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1. Unique Student Identifier (USI)
Alison Anlezark
Manager, Policy support unit
NCVER
e-portfolio Australia Conference, 2011
17-18 October 2011

2. Presentation outline
 Rationale for a USI
 USI update
► status
► purpose
► scope
► underlying principles
► approach
► consultation
► timelines
► critical success factors

3. Status
 USI business case out-of-session to Senior
Officials in October 2011
 Pending approval, business case to COAG
later in the year

4. Expert input
 Data & Performance Measurement Principal
Committee
 Expert Advisory Panel
 Information Integrity Solutions (privacy, legal,
governance)
 3 Pillars Asia Pacific (technological solution)
 Nous Consulting (Stakeholder consultation)

5. Rationale
 “Improving data collections for all education
sectors is of critical importance to Australia. A
national student identifier could track students as
they progress through education and training
and would further support a seamless schooling,
VET and higher education experience for
students. It would also provide valuable data to
facilitate a VET system that is more responsive
and flexible.” – COAG, Dec 09

6. Purpose
 The unique student identifier (USI) is
designed to achieve two primary purposes:
► To enable governments to support national
student-centred training models by providing
a single source of information on an
individual’s vocational education and training
(VET) history
► To provide individuals with a composite and
authenticated personal record of their national
vocational education and training history.

7. Scope
 A unique number which will be required for all
VET students
► Applies across all accredited VET programs
under the Australian Qualifications
Framework (AQF)
► Is of national scope and operation, covering
all registered training organisations
► Applies to all international and VET in schools
students enrolled in AQF qualifications with
an Australian provider

8. Underlying principles
 Student-centred approach
► Students know and own their USI, but can
disclose it to their training provider
 Builds on existing systems, for example the
Learner Unique Identifier (LUI) could be
supplied instead of the USI, with linking via
the USI register

9. Underlying principles (2)
 Established as a coherent national initiative,
with agreed administrative arrangements
 A cross-sectoral framework for the USI is
established for the whole education and
training system
► with implementation first in VET
 Student identifying information is quarantined
and stored separately from training activity
► requires a USI registry

10. Technological design
Step 1: Establish & build the USI register
Ability to store, issue & maintain a USI for each VET student.
Step 1.1: Greater functionality of USI register
Ability to interact with the USI register via secure web
interface.
Step 2: Retrieval of VET activity & achievement data
Ability to generate transcript of VET activity and achievement through
linking with the National VET Provider Collection.
Foundation for future services and innovations such as
e-portfolios.

11. USI proposed model

12. Critical success factors
 Governance & legislation
► USI project manager
► host agency for USI register
► Legislation with clearly stated purpose
 Privacy
► Privacy by design
► Layered defence
 Costs
► Requires ongoing commitment

13. Consultation to date
 ‘Green paper’ on www.training.com.au in
August 2010
 Nous Consulting Group consultations in May
2011 available on www.ncver.edu.au
► face to face and telephone interviews
► student on-line survey

14. Stakeholder Consultation
 USI perceived as important, but not essential
 Government recognise USI as an enabler of
student entitlement models
 Conditional support for USI from students &
RTOs
► Student support subject to privacy concerns &
data integrity issues being addressed
► Mixed support from RTO, administrative &
system change costs of concern
 Front loaded costs, back-loaded benefits (e-
portfolio, electronic transcripts)
 Ongoing communication important

15. Student perceptions
Student self-rated assessment on 7-point Likert scale of 1-7, with 7 being strongly
agree, and 1 strongly disagree.

16. Project management (likely to be DEEWR)
Communication with key stakeholders
Draft and pass required legislation
Establish USI register
agency
Procure IT
services
Technological
build USI register
Technological build link to
National VET Provider
Collection
Build transcript
service
USI
Release
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

17. More information
 USI project update: www.training.com.au
 Nous discussion paper:
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2412.ht
ml
 Nous stakeholder report:
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2413.ht
ml
 COAG communiqué:
http://www.coag.gov.au/coag_meeting_outco
mes/2011-08-19/index.cfm