Information and Transparency — Practice Guide¶
ASQA Practice Guide · Compliance Standards · Standards CS §7, CS §8 · Published 17 June 2025 · Version 1.0
Verbatim reproduction of the ASQA Practice Guide, extracted from the source PDF with layout preservation (via
pdftotext -layout). The body below preserves the original two-column table structure — performance indicators on the left, example activities and known risks on the right.Source: https://www.asqa.gov.au/for-providers/standards-for-RTOs/practice-guides
Companion docs: -
standards-outcome.md/standards-compliance.md— the underlying legislative text -standards-explanatory.md— the Explanatory Statement commentary -compliance-reference.md— RTOpacks module × standard mapping
Practice Guide
Information and Transparency
Ver 1.0
Published 17 June 2025
Compliance Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations
Part 2 Compliance Requirements
Division 1 – Information and Transparency
What are the key concepts?
The following key concepts are covered in this practice guide:
Compliance requirements
• Marketing and advertising
• Guarantees and inducements
Achieving these Compliance Requirements in practice
The following tables provide guidance on meeting the Compliance Requirements as well as risks to
mitigate or avoid. These should be considered within the context, size, scale and student cohorts of your
RTO’s operations.
Marketing and advertising
Requirement Example activities and other considerations for
compliance
1. An NVR registered training organisation • You can demonstrate how you ensure that all
must ensure any advertisements or marketing marketing and advertising materials are quality
materials published or disseminated by the assured against the Standards, factual and
organisation, a third party or an expert accurate before being distributed.
engaged by the organisation: • You have evidence of regular reviews of your
a. include the organisation’s registration marketing and advertising materials to ensure
code or a link to the part of the National they remain accurate and current, including
Register where the organisation’s when:
registration code is located; o a training product is superseded, removed,
b. where the advertisements or marketing or deleted
materials refer to the organisation’s o there are changes to your scope of delivery
services – accurately represent those
services, including by distinguishing the o there are changes to your training or
types of training and assessment that assessment strategies
will result in the issuance of AQF o the delivery mode or location changes.
certification documentation from any • Where financial support arrangements are
other training and assessment delivered available, you ensure that the marketing and
by the organisation or a third party; advertising of those arrangements is clearly
c. include accurate information regarding stipulated, including:
any financial support arrangements o who is providing the funding arrangement
available in respect of the services o whether there are additional costs
referred to in the advertisements or associated with the funding arrangement
marketing materials; and o whether the arrangement will impact other
d. do not refer to or imply a connection with entitlements students may be receiving.
another person unless the consent of that • Where government funding is being used, you
person has been obtained. ensure your marketing meets any additional
Note: Section 2C of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901
requirements stipulated in the funding contract.
provides that the term “person” includes a body • You retain evidence that you have gained prior
politic or corporate as well as an individual. consent of any person/s featured in your
2. Where the advertisements or marketing advertising or marketing materials.
materials refer to a training product, an NVR • You can show how you obtain confirmation
registered training organisation must ensure from relevant licensing bodies or industry
the advertisements or marketing materials: regulators that students will be eligible to
a. include the code and title of the training obtain a license before marketing training
product as published on the National products as leading to licensed outcomes.
Register;
• Where a third party has been engaged, you
b. accurately represent the training products ensure that all marketing and advertising clearly
on the organisation’s scope of states what is being delivered by you and what
registration; is being delivered by the third party.
c. only refer to a training product that is no • You collect feedback from students about
longer current while it remains on the whether they received the services that were
organisation’s scope of registration and advertised and use that information to review
new enrolments are permitted; and your marketing materials and practices.
d. only represent that completion of a
training product will lead to a licensed or Known risks to compliance
regulated outcome where this has been • Not remaining aware of all the marketing and
confirmed by the relevant industry advertising material that is in circulation that
regulator. relates to your RTO.
