All elements of delivery and assessment of school-based vocational education and training (VET) must be overseen or provided by a registered training organisation (RTO).

A school can either become an RTO or partner with an RTO registered to provide the required training and qualifications. When partnering with an RTO, there is no need for the school to register as an RTO.

School and RTO partnerships

There are two possible delivery methods for VET in schools.

Total delivery by an external RTO

Students attend classes at an RTO’s premises for the delivery of all off-the-job training. It is an option best suited to small numbers of participating students where it is not cost effective for the school to allocate staff and resources to the delivery of the training.

Partial delivery by an external RTO

Where a school can meet all the training requirements of the course, but does not want to undergo registration and compliance procedures, it can arrange to deliver all the off-the-job training while the RTO is responsible for any on-the-job training, certification, quality assurance, and issuing the qualification.

Schools as RTOs

A school may apply to become an RTO for the provision of specified qualifications. When registered, the school becomes responsible for the provision of delivery and assessment and may issue the qualification.

 A school that elects to become an RTO will need to meet the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) standards for RTOs as well as demonstrate its capacity to deliver the specified training in its scope of registration.