights under EU-based rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The key obligations under the GDPR include notice, individual rights, and retention. Each user has a right of confirmation (to confirm whether or not personal information concerning the user is being processed), access (the right to request what personal information is stored about the user and obtain a copy of that information), erasure (the right to request that any personal information concerning the user be erased without delay when no longer required, or when the user withdraws consent), rectification (the right to rectify any inaccurate information concerning the user), portability (the right to receive the personal information concerning the user, which was provided to us, in a readable format), object (the right to object to the processing of the personal information concerning the user unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which overrides the interests, rights, and freedoms of the user, or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims), and restriction of processing (the right to restrict processing where the accuracy of the personal information is contested by the user for a period enabling us to verify the accuracy of the information, where the processing is unlawful and the user opposes erasure and requests restriction instead, or where we no longer need the information but the user requires it for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims), as set out in the Articles of the GDPR.

How you may access and correct your personal information

Students of ABC Licence Training can request access or correction to their personal records by contacting [email protected]. ABC Licence Training will only accept written requests and will request proof of identity before any information is disclosed or updated. It is a student's obligation to ensure that their contact details are up to date with ABC Licence Training. We may charge a fee to cover the cost of verifying the application and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested.

Making a complaint

If you are concerned that ABC Licence Training or a third party has breached one or more of their privacy obligations, your complaint (including a summary of the privacy concern or alleged breach and copies of any relevant documentation) should be addressed to one of the contacts provided in the Contact Information section above. We will investigate the complaint and will endeavour to respond to you within 30 business days. We will take immediate steps to redress proven privacy concerns or breaches.

Lodging a complaint with the Australian Information Commissioner, personal information

If you do not receive a response from us after 30 days, or if you are not satisfied with the response, you can lodge a complaint with the OAIC (telephone 1300 363 992, or at www.oaic.gov.au).

Updates

We may periodically update this policy without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our information practices or relevant laws. We will post the updated policy on this website and indicate at the top of this policy when it was last updated.

Additional terms for third parties

Third parties are at liberty to access their students' personal information while they are a training partner with ABC. If the agreement between the third party and ABC Licence Training is terminated, the third party will continue to have access to student information for 30 days from the date of termination.

If the third party requires access to student information after the expiration of the 30 day period, it may request ABC Licence Training obtain the student's written consent prior to the student's personal information being released. ABC Licence Training is under no obligation to provide a student's personal information to a third-party trainer outside of the 30 day period and without the student's written consent.

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USI

Unique Student Identifier Policy

Purpose

This policy is to assist ABC Licence Training's third parties and students to ensure the management of the Unique Student Identifier (USI) is effective, and managed with accuracy, reliability, validity, and promptness.

A USI is an alpha-numerical reference number that is allocated to all students. The USI account gives students access to all the nationally recognised training records the student has undertaken since 1 January 2015.

ABC Licence Training has obligations to ensure that the requirements of the Student Identifier scheme are met, including:

• verifying with the Registrar a Student Identifier provided to it by an individual before using that Student Identifier for any purpose;
• ensuring that it will not issue AQF certification documentation to an individual without receiving a verified Student Identifier for that individual, unless an exemption applies under the Student Identifiers Act 2014;
• ensuring that where an exemption applies, it will inform the student before either the completion of the enrolment or commencement of training and assessment, whichever occurs first, that the results of the training will not be accessible through the Commonwealth and will not appear on any authenticated VET transcript prepared by the Registrar; and
• ensuring the security of Student Identifiers and all related documentation under its control, including information stored in its student management systems.

Policy

Under the Unique Student Identifiers Act 2014, all RTOs must ensure they have a valid USI for any student that enrols in nationally recognised training from 2015. Students who have a valid USI may provide it at the time of enrolment or may opt to create one themselves. The USI allows students online access to their training records and results (transcript) through their online USI account.

All information collected as part of this process will be stored securely and in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988. ABC Licence Training will take all measures to ensure that any information relating to USI will only be accessed by authorised personnel. This policy is to be read in conjunction with the Privacy Policy and Records Management Policy of ABC Licence Training. Further information on the Unique Student Identifier can be accessed via usi.gov.au.

Procedure

• All students will be required to provide their USI at the time they enrol in a nationally accredited course.
• Student consent is obtained during the enrolment process to provide personal information to the Student Identifier Registrar (via the USI website), the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), and the relevant state, territory or commonwealth Department of Education (or equivalent), via data lodgement of student details and results.
• All USIs will be verified at the time students enrol.
• It is expected most students will be able to manage their own USI through the USI website. ABC Licence Training will not apply for a USI on a student's behalf.
• The USI must be verified before issuing a qualification or statement of attainment.
• The privacy of USI will be protected within all administrative tasks.
• A staff member will be designated to administer the USI system.
• Staff will be trained in all aspects of USI administration.

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Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer

Purpose

ABC Licence Training has established this policy in accordance with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 to provide its students with the opportunity to apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL) or credit transfer (CT). All students (where applicable) have the right to access RPL and CT. This policy is applicable to the complete scope of ABC Licence Training.

Policy for RPL

As part of RPL assessment, existing skills and knowledge will be assessed against industry standards by a qualified assessor. At ABC Licence Training, the granting of RPL will be established and maintained in accordance with the AQF National principle and operational guidelines for Recognition of Prior Learning Procedure, and the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (SRTOs 2015).

RPL assessments will be conducted in accordance with the principles of assessment and the rules of evidence. ABC Licence Training has two pathways for RPL:

1. RPL for pre-course online learning modules completed through ABC Licence Training within the last 6 months.
2. RPL for skills and knowledge acquired through previous training not related to the first pathway.

Process for RPL, pathway one

ABC Licence Training will undertake a review of previous learning modules completed and will approve RPL only if the learning has been completed within the last 6 months and provided the course learning has not been updated by ABC Licence Training within this timeframe.

