A presentation by Bronwen Griffiths at the Horse SA People.Horses.Culture Conference 2016 http://www.horsesa.asn.au

1. Subheading
Presentation Title
Presenter’s name
00.00.2013
Subheading
Presentation Title
Presenter’s name
00.00.2013
Presentation to People.Horses.Culture
conference
Strategic Industry Review of
Equine Training
Presenter:
Bronwen Griffiths
Manager, Strategic Reviews

2. Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for Australia’s
vocational education and training (VET) sector. ASQA regulates courses and training
providers to ensure nationally approved quality standards are met.
• ASQA regulates approximately 86% of registered training organisations (RTOs)
nationally with 3929 ASQA-regulated providers as at 30 June 2015
• The remaining 14% of RTOs are regulated by Western Australian and Victorian state
authorities, which each regulate approximately 314 providers
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3. Regulatory Framework
1. NVR Quality Framework
The Vocational Education and Training (VET) Quality Framework comprises the:
• Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015
• Quality Standards
• Australian Qualifications Framework
• Fit and Proper Person Requirements (which, as of 2015, are part of the Standards)
• Financial Viability Risk Assessment Requirements, and
• Data Provision Requirements.
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ASQA regulates RTOs against:

4. Regulatory Framework continued…
2. Training Packages set by industry
The new model for developing and maintaining training packages places industry at the
centre of the process. IRCs are responsible for ensuring that training packages meet the
needs of employers and they have a direct relationship with the Australian Industry and
Skills Committee.
IRCs are supported by independent and professional Skills Service Organisations to
develop and review training packages, and to inform training package development
priorities. Skills Service Organisations will support industry reference committees to
engage with their industry sectors and will facilitate training product development under
the guidance of the committees.
Service Skills Organisations with coverage in the Equine training area are Skills Impact
and SkillsIQ.
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5. ASQA’s Strategic Industry Reviews
Under S35 (2) of the NVR Act:
The National VET Regulator may…review or examine any aspect of …an RTO’s
operations to determine any systemic issues relating to the quality of VET
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6. 5
ASQA’s Strategic Industry Review
• Systemic safety issues identified in the NSW Coroner’s report in response to a
death of a student at TAFE NSW
Why did ASQA review equine training?

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ASQA’s Strategic Industry Review – Equine training
Audits: 20 audits of RTOs delivering equine qualifications and units
were conducted.
Surveys: RTOs delivering training and employers. 39 RTOs were
surveyed that were identified as having one or more of the relevant
equine training products on scope.
Consultation: guided by the management committee which included
representatives from the former Industry Skills Councils, the Western
Australia and Victorian regulatory authorities, key safety and equine
stakeholder groups and the Commonwealth Department of Education
and Training
Methodology

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Key findings of the equine review
• Horse riding and horse handling activities occur in a range of income
earning, professional and amateur sport, and recreational settings cutting
across all age and ability groups. They encompass diverse professional,
amateur and recreational organisations and industry regulators.
• The single unifying theme across all settings is that there is risk in these
activities requiring a focus on safety and active risk identification and
management.
• Data indicates there are a significant number of injuries, hospitalisations
and fatalities that occur during horse riding and handling.
• While there are voluntary codes or guides for the horse industry, including
one developed by Safe Work Australia, there is no consistent approach
for managing work health and safety risks in the horse industry across
Australia.

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Key findings continued…
• As a result of the diversity of settings and activities, there are numerous
equine units of competency spread across five industry training
packages and many equine VET accredited courses.
• As VET is training for work and many horse-related activities are sport
and recreation based, a large amount of training also occurs outside
the VET system.
• This training landscape makes the market confusing for potential
students, who may find it difficult to identify training that matches their
needs and skill levels.

10. 9
Recommendations
Key recommendations of this review address the need for:
• changes to training packages to address safety and quality issues in equine
training
• a consistent approach for managing work health and safety risks in the horse
industry across Australia
• training packages to include minimum benchmarks around the amount of training
required for units of competency and VET qualifications
• the quality of assessment to improve
• greater clarity in training packages in relation to assessment evidence
• adequate provision of training and assessment in an actual or simulated
environment, and
• trainers and assessors to gain and maintain vocational competence.

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Recommendations continued…
Eleven recommendations are made in this report.
The review made these recommendations to address concerns about
the safety and quality of the training, including changes to relevant
training packages to strengthen the delivery of training and the
qualifications aimed at novice riders; specify the amount of training
required, and provide clearer requirements for assessment conditions.

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Recommendations continued…
Many of the recommendations require changes to be made to national
qualifications to address critical safety and quality issues.
ASQA will be working with industry representatives and training providers
in implementing the recommendations from the review.

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Questions

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Contact
Bronwen Griffiths, Strategic Industry Reviews (07) 3223 1082
Email – StrategicReviews@asqa.gov.au
ASQA website – www.asqa.gov.au
Review report
Available on the ASQA website – www.asqa.gov.au
 Media & publications
 Reports
ASQA’s Strategic Industry Review – Equine training
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