Policy - Training Packages

• Training Package developers must comply with key VET sector policies to ensure Training Packages reflect the diversity of Australia’s VET clients and Australia’s current and future workforce.
• Training Package developers, and the National Quality Council (NQC) in endorsing Training Packages, must meet their obligations under Commonwealth anti-discrimination legislation and associated standards and regulations.
• Training Package developers must ensure that Training Packages are flexible and that they provide guidance and recommendations to enable reasonable adjustments in implementation.
• An Equity Report must be completed on endorsed components being submitted to the NQC and provided to the member of the Quality Assurance Panel undertaking the Quality Report which forms part of the Case for Endorsement submission to the NQC.

• ISC Upgrade
  An ISC Upgrade does not change the endorsement status of a Training Package or its version number, and can include:
• edits, deletions and enhancements to the content of existing units of competency where the structure and overall outcomes remain consistent with the original outcomes
• identification of skill sets using endorsed units of competency
• addition and updates of imported units of competency
• removal or addition of endorsed units of competency from or to elective bank, with a maximum of one per qualification at any one time
• addition of later versions of units of competency, for example ‘A’ to ‘B’
• addition of employability skills.

Note: ISC Upgrades can only be made to current endorsed components of Training Packages.

• NQC Endorsement Required
  ISCs must prepare a Case for Endorsement for this category of change, and, after NQC endorsement, the Training Package version number is incremented. This category includes:
• addition of a new industry sector or stream
• addition of a new or imported qualification
•  removal or replacement of an existing qualification
• addition of new units of competency not already on the National Register (NTIS)
• addition or deletion of a core unit in a qualification
• amendment to an element or performance criteria of a unit of competency
• modification to the Assessment Guidelines, e.g. identification of assessor requirements related to legislative requirements for licensing purposes
• changes to units of competency that have a significant impact on resources for delivery
• changes to pre-requisites for units of competency
• changes to qualification packaging rules.

• ISCs must notify STAs and the Department of ISC Upgrades of Training Packages identifying all changes. 
• STAs will advise relevant RTOs.

Note: When NTIS functionality permits, NTIS will automatically notify STAs and relevant RTOs of new versions of Training Packages.

• Each industry Training Package has a five-character code followed by a unique and concise title reflecting the industry covered. For example, in the TAA08 Training and Assessment Training Package, ’TAA’ identifies the industry area, ’08’ identifies the year of endorsement, and the title reflects its industry coverage.  
•  When assigning Training Package codes and titles Training Package developers must:
• always use the code in full, followed by the title
• not use spaces between any characters in the code
• use uppercase letters and Arabic figures
• not use ampersands, full stops or slashes
• use a title that is unique, concise and reflects the broad industry covered
•  not use the words ‘Australian’ or ‘National’ in the title, except by special permission from the Department
• use ‘Z’ as the first letter in enterprise Training Packages
• if a new industry sector is added during the endorsement period, retain the Training Package’s original endorsement year code.
• It is important that developers do not confuse the Training Package code (which remains the same during the endorsement period) with the version number (which can change in the endorsement period).
• The code of a reviewed Training Package must reflect the endorsement year of the review.
• Where the whole Training Package is reviewed, its code changes and it is considered to be a new Training Package for the purposes of version control, and is Version 1.

• ISCs must apply continuous improvements to Training Packages during their endorsement period in accordance with the processes outlined in the document Training Package Development and Endorsement Process 2008.

•  Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) must fulfil their roles and responsibilities in the NQC-agreed processes as outlined in the Training Package Development and Endorsement Process 2008  and supporting documents.

• The Endorsement Date is the date on which the National Quality Council (NQC) endorses the Training Package content.
• The Endorsement Date is added to the Training Package on NTIS by the Department prior to publication on NTIS.

• Where a Training Package is revised (including ISC Upgrades and NQC Endorsement Required), the affected qualifications and units should be implemented within six months, but no later then twelve months from the date those qualifications or units are published on the NTIS.
• All new enrolments after twelve months from the date of publication are to be in the new qualifications or units.
• RTOs can apply for registration to deliver new qualifications or units immediately following their public availability (on the NTIS), and can commence delivery as soon as their scope of registration includes the endorsed qualifications or units.
• RTOs cannot apply for registration for qualifications/units of competency which have been superseded.

• Each Training Package must include introductory text on the specific Training Package, providing an overview of its coverage, its features and the industry to which it relates.

• Training Package developers must ensure that language, literacy and numeracy requirements are explicit and recognisable within the Training Package.
• Language, literacy and numeracy requirements in Training Packages must reflect and not exceed the LLN skills required in the workplace to carry out particular jobs.

• Mandatory text for the Training Package Overview section of the Training Package has been agreed by States and Territories and the Australian Government, and must be included.
• Training Package developers must not alter the mandatory text; however contextualisation advice for a particular industry may be added at the end of the mandatory text section.