Process for RPL, pathway two

• Students must submit an RPL application to ABC Licence Training by emailing [email protected]. A copy of the RPL application is available on the ABC First Aid website. Submission of an RPL application does not guarantee it will be approved.
• ABC Licence Training will provide the candidate with information on the RPL process, required evidence, unit contents and the applicable RPL fee. The training partner may also charge a fee.
• The student will be required to pay the RPL fee and lodge the application along with all evidence to the RPL assessor.
• ABC Licence Training will acknowledge the application in writing via email to the student.
• The RPL assessment will be undertaken by a qualified assessor who meets the requirements specified in the SRTOs.
• ABC Licence Training will grant the RPL if eligible and if sufficient evidence to demonstrate competency has been provided.
• If successful, ABC Licence Training will update student records on the student management system using appropriate codes to recognise RPL, reflected in the Statement of Attainment issued to the student.
• If the appointed assessor assesses the application as not successful, detailed responses will be documented on the form and the student will be advised in writing.
• Copies of all documents provided as evidence will be stored in accordance with the Records Management Policy.
• If unsuccessful, the student will be provided with information on formal training and assessment options available to them.

Policy for Credit Transfer

Students who apply for CT must supply evidence to show that the unit(s) of competency have been successfully achieved, which may include a Statement of Results, a Statement of Attainment, or a USI Transcript.

ABC Licence Training will verify the evidence with the issuer and will require written consent from students to do so. Evidence must be provided prior to the commencement of the course. Where CT is sought for units with different unit codes and there is insufficient correlation between the unit previously attained and the unit being sought, students will be referred to the RPL application process.

Process for Credit Transfer

• Requests for credit transfer must be made in writing to [email protected] with a completed copy of the Application for Credit Transfer form and supporting documentation. Students may email credit transfer requests directly, or the third party trainer may do so on the student's behalf.
• ABC Licence Training will review the application and advise of an outcome within seven days.
• If the request for credit transfer relates to HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, we will grant this credit so long as the statement of attainment has been issued within the last 6 months.
• Students who have completed HLTAID009 within the last 6 months with ABC may credit transfer this unit at no additional charge.
• Students who have completed HLTAID009 within the last 6 months with another RTO may credit transfer this unit for a fee.
• Students are not required to complete the pre-course learning for the CPR theory component, nor the CPR practical assessment tasks.
• Note: if ABC has released a new version of theory or practical assessment tools, students are ineligible for credit transfer.
• ABC Licence Training will charge a fee of $50.00 for each CT request (up to 3 units). This fee is payable prior to reviewing the CT application. Fees may be paid by the third party or the student.
• Students are responsible for ensuring they renew their CPR every 12 months for their First Aid to remain current, in accordance with the Safe Work Australia First Aid in the Workplace Model Code of Practice.

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Training Days

Attendance

All details with regard to the training sessions, including date, time and venue, will be provided to the learner once the enrolment is confirmed.

ABC Licence Training expects its learners to complete the pre-study component, either online or submitted in hardcopy, at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled training session. The pre-study component is mandatory for some units, and if it is not completed by the learner then they may not be able to attend the training session. No refund will be applicable in such instances.

Students are requested to be at the training venue at least 15 minutes prior to the start of training. Failure to be on time will prevent you from attending the training session and non-attendance will be marked in our records. No refund will be applicable in such instances.

If you wish to withdraw your enrolment, please send us the request in writing at least 24 hours before the scheduled session. Please refer to the fees and refunds section to determine if you may be eligible for a refund.

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Fair Access

Access and Equity

Purpose

This policy outlines ABC Licence Training's commitment to provide fair and equitable access and opportunity to all its staff, third parties, approved trainers and students, regardless of their age, sexuality, gender, ethnic background, marital status, religion, political convictions, physical disability, or intellectual impairment. ABC Licence Training will not discriminate or tolerate discrimination or harassment.

Policy

ABC Licence Training will ensure that equity principles are implemented for all, and the right to equality of opportunity without discrimination is upheld. We will promote opportunities for people to participate in the vocational education and training (VET) system, and in associated decisions that affect their lives.

Process

To achieve these aims, ABC Licence Training and third parties' approved trainers will:

• ensure the establishment of non-discriminatory student selection procedures which encourage fair access for members of under-represented groups;
• ensure access and equity issues are considered during curriculum development;
• ensure the requirements of individual students are accounted for in strategic and operational planning processes;
• provide students with the opportunity to be involved in planning and decision-making processes on matters that affect them;
• provide training programs and services that are accessible to all people in an environment free from harassment;
• seek to provide access to a broad range of high-quality support services that account for the diversity of clients and the needs of people under-represented in VET; and
• seek to provide opportunities for all people to achieve outcomes that meet their learning goals.

Where any queries relate to training support, students may contact the third-party provider as outlined in the enrolment confirmation email. Any other queries or comments with respect to access and equity can be sent by email to ABC Licence Training at [email protected].

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LLN

Language, Literacy and Numeracy Policy

Purpose

Language, literacy and numeracy skills are critical to almost all areas of study and work, and ABC Licence Training recognises their importance for students in being able to participate actively and effectively in any course of study.

The LLN (Language, Literacy and Numeracy) policy is implemented by ABC Licence Training to guide an appropriate training and assessment strategy for students who may be experiencing difficulties in language, literacy and/or numeracy.

Policy

ABC Licence Training and trainers will take measures to ensure that the individual needs of students enrolling in our courses are identified and assistance is offered where possible. ABC Licence Training is committed to maintaining a learning environment that supports the learning needs and skill development of its students. ABC Licence Training uses the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) as a reference to assess current LLN skill levels.

