CODE OF CONDUCT FOR
REGISTERED TRAINING ORGANISATIONS
Right Way program documents
Prepared by: Project Portfolio
Margot Homersham
Address:
3/1a Bishops Avenue
RANDWICK NSW 2031
Mobile:
0402 830 872
email:
projectport@optusnet.com.au
For further information on the contents the Right Way Fact Sheets or to provide comment, please contact:
Service Skills Australia
Kit McMahon, General Manager
Address:
Level 10, 171 Clarence Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Phone:
(02) 8243 1200
Fax:
(02) 8243 1299
email:
kmcmahon@serviceskills.com.au
Web site:
www.serviceskills.com.au
Contents
The Right Way Program for the Service Industries ...............................................................................1 A Need for Quality Training and Assessment......................................................................................................... 1 The Right Way – Recognising Quality in Training & Assessment ......................................................................... 1 The Aims of the Right Way Program ....................................................................................................................... 1 The Suite of Right Way Products ............................................................................................................................ 2 Right Way Training Facility ................................................................................................................................. 2 Right Way Trainer & Assessor ............................................................................................................................ 2 Right Way Training Resource ............................................................................................................................. 2 Period of Right Way Recognition and Renewal................................................................................................. 2 Right Way Industry Recognition Process ............................................................................................................... 3 Right Way Code of Conduct for Registered Training Organisations ...................................................4 Purpose .................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Coverage .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Maintenance of RTO Status .................................................................................................................................... 4 Scope of Right Way Recognition............................................................................................................................. 4 SSA Case Manages and Advises Final Assessment Decisions............................................................................. 5 Engagement of Industry Advisors ........................................................................................................................... 5 Offers of Gifts, Benefits or Payments ..................................................................................................................... 5 Use of the Right Way Logo ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Use of the Right Way Name .................................................................................................................................... 6 Notification of Facility Changes .............................................................................................................................. 6 Notification of any other Material Fact .................................................................................................................. 7 Period of Right Way Recognition and Renewal ..................................................................................................... 7 Suspension and Cancellation ................................................................................................................................. 7 Declaration of Commitment to the Right Way Code of Conduct for Registered Training Organisations ........... 8 Code of Conduct for Registered Training Organisations
The Right Way Program for the Service Industries
A Need for Quality Training and Assessment
It is a basic principle of vocational education and training (VET) that participants should receive quality
training and be assessed according to the robust requirements prescribed within National Training
Packages. Yet service industry stakeholders have consistently reported poor outcomes to Service Skills
Australia (SSA) across all the service industries:
The Right Way – Recognising Quality in Training & Assessment
In response, SSA has developed a range of products and services collectively known as the Right Way.
This program, part of SSA’s strategic work to achieve quality skills outcomes throughout the service
industries, focuses on three key areas:

quality training and assessment facilities

quality trainers and assessors

quality learning resources
Effective outcomes of training and assessment are inextricably linked to the quality of these core
components of the VET system.
Through the Right Way, SSA provides industry recognition of facilities, trainers, assessors and learning
resources.
Participants in this industry recognition system must adhere to standards and provide evidence of quality
through an application and assessment process operated by SSA and its network of agencies.
The Aims of the Right Way Program
Through the Right Way program, Service Skills Australia aims to:

ensure and recognise the provision of quality training and assessment by Registered Training
Organisations (RTOs)

build the capability of trainers and assessors who work in the service industries

promote the development of and recognise effective learning resources which align to Training
Package content

