🚨 ASQA is flagging workforce capacity and capability as an ongoing compliance risk for RTOs

Recent performance assessments, ASQA has identified concerning non-compliances against Outcome Standard 3.1 under the Standards for RTOs 2025.

Outcome Standard 3.1 requires that the workforce is effectively managed to ensure appropriate staffing to deliver the services the RTO offers and that staff have access to continuing professional development to perform their roles effectively.

What ASQA is assessing here is whether your workforce model genuinely supports quality training and assessment — in practice. 

Areas of concern I continue to see in audits:

 • Over-reliance on a single Trainer/Assessor for many courses

 • Delivery hours scheduled, no time for marking, planning, support

 • Employment contracts not reflecting actual delivery 

 • Pay rates not aligned to Awards or NES

 • Expired employment or contractor agreements for current staff 

 • No payment evidence for casual contractors 

 • Financial records not aligning with declared staff

 • Insufficient trainers and assessors for scope and student numbers

 • No contingency strategy for planned or unplanned leave

 • No allocation for professional development activities

 • No Trainer and assessor credential verification for changes in their delivery 

Workforce Compliance Checklist:

 ✅ Is your workforce model feasible for scheduled delivery timetables? 

 ✅ Do you have sufficient trainers and assessors? 

 ✅ Do employment arrangements reflect actual practice?

 ✅ Is there sufficient staffing for the number of students and locations?

 ✅ Is there a documented contingency plan for any absence? 

 ✅ If trainer assessor course delivery changes, is new suitability verified?

 ✅ Is PD planned, relevant and allocated within workloads?

 ✅ Do financial records align with the current staffing profile?

 ✅ Is workforce capability reviewed as part of governance processes?

Compliance Tips:

• Develop a workforce planning model that includes non-delivery time for marking assessment and student support

 • Map staffing against scope, delivery modes, locations and cohort numbers

 • Implement a formal credential verification process and retain evidence

 • Align employment contracts with actual training and assessment schedules

 • Allocate and document time for VET and industry currency PD

 • Monitor workloads and staffing capacity on a scheduled basis

 • Establish documented backfill arrangements for leave

 • Use data (enrolments, delivery plans, completion timelines) to trigger resourcing decisions

Think about it:

If ASQA reviewed your training schedule, staffing profile and payroll records together — would they clearly demonstrate that your RTO has enough qualified people, with enough time, to deliver and assess your courses properly?

Need help?

If you’re unsure whether your workforce planning and PD framework meets Outcome Standard 3.1 and need a solution ! — contact me compliance@rtostandards2025.com.au