Procedure

For a student who may require LLN assistance:

• The student completes the enrolment process, where they have an opportunity to self-identify any learning needs or barriers at the time of enrolment.
• If the need for assistance is initially identified by either the student, ABC Licence Training or a third party during enrolment, an LLN assessment is offered to the student.
• The student may elect to complete the LLN assessment so that ABC Licence Training or the third party can determine the appropriate study assistance, or provide an individual Learner Support Plan.
• Once the LLN assessment is completed, ABC will implement a strategy to accommodate the student's learning needs as far as practicable, which may include one-on-one discussions with the student, flexible assessment methods, adapting tasks to allow for more practice, provision of resources for LLN skill development, or an embedded LLN support plan.

If it is considered necessary by either ABC Licence Training or the third party, a referral may be made for the student to access external language, literacy and numeracy support services beyond what is available within ABC Licence Training. Students may be advised to visit dese.gov.au/skills-education-and-employment/providers.

All records relating to LLN assessments, including feedback, will be kept securely and confidentiality will be maintained at all times.

Students have the right to appeal against a decision made with respect to the LLN assessment outcome in accordance with the Complaints and Appeals Policy of ABC Licence Training.

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Inclusive Training

Reasonable Adjustment

Purpose

ABC Licence Training understands that not all students may be capable of demonstrating competency in the same manner, and it is our responsibility to ensure that our students have the access and opportunity to complete their chosen program irrespective of their circumstances. ABC Licence Training will take all steps to provide equitable access to all its students and ensure they are not disadvantaged in any way during their learning journey.

Policy

Where possible, ABC Licence Training, its third parties and trainers will modify the learning environment or make changes to the training delivered to assist a student with a disability. ABC Licence Training reserves the right to determine that a reasonable adjustment is not appropriate in the circumstances, or that the student is unable to pass the unit of competency where competency cannot be achieved. ABC Licence Training is not required to allow any reasonable adjustment which would mean the evidence requirements of the unit of competency have not been met.

Process

If a student discloses a disability or impairment on their enrolment form, ABC Licence Training or the third party provider will request information relating to such disability or impairment (including medical or health information) to ascertain whether a reasonable adjustment may be required. All information provided by the student will be treated in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.

Upon receiving that information, ABC Licence Training will determine if it is possible for the student to complete the competency unit(s) with a reasonable adjustment, which the student can elect to take up at their discretion.

If the student does not wish to disclose the necessary information, ABC Licence Training will take steps to consult with the student and accommodate them as much as practicable in the absence of that information to ensure the successful completion of the competency where possible.

If a student does not take up the reasonable adjustment proposal, or is unable to gain competency in the enrolled unit with reasonable adjustment as determined by the assessor, the student will be unable to gain competency and will be advised of the same.

Examples of reasonable adjustments that may be considered include, but are not limited to:

• extra time or extensions for assessments;
• padding under the knees during CPR assessments;
• an ergonomic chair or desk; and
• use of an interpreter.

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Support

Student Support

Purpose

ABC Licence Training endeavours to engage with prospective students to clearly identify the learning support needs of the individual and provide adequate advice about the training product appropriate to their needs. ABC Licence Training is committed to providing its students with the appropriate level of ongoing support and additional assistance required to meet specific students' needs.

Policy

ABC Licence Training will, in its process of assessing student needs, take into consideration the student's needs on an individual case by case basis. Student support services may include, but are not limited to: LLN support, academic support and counselling, learning and assessment programs contextualised to the workplace, reasonable adjustment, disability support, and specialised study support strategies.

Procedure

Current or prospective students are encouraged to speak to ABC Licence Training if they identify a need for support to successfully complete their study with us. During the course of training, if a student finds it difficult to achieve the learning goals, they are encouraged to speak to the third party.

ABC Licence Training and their third parties will:

• ensure all such requests are assessed and considered in a fair manner and, where applicable, provide an individual learning plan or access to certain services;
• may request supporting documentation from the student to assist with the assessment and best possible solution to provide additional support. All information collected will be confidential and maintained as per the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988;
• provide the student with information about additional tools and resources available;
• ensure where possible that any additional support enables a student to participate and achieve a successful training outcome, in the same way as any other student regardless of whether support services were required; and
• notify students in writing of any additional costs of the additional support, prior to such support being undertaken.

Support services may include:

• additional one-on-one support with the trainer or assessor;
• Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) support relevant to the course content;
• reasonable adjustment to training and assessment practices, for example learning materials in alternative formats such as large print;
• access to online course content in addition to attending face to face classes;
• flexible scheduling for assessment, so the student can select an assessment time that suits their situation;
• learning resources including videos, presentations, text books and external industry training website links;
• assistive technology such as large print resources, translators, and visual aids;
• information and communications technology (ICT) support for ABC First Aid's online delivery;
• telephone and email support for students engaged in online learning; and
• any other services that ABC First Aid considers necessary to support students to achieve competency, within ABC First Aid's capability to provide.

In the event ABC Licence Training is unable to meet the needs of the student, we may consider a referral to an external organisation better equipped to provide the student with additional support.

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Referrals

External Support Services

• Referral to external language, literacy and numeracy programs and other training programs, for example the Adult Migrant English Program or Living and Learning Centres in your local area (additional cost may apply).
• Referral to offsite counselling services including but not limited to:
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14
  • Beyond Blue: 1300 22 46 36

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How Training Is Delivered

Delivery Method

ABC Licence Training delivers its courses through our third-party providers. ABC Licence Training ensures that all our course delivery partners are highly trained and experts in their respective fields. All third-party arrangements are notified and authorised by ASQA.

ABC First Aid provides the platform, materials and compliance intellectual course materials, website, online learning system and IT bookings system to enable the co-providers to deliver the training.

If relevant for the course they are undertaking, learners have the option of choosing to do the theory portion of the course via a set of multiple-choice questions administered online or in hardcopy. If they do not wish to do this, their option is to complete a Verbal Assessment Tool in class with the instructor. Once the pre-study has been successfully completed, the learner will attend their chosen program at one of our training centres.