achieve quality skills outcomes throughout the service industries
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SERVICE SKILLS AUSTRALIA: The Right Way
The Suite of Right Way Products
The following suite of three individual products and services is collectively known as the Right Way:
Right Way Training Facility
RTOs that adhere to the environmental and resource requirements prescribed within
the Evidence Guide of Training Package competency standards and in the Assessment
Guidelines can achieve industry recognition of their training facilities. Each facility,
positively checked by an Industry Advisor, will be an industry recognised Right Way
Training Facility.
Right Way Trainer & Assessor
Individual trainers and assessors who have the required industry experience, current
vocational competencies and a qualification in training and or assessment can
achieve industry recognition as a Right Way Trainer and or Assessor. To maintain this
recognition, they must participate in professional development activities.
Right Way Training Resource
Developers of any type of training and or assessment resource designed to align to a
service industry Training Package can achieve industry recognition of the material as a
Right Way Training Resource. Developers can be any type of organisation including
RTOs.
Period of Right Way Recognition and Renewal
Right Way recognition is granted for an initial period of three years and can be renewed for subsequent
three year periods. Applications for renewal should be lodged no later than two months prior to the expiry
date of recognition.
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Code of Conduct for Registered Training Organisations
Right Way Industry Recognition Process
Right Way Facility
RTOs which achieve facility
recognition adhere to the Right
Way Code of Conduct for RTOs
throughout the 3 year period of
recognition.
Right Way Trainer & Assessor
Trainers & assessors who
achieve industry recognition
participate in and report on
professional development
activities within the 3 year
period of recognition.
Right Way Training Resource
Developers of training
resources who achieve industry
recognition monitor, evaluate &
update the currency of
resource content within the 3
year period of recognition.
!
Application Outcome is Advised.
Case Manager advises the applicant, in writing, of the outcome of any assessments within
seven (7) working days of the assessment.
Facility Recognition
Case Manager & Industry
Advisor jointly attend the RTO
site/s & complete a facility
evaluation within 25 working
days of receipt of all required
information from the RTO
applicant.
Trainer & Assessor
Recognition
Case Manager & Industry
Advisor jointly complete a full
assessment of trainer
application within 25 working
days of receipt of all required
information from the
applicant.
An applicant
who is refused
industry
recognition can
invoke the
appeals
process.
Training Resource Recognition
Case Manager & Industry
Advisor jointly complete a full
assessment of training resource
within 40 working days of
receipt of all required
information from the applicant.
Industry Advisor is Engaged
Case Manager engages an Industry Advisor with industry experience that matches the subject matter of the
application.
Application is Evaluated
SSA or Agency Assessor (Case Manager) conducts an initial evaluation within 10 working days of receipt and
advises applicant if further information is required to progress the application.
Application is Made
Organisation or individual applies in writing for Right Way Facility, Trainer & Assessor or Training Resource
Industry Recognition.
3
SERVICE SKILLS AUSTRALIA: The Right Way
Right Way Code of Conduct for Registered Training Organisations
Purpose
The Right Way program is an important part of Service Skills Australia’s strategic work to achieve quality
skills outcomes throughout the service industries. The ongoing competence and integrity of Registered
Training Organisations (RTOs) that achieve industry recognition of their facilities is essential to the
success of this goal.
The aim of the Code of Conduct for RTOs is to ensure that RTOs continue to provide facilities which meet
Training Package requirements throughout the life of their industry recognition and that they engage in
ethical promotion of Right Way recognition to consumers.
Coverage
This Code of Conduct outlines the obligations and standards of conduct expected of Registered Training
Organisations (RTOs) that participate in the Right Way Training Facility program.
It applies to all RTOs that achieve industry recognition of one or more training facility.
Your understanding of and adherence to this Code of Conduct is treated seriously by Service Skills
Australia. All relevant RTO personnel should read the Code, and abide by the conditions and obligations
set out within it. Please contact Service Skills Australia or your local agency should any of your
obligations be unclear.
It is not an extensive or burdensome code but it has been developed to ensure the integrity of the Right
Way program. Service Skills Australia reserves the right to amend this Code of Conduct on an ongoing
basis.
Maintenance of RTO Status
Before any training organisation can achieve Right Way Training facility recognition, it must have first
achieved RTO status with a state, territory or national government registration authority.
All RTOs that have achieved Right Way recognition must maintain its government registration status for
the life of the Right Way recognition period.
Scope of Right Way Recognition
An RTO will be provided with Right Way Training Facility recognition for a defined Service Industry Training
Package scope. This scope is determined by the qualifications you register to deliver and the units of
competence within those qualifications.
Where an organisation operates at multiple sites, a different scope may apply to each, depending on
facilities, equipment and resources available at each.
An RTO with Right Way recognition must only make claims according to the scope that applies to the
particular delivery site. This will affect such things as the information you provide to prospective students,
any of your advertising materials and the use of the Right Way logo.
4
Code of Conduct for Registered Training Organisations
SSA Case Manages and Advises Final Assessment Decisions
Only Service Skills Australia or agency personnel will provide the applicant with:

advice on how assessment deliberations are progressing during the assessment phase

written advice on the outcome of any assessment

information about the basis of any assessment judgement, no matter if the outcome is positive or
negative
Industry Advisors are not permitted to provide any verbal or written indication of whether industry
recognition has or has not been granted and any information on the basis of the final decision.
Registered Training Organisations must not contact Industry Advisors during the assessment phase to
seek any information about the assessment deliberations. All discussions and correspondence must be
directed to SSA or its agents until the assessment outcome has been advised to the applicant.
Engagement of Industry Advisors
RTOs have an opportunity to engage a Right Way Industry Advisor as an employee or consultant after the
Right Way program has introduced them to their organisation. These trusted Industry Advisors can assist
when RTOs are developing or planning the use of appropriate training and assessment facilities, engaging
suitable trainers and assessors and developing learning materials.
As an industry practitioner engaged by SSA to conduct assessments, the Industry Advisor must make a
fair, reliable and valid judgement based on a set of criteria. Their judgement cannot be influenced by any
other interest.
Therefore, RTOs must not during the assessment phase and until SSA or its agent has advised the
assessment outcome to the applicant:

promote future employment or consultancy assignments to Right Way Industry Advisors

hold discussions and negotiations about services sought from Right Way Industry Advisors

provide or accept a business card, resume or business profile
Offers of Gifts, Benefits or Payments
An applicant must not make an offer of a personal gift, benefit or payment in exchange for favours
provided in relation to the assessment to:

an SSA employee

an SSA agent

a Right Way Industry Advisor
5
SERVICE SKILLS AUSTRALIA: The Right Way
Use of the Right Way Logo
The Right Way Training Facility logo can:

only be displayed at the recognised facility which has been successfully evaluated by Service Skills
Australia or its local agency and at no other non - evaluated facility

be used on certificates issued to graduates but only for those qualifications on the RTO’s Right Way
scope for the particular facility. The full and correct national Training Package qualification title must
be used.

appear within marketing, advertising and course information materials whether print or electronically
based. This must be accompanied by the following statement:
“This qualification is offered at a Right Way Service Skills Australia industry recognised training facility”
No other statement can be used.
Use of the Right Way Name
The Right Way name can appear within marketing, advertising and course information materials whether
print or electronically based.
The RTO can only use this prescribed wording:
“This qualification is offered at a Right Way Service Skills Australia industry recognised training facility”
The marketing materials can only relate to those qualifications on the RTO’s Right Way scope for the
particular facility.
Notification of Facility Changes
Right Way recognition is based on a facility evaluation which includes a check on:

the training environment

equipment

resources - workplace documentation used on a day to day basis in industry workplaces
In order to maintain Right Way recognition, RTOs must advise Service Skills Australia or its local agency
whenever there is a material change to your facilities. A material change is one which would affect your
ability to meet the environmental and resource requirements prescribed within the Training Packages.
This may happen when you:

move premises

sell equipment and do not replace or upgrade it

have an agreement with an industry operator to use their workplace facilities which expires or is
cancelled
If you move premises or enter into a new agreement to use different facilities which have not been
evaluated, you cannot claim Right Way Training Facility recognition of that facility. This involves a new
application and site evaluation.
Notification must be provided in writing within fourteen (14) days of the change.
6
Code of Conduct for Registered Training Organisations
Notification of any other Material Fact
In order to maintain Right Way recognition, an RTO must advise Service Skills Australia or its local agency
of any material change to your organisation. This may include such things as:

change of business or trading name

change of ownership

the business is wound up or is subject to an application or order for winding up or a resolution is
passed for it to be wound up;

a liquidator, official manager, receiver or receiver and manager is appointed
Notification must be provided in writing within fourteen (14) days of the change.
Period of Right Way Recognition and Renewal
Right Way recognition is initially granted for a period of three years and can be renewed for subsequent
three year periods.
Applications for renewal should be lodged no later than two months prior to the expiry date of recognition.
Suspension and Cancellation
Compliance with the Right Way Code of Conduct for Registered Training Organisations is a condition of
maintaining industry recognition of its training facilities. A breach of this Code may be grounds for
suspension or cancellation of an RTO’s Right Way recognition.
SSA may suspend an RTO while investigating a complaint.
Where a review or investigation by SSA reveals a breach of any of the conditions of this Code of Conduct
SSA may cancel the RTOs industry recognition.
RTOs facing suspension or cancellation of their industry recognition will be notified of reasons and
allowed time to correct the breach and prove rectification.
7
SERVICE SKILLS AUSTRALIA: The Right Way
Declaration of Commitment to the Right Way Code of Conduct for Registered Training
Organisations
Business name of
entity
Surname of contact
First name
Title
Job title
Site address/es
This organisation participates in the Service Skills Australia Right Way program and shares a commitment
to maintaining its integrity.
I acknowledge that I have received a copy of the Right Way Code of Conduct for Registered Training
Organisations.
I agree to be bound by and comply with the obligations and standards of conduct expected of Registered
Training Organisations that participate in the Right Way Training Facility program.
Having authority to act on behalf of this organisation, I make this commitment on behalf of all personnel
employed and contracted by the abovementioned business entity.
Signature
This declaration must be attached to other application materials.
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Date: