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Training with External Registered Training Organisations for Public Schools Procedures

procedure

These procedures must be read in conjunction with the Duty of Care for Public School Students Policy.

2. Scope

These procedures apply to all principals in public schools managing situations when students are attending external Registered Training Organisation (RTO) delivery sites for training purposes.

3. Procedures

3.1 Training with an external registered training organisation

The principal will:

  • confirm that the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) is registered as per the requirements of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 and the Vocational Education and Training Act 1996;
  • sight the duty of care provisions of the RTO for students in its care;
  • confirm that an agreed management plan (Appendix A) between the school, RTO, student and parents to manage the student’s engagement with the RTO is developed; and
  • nominate an employee to:
    • implement the management plan (Appendix A);
    • monitor the implementation of the management plan;
    • liaise with the RTOs, the student and parents; and
    • confirm any duties that relate to teaching and learning, and curriculum activities are undertaken by one or more teachers.

Guidance

The employee nominated by the principal to be in charge of managing a school’s contracts with an external Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) does not have to be a member of the teaching staff.

Programs may include participating students spending part of a school week, term or year undertaking training provided by a RTO at a training facility away from the school site.  These procedures do not apply where the training is provided by an external provider on the school site; the school’s normal duty of care for students applies in these circumstances.

The RTO’s provisions should align with the Department’s Duty of Care for Public School Students policy.

For School Based Trainees and Apprentices, there is a shared duty of care between the school and the employer for the time when the trainee/apprentice is at training or in the workplace.

The Department’s required minimum level of public liability insurance cover to be held by external RTOs is $20 million.

For students with disability engaging in training with an external RTO, refer to Selecting Students for RTO Training guidelines.

Parents of Aboriginal students and those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities may require additional support in understanding communications and providing consent.  This may include the assistance of an Aboriginal staff member in some cases.

For information regarding the duty of care provisions which apply for students attending TAFE Colleges, see the Department of Training and Workforce Development’s Duty of Care for Minors Attending TAFE Colleges policy.

These procedures do not apply to students when they are undertaking training with an external RTO as part of a combination of options under a Notice of Arrangements (NOA). Where a student is undertaking training under such an arrangement, the school only has duty of care for that part of the week or term in which the student is still enrolled at the school.

Refer to –

  • Appendix B: Parent information about student enrolment in a VET program with an external Registered Training Organisation.
  • Appendix C: Parent/Carer/Guardian Consent Form for VET Program with an External Registered Training Organisation.
  • Appendix D: Consent and Health Care Information Form.
  • Appendix E: Checklist for Management Plan.

4. Definitions

A duty imposed by the law to take care to minimise the foreseeable risk of harm to another.

A business, organisation or individual with which the Department of Education, principal or their nominee has negotiated provision of a training service and/or expertise appropriate to a particular school activity.  Examples may include an incorporated body, a disability service provider, a Registered Training Organisation (public or private), a Group Training Organisation; or a university that coordinates or delivers an educational program, or part thereof, to students as part of their school program.

Students under 18 years of age living independently whom the principal decides (under Regulation 147 of the School Education Regulations 2000) may sign their own consent forms.

A person under the age of 18 years.

In relation to a child, a person who at law has responsibility for the long term care, welfare and development of the child; or the day-to-day care, welfare and development of the child.

An organisation registered by a state or territory regulatory authority to deliver training and/or conduct assessments and issue nationally recognised qualifications in accordance with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015.  Registered Training Organisations may be public (TAFE College) or private.

An adult with the official task of overseeing the provision of training for other persons or groups.

A group of adults with the official task of overseeing the provision of training for other persons or groups.

The building, site, grounds and/or facilities within or external to the school, at which training provided by an External Registered Training Organisation, occurs.

A member of staff appointed by the principal to undertake the school’s responsibilities for a Vocational Education and Training (VET) program. If any of the duties undertaken relate to teaching and learning, and curriculum activities, this role must be undertaken by a teacher.

5. Related documents

Aboriginal School Based Training program Employment based training pathway (Department of Training and Workforce Development Fact Sheet)

Aboriginal School Based Training Program Institutional Pathway 2018  (Department of Training and Workforce Development Fact Sheet)

Joint Ministerial Statement on Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Schools

Pre-apprenticeships in Schools 2018 (Department of Training and Workforce Development Fact Sheet)

Records Management Manual for School, College and Campus Records

The School Education Act Employees’ (Teachers and Administrators) General Agreement 2014

School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship Policy (Department of Training and Workforce Development)

School Curriculum and Standards Authority Western Australian Certificate of Education WACE Manual: General information for senior secondary schooling

TAFE Colleges’ Codes of Conduct

Duty of Care Policy for Minors Attending TAFE Colleges (Department of Training and Workforce Development)

Travel and Accommodation Allowance (TAA) Policy For Apprenticeships (Department of Training and Workforce Development)

Western Australian Pre-Apprenticeship Program Business Rules 2018 Western Australian TAFE Lecturers’ Certified Agreement 2014

6. Contact information

Policy manager:

Manager

Secondary, District High Schools and Post School Pathways

Policy contact officer:

Principal Consultant

Secondary, District High Schools and Post School Pathways

T: (08) 9402 6100

7. History of changes

Effective date Last update date Procedure version no.
1 January 2019 1.0
These new procedures support the Duty of Care for Public School Students policy that replaces the the Outdoor Education and Recreation Activities for Public Schools, Duty of Care VET for School Students Attending TAFEWA Colleges from Public Schools and Workplace Learning for Public School policies. Endorsed by the Director General at Corporate Executive on 9 August 2018.
1 January 2019 28 June 2023 1.1
Minor update to contact details (D23/1271576)

8. Appendices

Appendix A:  Management plan for students attending training provided by an external registered training organisation (DOCX file - 21.5kB)

Appendix B:  Parent information about student enrolment in a VET program with an external registered organisation (DOCX file - 17.1kB)

Appendix C:  Parent/carer/guardian consent form for VET program with an external registered training organisation (DOCX file - 15.4kB)

Appendix D:  Consent and health care information form (DOCX file - 15.4kB)

Appendix E:  Checklist for management plan (DOCX file - 20.6kB)