Please refer to our website to see the list of training centres closest to you.

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Quality Standards

Training and Assessment

Purpose

ABC Licence Training is committed to providing quality training and assessment in accordance with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (SRTOs 2015). As such, ABC Licence Training is required to implement an assessment system that ensures assessments, including recognition of prior learning, comply with the assessment requirements of national Training Packages and VET Accredited courses within its scope of registration.

Policy

ABC Licence Training and third parties will ensure:

• that all students have access to suitable and required resources, facilities and equipment to complete their training in the enrolled unit, with all third parties required to complete an annual equipment and facility checklist;
• all assessment options and processes implemented are in compliance with competency-based assessment and Training Package requirements, and are adhered to in full by all trainers and assessors;
• ABC Licence Training and their third parties monitor the progress of each student to ensure that further support is not required for the individual student to gain the required competency, noting that the training and assessment process may differ based on special considerations, reasonable adjustment, or recognition of existing skills or prior learning;
• all assessments ensure the integrity of the VET system;
• assessment complies with the Principles of Assessment (POA) as prescribed in the Standards for RTOs;
• evidence submitted for assessment is assessed in accordance with the Rules of Evidence (ROE) as prescribed in the Standards for RTOs;
• all assessments are conducted by individuals who meet the necessary requirements as noted in the Standards for RTOs; and
• all trainers and assessors are committed to ensuring that assessment is conducted in a fair and equitable manner, meeting the requirements of the relevant Training Package, industry expectations and standards.

Procedure

Assessment method

The assessment method for each unit may differ and may also use more than one method of assessment. The choice of assessment methods is informed by a range of factors including the evidence guide requirements in the unit of competency, the assessment guidelines in the applicable training package, and the scope and nature of the skills and knowledge being applied.

Assessment methods may include direct observation checklists with instructions for demonstration, simulated exercises or role-plays, and questioning of required knowledge (verbal and/or written).

ABC Licence Training will also ensure that it takes into consideration the need to have its assessment modified to make it appropriate for satisfying individual student needs, which include but are not limited to reasonable adjustment.

Training and assessment process

The process for assessment is the steps the assessor takes when gathering evidence of a student's competence. Information pertaining to assessment is provided to students to guide them to complete the assessment activities, including the expected outcomes of the assessment and required evidence.

The typical assessment process a trainer will undertake is as follows: prepare for assessment; provide clear instructions to the students; plan and prepare the evidence-gathering process; collect the evidence and make the assessment decision; provide feedback on the assessment; record and report the result; review the assessment process; and, if necessary, participate in the reassessment and appeals process.

All evidence and assessment records, including feedback, will be retained as per the Records Management Policy of ABC Licence Training.

Reassessment and appeals process

• Where a student has undertaken an assessment and it has been marked as Not Satisfactory (NS), the student may be allowed to re-sit the test or have a re-assessment.
• If allowed to re-sit or have a re-assessment, the assessor will provide detailed feedback with areas of improvement, substantiating the reason for the NS outcome.
• If the student is deemed NS after 2 attempts, they will be advised to re-enrol in the unit.
• The assessor must provide detailed feedback and information to the student on the complaints and appeal process.

Assessment validation

ABC Licence Training will implement a plan for the ongoing validation of assessment practices and judgements for each training product on its scope of registration.

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How You're Assessed

Assessments

ABC Licence Training will ensure that all assessments meet the assessment criteria of the training package or accredited course on which the program is based.

ABC Licence Training will ensure that the assessment tools used meet the rules of evidence and that assessments are in line with the principles of assessment. The rules of evidence are validity, sufficiency, authenticity, and currency. The principles of assessment are fairness, flexibility, validity and reliability.

The assessment methods for each unit may differ and may use more than one method of assessment. Some of the commonly used assessment methods are observation and written tests.

Once the learner has completed all the assessment tasks required for the unit, the assessor will assess the completed work and provide the outcome as well as feedback. If deemed competent, a Statement of Attainment will be issued to the learner in due course. If the learner has not successfully completed all the required tasks, the assessor will provide detailed feedback with the areas of improvement required to gain competency.

The learner will be provided with 2 attempts to retake or resit the assessment tasks. If the learner is unable to demonstrate competency after the re-assessments, an outcome of Not Satisfactory will be marked by the assessor. The learner can, in such an instance, re-enrol into the unit or program to undergo further training and achieve competency.

Students also have the right to appeal against the outcome provided, if they wish to do so.

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Your Qualification

Issuing Certificates / Statements of Attainment

Upon successful completion of the assessment for the enrolled unit or program, ABC Licence Training will issue a Statement of Attainment to its learners. ABC Licence Training will email a copy of the Statement of Attainment to the student as soon as possible. This is conditional upon the student being deemed competent in the enrolled unit of competency, all fees payable to ABC Licence Training having been paid, and a valid USI having been provided by the learner.

All Statements of Attainment issued by ABC Licence Training meet the requirements of the AQF and can be identified by a unique number which appears on the document. You or your employer may also verify one of our issued SOAs via our website using the "verify certificate" option.

ABC Licence Training will charge a fee of $25 (including postage) if a hard copy of the Statement of Attainment is requested. There may be charges for replacement SOAs in hard copy. Copies of Statements of Attainment issued will be stored in an electronic format by ABC Licence Training for a period of 30 years.

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Data and Records

Records Management

Purpose

ABC Licence Training is required to collect and disclose information regarding its students to NCVER and to relevant regulatory training authorities. In addition, ABC Licence Training is required to securely retain, and be able to produce in full at performance assessment (audit) if requested, all completed student assessment items for each student for a period of six months from the date on which the judgement of competence for the student was made.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that ABC Licence Training has a Records Management System that is fully compliant with the regulatory requirements for RTOs. ABC Licence Training will also ensure that all records and documents of its students are stored securely in the Training Hub and in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.

Policy

ABC Licence Training and all third parties will collect information from students at the time of enrolment via the student enrolment form, as well as during training. The records collected will be stored securely and accessed only by authorised personnel. Records may be stored electronically. All electronic data will be backed up regularly and stored in back-up drives.

The following records will be retained by ABC Training: student enrolment; record of student payment; record of complaints and appeals along with the outcome (if any); completed assessment of the student; testamurs, record of results and Statement of Attainment; and assessment tools.

ABC Licence Training will take sufficient measures to retain records electronically in a manner that safeguards them against unauthorised access, and which ensures that copies of records can be produced if requested.

Procedure: Retention Period

• Student enrolment: retained for a maximum of 2 years from the completion of the program.
• Record of student payment: retained electronically for a minimum of 7 years.
• Record of complaints and appeals: retained electronically for a maximum of 2 years from the completion of the program, including the complaints and appeals register.
• Completed assessment of the student: all completed assessment items are retained for six months from the date the decision on competence was made, detailed enough to demonstrate the assessor's judgement of the student's performance against the required standard. Where held in an LMS or cloud-based system, ABC will ensure it retains ownership and control of these records for the required duration.
• Testamurs, record of results and Statement of Attainment: retained for a period of 30 years in electronic format, sufficient to reissue any document during this period, including information to verify the student such as their USI, date of birth or address.
• Assessment tools: ABC Licence Training always maintains a copy of its updated assessment tool electronically. Older versions are retained for 6 months from the date of update.
• Management records: quality indicator reports, qualifications register, survey reports and similar records are retained for a maximum of 2 years.

GCIT Cards

ABC Licence Training will securely store GCIT cards, including a locked storage location that is not able to be easily removed by a person without approved access, limited and controlled access to the storage location, a documented process for the management of cards, and a register that tracks when cards are received from the Regulator into secure storage, removed from secure storage, who received or removed them, and for what purpose.

Records Retention, General Induction Construction Training Queensland

ABC Licence Training shall keep records, either hard copy or electronically, of all aspects of GCIT for five years, including but not limited to: the serial number of each GCIT card issued; the name, date of birth, residential address and contact details of each person issued a GCIT card; the date of issue of each GCIT card; any evidence supporting the issue of a replacement GCIT card; all student training and assessment materials; evidence of resources used in GCIT assessment activities; student EOI; and decisions by the RTO to refuse to issue or replace a GCIT card.

Cessation of Operation

In the unlikely event ABC Licence Training ceases its operations, we will comply with our responsibility to transfer all digital records to ASQA to confirm the training and assessment each student has completed, within 28 days of ceasing operations. All authorised third parties who act on behalf of ABC Licence Training will also cooperate with ASQA at all times.

Documents Destruction

ABC Licence Training will destroy all documents after the retention period has passed, in accordance with this policy. Where the documents are hard copy, they must be shredded, either on ABC Licence Training's property or by an engaged third party. Where a third party is engaged, ABC Licence Training will request a certificate or confirmation that the documents were shredded successfully, retained in the archives register as evidence.

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Money Matters

Fees and Refunds

Purpose

ABC Licence Training has an obligation to provide all relevant fee information regarding fees that must be paid, as well as payment terms and conditions including deposits and refunds, prior to enrolment or commencement of training and assessment, whichever comes first.

Policy

ABC Licence Training and their third parties will provide all information regarding fees and charges, as well as the refund policy, at the time of enrolment. This ensures that the student is in a position to make an informed decision regarding their enrolment.

ABC Licence Training will offer a fee structure to its students based on their choice of units or program, which may vary from course to course. The quoted fee will include the administration fee, course fee, access to any specialised equipment or facility necessary for the completion of the program, and a copy of the Statement of Attainment for the enrolled unit or program.

ABC Licence Training takes measures to ensure that all prepaid fees from individual students or prospective students are protected, such that any prepaid fees do not exceed $1,500, and will ensure all requests for refund are considered and decided upon in a fair and transparent manner.

Course fees are due and payable at the time of enrolment, unless otherwise agreed by ABC Licence Training in writing. ABC Licence Training reserves the right to withhold final certifications or Statements of Attainment until all applicable fees are paid in full.

Procedure

Where a refund is sought by a student:

• all refund requests must be submitted in writing to the third party, along with any supporting documentation;
• if the refund request is approved, the refund payment is processed within 14 days from the date of the request by the third party, paid electronically into the bank account nominated in writing by the student. An administration fee may apply for processing refunds, in accordance with the table below;
• if the request for a refund is denied by the third party, the student is advised of the outcome in writing;
• a student may access the Complaints and Appeals Policy if they wish to seek a further review of the decision made;
• escalation for a refund can be made by contacting ABC Licence Training at [email protected] with supporting documentation, with a request for the refund to be considered within seven days. All refunds are at the discretion of the CEO.

If the resolution of the complaint is not satisfactory, the student may contact the ACCC.

Refunds schedule

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Speak Up

Complaints and Appeals

Purpose

ABC Licence Training and its third parties understand their obligation to protect the rights of students and are committed to managing and responding to allegations involving the conduct of our marketing, administration, training and assessment processes, the conduct of our students, and the conduct of third parties or staff who deliver, market or recruit on our behalf.

All complaints and appeals will be treated as an opportunity for improvement and will contribute to our internal policies and procedures.

Policy

ABC Licence Training will ensure that the Complaints and Appeals Process is accessible, transparent, fair and equitable, and that any complaint or appeal is treated in a timely manner in accordance with this policy. Students are informed of the Complaints and Appeals Process on our website and in the Student Handbook. Confidentiality is maintained throughout the processes outlined below.