• When Training Packages are reviewed, developers must provide sufficient information in the Training Package to help users understand its relationship with its predecessor.
• The relationships between units of competency and qualifications must be stated by mapping them against their predecessors, showing any differences and equivalences.
• Information must be sufficient for users to see exactly what has changed and to assist them in determining matters such as resourcing, impacts on training for particular qualifications or job profiles, and transition arrangements.

• The Ministerial Approval Date is the date on which, following an NQC endorsement process, the Ministers for vocational education and training approve the publication of the Training Package on the National Training Information Service (NTIS).
• The Department will add the Ministerial Approval Date to the Training Package prior to releasing it live on the NTIS.

• Training Packages must be developed in a format that is compatible with the National Training Information Service (NTIS).
• The NTIS Content Authoring Tool (CAT) must be used unless prior agreement has been reached between the ISC and the Department regarding an alternative method.

Note: When NTIS functionality permits, all Training Package content will be entered into the NTIS prior to endorsement.

• Training Packages are available through the NTIS or for purchase as physical copies.
• The preliminary pages in all physical copies of Training Packages must include the following summary information.
• The title page must include:
•  the endorsed Training Package code and title
• a statement that the document comprises the Training Package endorsed components, or part thereof if in multiple volumes
• the volume number, indicating the number of volumes, e.g. Volume I of III
• the volume title or specific industry sector coverage
• a statement that the volume is not to be used in isolation, but must be used in the context of the whole endorsed Training Package
• a list of the titles of all associated volumes, including reference to the Assessment Guidelines and any common units of competency, in Volume I
• the Review Date.
• The Imprint page must provide publication details and must include:
• © Commonwealth of Australia 200x (where ‘x’ is the year of publication)
• any special acknowledgements if applicable
• name and contact details of publisher
• month and year of first publication
• stock code or barcode if applicable
• ISBN Number
• name of printer
• Standard Departmental Copyright statement and disclaimer. If applicable, also include any agreed copyright arrangements or acknowledgements such as a statement acknowledging the copyright of other parties
• version number and date (do not confuse this with the Training Package code)
• Release Date
• the Review Date.
• Training Package developers must include the following statement in the footer of every page of the Training Package: ‘© Commonwealth of Australia 200x’ (where ‘x’ is the year of publication)
•  A contents page must be provided in all volumes of a Training Package.
• The mandatory text entitled ‘Preliminary Information – Important Note to Users’ must be included, with ISC details as applicable, and completed tables listing all qualifications, units of competency and skill sets in the Training Package.

• Training Package developers must note that Training Package content is owned by the Commonwealth of Australia.
• It is accessible on the NTIS via an AEShareNet Free for Education (FfE) Licence. In summary, the AEShareNet FfE Licence enables organisations to use and print endorsed Training Package content for educational purposes, under specified conditions (see <www.aesharenet.com.au/FfE2/>).
• Uses beyond that allowed by the AEShareNet FfE Licence, e.g. commercial distribution and sale, require a separate copyright approval from the Department—only ISCs and TVET have been granted a licence to exploit Training Packages commercially and produce and sell physical (e.g. print, CD-ROM) copies of full or partial Training Packages.

• Each Training Package must include version modification history information which clearly identifies to end users any changes—what has been changed, and when they were made.
• All changes, that is 'ICS Upgrade' and 'NQC endorsed' changes, must be recorded in the version modification history table.
• In any physical copies (e.g. print, CD ROM) of a Training Package, this information will be contained within the version modification history table.
• The assignment of version numbers, and the inclusion of additional information within the version modification history table, must adhere to the following:
• most recent information is provided at the top of the table
• version numbers are incremented if an NQC Endorsement Required category of change is made
• new, imported and deleted qualifications are listed by code and title
• new, imported and deleted units of competency are listed by code and title
• any changes to the qualification packaging rules are referenced to the relevant section and volume of the Training Package
• any inserted additional text is referenced to the relevant section and volume of the Training Package
• typographical edits are not separately identified or referenced (but may be referred to in general)
• reviewed Training Packages are treated as new Training Packages (and as such must include mapping of the new Training Package to its predecessor, and will be Version 1 of a new Training Package code). 

• The Release Date is the date on which the Training Package is released live on the NTIS.
• The Department will insert the Release Date when the Training Package is made publicly available. 

• Training Packages are normally endorsed for a three year period. During this period ISC Updates and NQC Endorsement Required changes may occur, but the original Review Date for the Training Package remains the same.
• The Review Date is the date by when the whole Training Package must be reviewed and submitted to the NQC for endorsement.
• The Review Date is not an expiry date—endorsed Training Packages and their components remain current until they are reviewed or replaced.
• In the physical copy (e.g. print, CD-ROM), the Review Date is shown on the title page.

• The first release of the Training Package (including reviewed Training Packages) is Version 1.
• If NQC Endorsement Required changes are made to a Training Package during the endorsement period, its version number must be incremented (noting that Arabic figures are used for version numbers and that the increment is by a whole number, not a decimal point).