3. Where advertisements or marketing materials • Omitting the full title or code of a training
refer to services that an NVR registered product in your advertising.
training organisation has engaged an expert
or third party to deliver – the organisation • Not clearly distinguishing on your advertising or
must ensure the advertisements or marketing marketing materials what is Nationally
materials identify which services will be Recognised Training (in accordance with
delivered by the expert or third party, Schedule 2 – Nationally Recognised Training
including where an expert or third party is: Logo and Conditions of Use Policy) and what is
non-accredited training.
a. recruiting prospective VET students on
behalf of the organisation; or • Marketing training products that are superseded
and no longer able to accept enrolments.
b. delivering training and assessment on
behalf of the organisation. • Marketing training products that are deleted or
removed from the National Register.
• Neglecting to update advertising and marketing
materials when delivery changes.
• Using images on your advertising or marketing
materials of facilities or resources which do not
accurately depict those used by your RTO.
• Failing to ensure that your advertising and
marketing content complies with Australian
Consumer Law, such as ensuring that your
RTO:
o is honest in its dealings
o can prove any claim you make or advertise
o only makes claims that are true, accurate
and based on reasonable grounds.
Guarantees and inducements
Requirement Example activities and other considerations for
compliance
An NVR registered training organisation must • You can demonstrate how you ensure that your
not make any verbal or written guarantees that a staff, including those engaged by third parties, do
VET student: not make verbal or written guarantees to
a. will successfully complete a training students (including prospective students) about
product; the outcome of their training.
b. can complete a training product in a • You ensure that your marketing is consistent with
manner which is inconsistent with any of the requirements of the training product/s being
the requirements set out in an instrument advertised, including:
made under section 185 of the Act, as in o the expected duration of training
force from time to time; or o any mandatory work placement components.
c. will obtain a particular employment
• Where pathways are available to complete the
outcome, where obtaining such an
training product in a shorter duration, you ensure
employment outcome is not within the that advertising makes clear any criteria for that
organisation’s control. pathway to be available.
• You ensure that your marketing does not state or
imply that students will obtain a guaranteed
employment outcome from their training, unless
that outcome is within your organisation’s control.
Known risks to compliance
• Implying students can complete their training
faster without specifying how (e.g. pathways for
existing competencies).
• Implying that students will obtain a particular
employment outcome or licence where this is
outside of your control.
• Enrolling students into a training product that is
not appropriate for them.
Self-assurance questions
1 How do you ensure that marketing and advertising materials are quality assured against the
Compliance Requirements before being distributed?
2 How will you maintain evidence of all your RTOs marketing and advertising materials if copies are
requested by ASQA?
3 Do you offer any training that is not nationally recognised? If yes, how are you distinguishing
between that training and Nationally Recognised Training in your advertising?
4 How are you ensuring students are fully informed of any funding arrangements associated with
their training, and any associated conditions?
5 How often are you checking your advertising and marketing materials to ensure they remain
accurate and current? How do you ensure your third parties dispose of outdated materials when
new ones are produced?
6 Are you offering licensed or regulated courses? If yes, how do you ensure that your staff only
represent that completion of a training product will lead to a licensed or regulated outcome where
this has been confirmed by the relevant industry regulator?
7 Are you engaging any third parties to deliver services to students? If yes, how does your
marketing and advertising material provide clarity to students about what elements of their training
will be delivered by you, and what will be delivered by the third party?
8 How are you collecting feedback from students and industry to ensure your marketing is creating
accurate perceptions and expectations of the training experience?
9 How do you ensure that your staff, including those engaged by your third parties, are not stating or
implying guaranteed outcomes, or offering inappropriate inducements, to prospective students?
Source: ASQA Practice Guide — Information and Transparency. Published 17 June 2025, Version 1.0. Authority: Australian Skills Quality Authority. These guides interpret the Standards for RTOs 2025 into practical compliance guidance. The PDF was extracted with pdftotext -layout to preserve the two-column table structure of the original document.