RTO Consulting Services

Ben Collins provides RTO consulting services for RTO initial registration, and ongoing assistance with RTO re-registration and ASQA audits. We can also provide assistance with Financial Viability Risk Assessment (FVRA) tool, and trainer skills mapping.

To become a registered training organisation (RTO), an entity must lodge an application for initial registration with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). For your application to be successful, you need to be able to demonstrate compliance with the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Quality Framework.

The VET framework includes the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015; the Fit and Proper Person Requirements; the Financial Viability Risk Assessment; the data provision requirements; and the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Complying with the Standards for RTOs

The Standards for RTOs have been established under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011, and specifies the requirements for all registered training organisations. It covers a broad range of matters including:

• How training and assessment (Standard 1)
• Quality assurance of RTOs (Standard 2)
• Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) certification documentation (Standard 3)
• The way information is provided to current and prospective students (Standard 4)
• How learners are informed and protected (Standard 5)
• How complaints are handled (Standard 6)
• Governance and administration (Standard 7)
• Cooperation with the regulator (Standard 8)

To comply with all of these standards, prospective RTOs need to develop and maintain an extensive range of documentation and procedures. For example, compliance with Standard 1 requires a training and assessment strategy (TAS) to be developed for each proposed cohort of learners. Each TAS will include everything from a prospective learner’s previous level of education, to the number of hours that learner will need to study for.

Timetabling and enrolment procedures need to be developed, and course materials need to be acquired. Ben Collins RTO consulting services will give you assurance that you are complying with the Standards for RTOs, get in touch below to learn more.

Complying with the Fit and Proper Person Requirements

The Fit and Proper Person requirements for RTOs is contained in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations Amendment (Fit and Proper Person) Instrument 2023 and applies to the managers and owners of the RTO. Essentially, those responsible for the RTO must be of good character and with a good compliance and financial history.

Complying with the Financial Viability Risk Assessment Requirements

The Financial Viability Risk Assessment requirements for RTOs are contained in the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Financial Viability Risk Assessment Requirements) Instrument 2021. To meet the requirements, a prospective RTO must be able to demonstrate that it can fund its operations and chart a course to profitability. This is demonstrated by the completion of an Excel tool that has been developed by ASQA: The Financial Viability Risk Assessment (FVRA) Tool. Once completed, the FVRA Tool has to be certified by a Qualified Accountant.

Ben Collins RTO consulting can assist you with completing the FVRA Tool and certifying it so that it satisfies the requirements. Get in touch below to learn more.

Complying with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

Prospective RTOs must also comply with the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF). The AQF is the the national policy guide for regulated qualifications in the Australian education and training system. Essentially, there are 10 levels of qualification – from Certificate i (Level 1) to a doctorate (Level 10). Qualifications must align to this framework to be considered Nationally Recognised Training.

Ben Collins CPA offers a range of RTO consulting services to assist with your initial registration application. This can range from a managing the entire process, or managing a small part of the process.

Our fee structure for RTO initial registration consulting is entirely success based. That means that if your registration is not successful, then you do not have to pay any fees. Fees can be either paid in cash on initial registration, or can be paid in equity of the newly registered RTO.

• Development of Business Plan as per guidelines (including two mandatory two-page ‘reason for registering an RTO);
• Provision of certified FVRA Tool

• Review of Initial Registration Documentation and Materials and management of Initial Registration Audit

• Note, you will need to spend a minimum of $15,000 – $30,000 on application fees and training materials.