Process

Should a student wish to make a complaint (the complainant) against a third party, staff member or other student (the complainee), the complaint will be addressed as follows:

• the complainant is, where possible, encouraged to approach the complainee or the third party with their complaint. The third party will record the complaint in writing and endeavour to satisfactorily resolve it;
• if the complainant is unable to approach the complainee, or the complaint cannot be satisfactorily resolved, a formal complaint may be made to ABC Licence Training by email to [email protected], with the outcome provided to the complainant in writing within 28 days.

The assessment appeals process

ABC Licence Training will consider all appeals against assessment decisions in accordance with the following:

• students are entitled to two attempts of each assessment;
• within seven days of the date the results are received, the student will contact the approved trainer for feedback and to arrange a mutually convenient time to undertake a second attempt;
• the approved trainer will endeavour to provide a mark to the student within seven days of the second attempt;
• if the student wishes to appeal the mark from the second attempt, they are to email [email protected] within seven days of receiving the marks;
• within seven days of this email, ABC Licence Training will arrange for an independent trainer or assessor to remark the assessment, occurring within a further seven days. Fees payable for the independent remark are payable by the student, and ABC Licence Training will advise of such fees prior to arranging the remark;
• if the student does not pass following independent remarking, the appeal should be put in writing in the Appeals Form via email to [email protected] within seven days of receiving their mark;
• on receipt of the Appeals Form, a meeting with ABC Licence Training is arranged, which can be face to face or by phone, and the student can elect to have a representative present. A memorandum of the meeting is prepared setting out the reasons for the appeal, the agreed proposed solution, and the agreed timeframe in which the appeal will be addressed. Both parties sign this memorandum.

Complaints and appeals, alternative contacts

If the appeal or complaint is unable to be resolved by the above processes, alternative avenues of complaint may be made to:

• for non-training issues such as disputes over refunds or charges: the Office of Fair Trading in the relevant state;
• for complaints that relate directly to RTOs providing training and assessment processes that do not meet the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015: the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA);
• for any Work Health and Safety issue: WorkCover, phone 1300 362 128.

Record keeping

All complaints and appeals are treated as confidential. They are recorded in the Complaints and Appeals Register with records of all communications and formal decisions attached. In the case of an assessment appeal, copies of the assessment, outcome results records, and assessor feedback are also retained in the student file. We retain such records for periods required by relevant records-keeping laws.

Monitoring and improvements

All complaints and appeals are used to inform our Quality Assurance Process. All complaints and appeals are tabled for discussion at staff and management meetings as a standing agenda item, and processes are developed and implemented accordingly to mitigate the risk of future complaints or appeals.

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Code of Conduct

Rights and Responsibilities

Purpose

This policy is implemented by ABC Licence Training to promote a learning environment for all of its students which is safe, supportive and compliant with all legal and ethical responsibilities of the RTO.

Policy

Students at ABC Licence Training are expected to follow our Code of Conduct contained in the Student Handbook.

All students have the right to:

• receive exceptional quality training, assessment and support that aims to meet individual requirements in accordance with the SRTOs 2015;
• be treated with respect at all times by fellow students and staff;
• receive training in an environment free from harassment, discrimination and victimisation;
• have their personal details and records kept securely in accordance with the Privacy Policy;
• have access to the information ABC Licence Training holds about them;
• have access to a fair and prompt complaints and appeals process;
• receive clear and accurate information about their training and assessment arrangements and progress; and
• be informed of any changes to agreed services and how these affect them, as soon as practicable.

A breach of the code of conduct may lead to disciplinary action against the student. Students are advised of their rights and responsibilities at the time of enrolment with ABC Licence Training.

All students, throughout their training and involvement with ABC Licence Training, are expected to:

• treat all staff and students with respect and not take part in any action that may offend or threaten others;
• refrain from discriminating, harassing or threatening any other person through their conduct, actions or words;
• refrain from drinking alcohol and/or smoking in the training environment;
• contribute to the learning environment in a positive manner and complete all assigned tasks on time;
• always provide true and accurate information as may be requested from time to time;
• follow all safety policies and procedures as directed by staff, and report any perceived safety risks;
• provide all requested information to ABC Licence Training and their third party in the enrolment form and thereafter as may be required to deliver the program and issue a final Statement of Attainment; and
• make payments for their training within agreed timeframes, where relevant.

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Respectful Environment

Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance in relation to the equal treatment of staff, third parties, approved trainers and students. ABC Licence Training believes in providing an environment free of discrimination, harassment or bullying of any sort, and one that promotes mutual respect for the rights of each individual.

This policy applies to all study- and work-related activities, including studying or working from home, business travel, work functions and when using social media, including any personal use, whether during or outside of study or work hours.

Policy

ABC Licence Training has a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination, harassment, bullying and vilification.

Your obligations

You must comply with this policy, and all Federal, State and Territory laws relating to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination (including sex discrimination), victimisation, and conduct that may cause a workplace environment to be hostile on the ground of sex.

You must not engage in any conduct which may be considered a breach of this policy or relevant laws. You may be personally liable for your behaviour, including criminal liability, if you engage in, or assist someone else to engage in, unlawful conduct. This is the case even if a person does not object to the behaviour at the time, as the absence of objection does not mean consent.

Everyone has a role to play in preventing and responding to unlawful behaviour. This is consistent with our existing workplace health and safety obligations to protect each other from harm, including psychological harm. Without exception, everyone is expected to behave in ways that are safe, respectful and inclusive. People who speak up about or report concerning behaviours make a valuable contribution to the health and safety of our workplace and student environment.

Bullying

Bullying refers to repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a person that creates a risk to health and safety. Repeated behaviour refers to the persistent nature of the behaviour over a period of time. Unreasonable behaviour is any behaviour that a reasonable person, having regard to the circumstances, would see as unreasonable, including behaviour that is victimising, humiliating, intimidating, or threatening.

Bullying can occur face to face and through electronic means such as social media or other digital platforms, including video calls. Bullying does not have to be intentional. If someone is being bullied due to a personal characteristic protected by anti-discrimination laws, it may also be a form of unlawful discrimination.

Bullying can take many forms, including jokes, teasing, nicknames, emails, pictures, text messages and social isolation, ranging from obvious verbal or physical assault to psychological abuse. Behaviours that may constitute bullying include yelling, screaming or other offensive and demeaning language; coercion; psychological harassment; intimidation; assigning meaningless or impossible tasks; deliberately inconvenient roster changes; undermining work performance by withholding vital information; and constant unconstructive criticism.

Reasonable management action taken by supervisors or managers to guide and direct the way work is done is not bullying. Examples include raising and managing performance issues, discussing the way work is performed, giving feedback, setting performance goals and standards, performance management processes, implementing organisational changes, discussing inappropriate behaviour, taking disciplinary action, termination of employment, and consulting or mediating between individuals.

Harassment

Harassment is unwanted, unwelcome or uninvited behaviour that makes a person feel humiliated, offended or intimidated. Examples include taunting or name calling, unwelcome practical jokes, threatening someone, mimicking someone's accent, offensive language, displaying offensive screen savers, email jokes or viewing inappropriate websites, and unwanted physical contact. A single incident is enough to constitute harassment, it does not have to be repeated.

Discrimination

Discrimination is treating or proposing to treat someone unfavourably because of a personal attribute protected by law. Protected personal attributes include race, colour, descent, national, ethnic or ethno-religious origin; age; religion; marital or relationship status; sex, sexual orientation, intersex status or gender identity; disability; family or carer responsibilities; pregnancy or potential pregnancy; breastfeeding; political opinion; industrial activity; and association with someone who has, or is assumed to have, one of these characteristics.

Discrimination can occur both directly and indirectly. Direct discrimination is when a person or group is treated less favourably than another in a similar situation because of a protected attribute, for example refusing to employ someone based on an assumption about their age. Indirect discrimination is when an unreasonable policy, requirement, condition or practice is imposed that disadvantages people with a protected attribute, for example requiring all employees to work a 12-hour shift, which indirectly disadvantages employees with family or carer responsibilities. For a requirement to be considered indirect discrimination, it must also be unreasonable.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is a specific form of harassment. It includes an unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome requests for sexual favours, or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature where it is reasonable to expect that a person would feel offended, humiliated and/or intimidated. A single incident is enough to constitute sexual harassment, it does not have to be repeated.

Sexual harassment can be physical, spoken or written. Examples include sexually suggestive behaviour such as leering, staring or suggestive comments or jokes; comments about a person's private life or appearance; deliberately brushing up against someone, touching, fondling or hugging; displaying offensive screen savers, photos, calendars or objects; repeated unwanted requests; inappropriate advances or requests for sex; sexually explicit posts on social media; insults or taunts of a sexual nature; intrusive questions about a person's private life; and behaviour that may also be a criminal offence, such as physical assault, indecent exposure, sexual assault, stalking or obscene communications.

Sexual harassment does not include behaviour based on mutual attraction, friendship and respect. If the interaction is welcome, invited, reciprocated or consensual, it is not generally sexual harassment.

Hostile workplace environments

Subjecting another person to a hostile workplace environment on the ground of sex is unlawful. Sexual harassment may occur where a workplace environment or culture is sexually charged or hostile, even if the conduct is not directed at a particular person. Examples of a hostile work environment include displaying obscene or pornographic materials, general sexual banter and innuendo, and offensive jokes.

Personal relationships

If people, including those in consenting relationships, behave in sexually inappropriate ways at work, it can create a sexualised atmosphere unwanted by others. Some personal relationships need to be disclosed as they give rise to perceived, potential or actual conflicts of interest, for example where one person has significant influence over the other's opportunities, remuneration and progress, where there is a significant power imbalance, or where the relationship could be disruptive to team dynamics or have reputational implications. Full and early disclosure of these relationships to your manager and HR is required.

Sexual harassment may arise where a personal relationship ends and the intimate behaviour of one person is no longer welcome. Support should be sought from your manager as soon as possible if you are concerned about your behaviour or that of a former partner.

Sex-based harassment

Sex-based harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a demeaning nature by reason of a person's sex, in circumstances where a reasonable person would have anticipated the possibility that the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated. Examples include displaying or circulating sexist material, asking intrusive personal questions based on a person's sex, making inappropriate comments or jokes based on sex, making sexist remarks about a specific person, and requesting a person to engage in degrading conduct based on their sex.

Bystanders

A bystander to sexual harassment is someone who witnesses an occurrence of sexist or sexually harassing behaviour, or who hears about it after it has occurred. ABC supports, encourages and enables bystanders to act and call out unacceptable behaviours. If you see or hear about sexual harassment, you may choose to become an active bystander by telling the other person you object to their behaviour and asking that it stop (if safe to do so), making a comment to diffuse the situation, talking to and listening to the person experiencing harassment, or reporting the matter to a manager or Human Resources. A bystander's action will depend on the situation, but the priority should always be personal safety and the safety of the person being harassed.

Victimisation

Victimisation is subjecting or threatening to subject someone to a detriment because they are involved in a complaint relating to unlawful bullying, discrimination or harassment. You must not engage in victimisation of any person involved in a complaint under this policy, including threatening someone involved in investigating a complaint. Victimisation does not include taking action against someone who has made false complaints or provided false information. ABC takes a zero-tolerance approach to victimisation of a bystander who reports sexually inappropriate behaviour or calls out such behaviour after witnessing it.

Reporting process

Where staff, job applicants, third parties, approved trainers, students or anyone interacting with our work environment feel they are being discriminated against, harassed, bullied and/or vilified, or have witnessed any such incidents, they must:

1. immediately report the matter to ABC Licence Training by email at [email protected]. The privacy of the individual making the report will be respected at all times and all details of the investigation will remain confidential;
2. all complaints or allegations will be promptly investigated by ABC Licence Training within seven business days. Where additional time is required, ABC Licence Training will provide written advice and reasons for the extension;
3. any individual found in breach of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to expulsion for students or dismissal of staff, third parties or approved trainers; and
4. any individual investigated or subject to disciplinary action has the right to access the Complaints and Appeal Policy in respect of any decision made.

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Standards of Behaviour

Student Misconduct and Disciplinary Action

ABC Licence Training expects all its learners to abide by the student code of conduct and has zero tolerance towards disruptive or disrespectful behaviour from its learners. The assessor or trainer may, under certain circumstances, try to resolve the situation by giving a verbal warning in the first instance. If the behaviour is repetitive, the learner will be asked to leave the training venue. In such instances, the learner will not be eligible for a refund.

Learners may access the Complaints and Appeal process if they wish to do so. The following circumstances may be included as student misconduct:

• physically or verbally assaulting any person or persons on our training premises;
• destruction or damage to our property or premises, including venues of our third-party providers;
• colluding, plagiarising or cheating in assessment tasks;
• behaving in a way that discriminates against or harasses any of our staff or students;
• attending the training environment intoxicated;
• consuming illegal drugs or alcohol on our premises, including third party training venues; and
• failure to comply with reasonable instruction or supervision.

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Feedback and Improvement

Quality Indicator Reporting

Purpose

Under the Data Provision Requirements 2020, all Registered Training Organisations registered with ASQA are required to ask their students and employers for feedback and send a summary of it every year. ABC Licence Training is committed to ensuring quality training and assessment services and will engage in seeking learner and employer feedback regularly.

Feedback from students and employers is an important measure for both providers and ASQA. This helps providers focus on quality, continuous improvement and ongoing compliance with the Standards, while contributing to national benchmarking.

Policy

This policy and procedure supports the ASQA directive to collect and report data against the Quality Indicators. The Data Provision Requirements 2012 requires RTOs to provide an annual summary report to ASQA against the quality indicators. This ensures ABC Licence Training meets its reporting requirements and also assists continuous improvement processes to strengthen training and business performance, and to act responsively to identified issues and areas of concern.

Procedure: Data Collection and Collation

We ensure that all students are actively encouraged to provide feedback on their experience undertaking a course with ABC Licence Training, and use the feedback to suggest improvements and identify areas of concern.

Learner engagement and employer satisfaction

ABC Licence Training endeavours to gain feedback from students using the Learner Questionnaire and from employers using the Employer Satisfaction Survey. The Learner Questionnaire is completed by all students upon completion of their course of study, that is, upon issuance of the SOA. ABC Licence Training issues a copy of the survey to each student via the Training Hub, with a link emailed to the student. The Employer Satisfaction Survey is emailed to employers upon completion of the training.

All completed and returned surveys are reviewed by the appropriate delegate. The results are collated into reports with a summary of all responses, reviewed by the appropriate delegate and presented at monthly meetings. A copy of all completed surveys is maintained for a period of 12 months as evidence of the data collection process.

At the completion of each calendar year, the CEO (or appropriate delegate) is required to collate all data for the year. All data must be reported to ASQA by the applicable due date, submitted as per the required process set out by ASQA. A copy of all reports submitted to ASQA is stored in the Quality Indicators Folder.

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Honest Advertising

Marketing Policy

Purpose

ABC Licence Training and their third parties are committed to ensuring that all current and prospective students are in a position to make informed choices about all of our services and training products within our scope of registration.

The Marketing Policy of ABC Licence Training has been developed to support our requirement to provide accurate and ethical information and maintain integrity in all our marketing and promotional materials. All marketing materials and practices for ABC Licence Training are authorised by an appropriate delegate and checked for compliance prior to being disseminated.

Policy

ABC Licence Training will undertake regular checks to ensure that all co-provider websites and marketing materials adhere to the requirements under the SRTOs 2015, which also includes the use of the ABC Licence Training logo as their RTO logo, in accordance with ABC Licence Training's Marketing Guidelines.

Procedure

To ensure that all marketing and advertising materials are compliant, ABC Licence Training will, from time to time:

• ensure all materials are developed and/or published in accordance with ABC Licence Training's Marketing and Advertising Guidelines, audited from time to time;
• ensure that no misleading information is provided in any marketing materials, and that information provided accurately represents the training and assessment offered;
• review its training scope on training.gov.au to ensure the accuracy of units, including changes in training requirements or pre-requisites;
• undertake a review of all student and training information to ensure it remains compliant and up to date with the relevant requirements under the SRTOs 2015 and AQF; and
• where a new marketing material or practice is developed, initiate an implementation plan to ensure a smooth transition, destroy all old versions, and make staff and third parties aware of the changes.

Where ABC Licence Training or third parties use student testimonials for marketing and PR purposes, appropriate consent will be sought and recorded for compliance purposes. A nominated staff member will contact the party via telephone, email or in person to request a testimonial, explaining the request and giving all details as far as practicable with respect to the time, place, audience, reason and intention for using the testimonial. The testimonial will be solely used for the purpose explained to the client, and written consent obtained before use.

Misleading and deceptive conduct

All materials need to be accurate and not contain incorrect information. Consumer protection laws prohibit businesses from making statements or claims that are false, misleading or deceptive, or likely to mislead or deceive, about their products or services. Examples of conduct likely to constitute misleading or deceptive conduct include misrepresentation about the availability, nature or terms and conditions of services, and false or misleading testimonials and reviews.

Misleading claims made by others in comments on social media or otherwise online

A business can also be held responsible for posts or public comments made by others on its social media pages which are false or likely to mislead or deceive consumers. For example, a business may be held accountable where a fan posts untrue comments about a competitor's product on the business's social media page, the business knows the comments are untrue, but does not delete them.

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Document History

Version Control

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