#Industry Engagement Policy
ACCM College is committed to ensuring that:
The College engages with employers and industry to ensure the industry relevancy of its qualifications
College staff maintain their professional competence and industry knowledge
We deliver quality training and assessment services that skill industry employees
We maintain a strong relationship with the industries we work with.
Industry engagement ensures that the College confirms with industry that the training and assessment content, structure, duration, learner resources, assessment tools, and that the quality of trainers and assessors will result in students who are skilled with the knowledge and ability to effectively undertake their industry job roles.
Industry engagement also assists College trainers and assessors and curriculum designers to maintain vocational competence and industry currency.
#Industry Engagement Policy Details
#Customisation of Resources and Assessments
a) Consistent with Training Package Qualification requirements, the College will add industry and/or organisation-specific information to a Unit of Competency to address the standard of performance required in the workplace and context. This will ensure that assessments reflect current industry expectations.
b) This information will be obtained by consultation with industry experts. These may be College staff and contractors with current vocational competence and/or external parties whether an industry representative or an association for that industry.
#Industry Validation of Resources and Assessments
a) ACCM College will confirm with industry that the program of training and assessment (including content, structure, duration, training and assessment materials, trainers and assessors, and other resources and components) will result in individuals who are equipped with the ability to participate in the industry.
b) Industry input is specifically obtained to inform us about the learning content requirements and also current practices against which we should contextualise assessment activities. Industry engagement methods involve learning material and program reviews, industry representative/client interviews, completion of surveys, and ongoing reviews of learning program feedback and outcomes.Â
c) In addition, information about current industry practice is obtained via ACCM College staff PD activities, attending industry conferences and expos, site visitations and tours, participation in industry network groups, subscribing to industry updates and legislation updates and via social networks amongst other activities.
d) Of critical importance to ACCM College qualifications is ensuring that compliance and legislative information in courses is maintained as current and reflects workplace practices. ACCM College therefore engages with industry regulators (e.g. ASIC, ACCC, APRA), industry associations, ITABs and Skills Service Organisations, and relevant government bodies and agencies e.g. Fair Trading, relevant NGOs and associated industry support organisations as circumstances and needs require.
e) The Validation Policy and Procedures outline the steps taken to achieve this as part of the validation processes.
f) Draft resources and assessment tools may be identified to be externally validated by industry experts prior to implementation.
#Training and Assessment Strategies
a) The strategy or approach to how we deliver training and conduct assessments is determined in response to client needs.
b) Typically a new program commences by a discussion with the prospective client about their needs. In response ACCM College will document its understanding of the needs and propose a strategy (or strategy options) to the client and seek further input or agreement from the client. Once the client agrees to one of the proposals, the finer details of the strategy are agreed to.
c) The Strategy will address the relevant qualification, relevant units (subjects), mode of delivery and logistics related to the same, the learning and assessment materials and assessment processes. In addition, specific aspects like timetabling of learning and assessment and any adjustments to learner material or assessments will be agreed to. Logistical details are recorded at client level in the ACCM College Dashboard so that this information is available to ACCM staff as needed.
d) ACCM College details of staff approved to train and assess specific subjects is maintained in the ACCM Dashboard, which records vocational and industry qualifications and PD. In addition, any agreed ACCM College staff member who will take on a client/program specific role is identified in Dashboard under that client/program.
e) A formal Training and Assessment Strategy document as such does not exist as one document. It is made up of a number of documents and Dashboard selection fields that address the timetabling, staffing and resourcing of that program, the assessment methodologies, learning resources and specific client requests.
f) Training and Assessment Strategies are supported by the Training and Assessment Policy.
#Staff Industry Engagement
a) ACCM College actively recruits staff directly from industry to bring into the organisation current industry skills and knowledge i.e. vocational competence. Vocational competency is defined as broad industry knowledge and experience, usually combined with a relevant industry qualification. A person who has vocational competency will be familiar with the content of the vocation and will have relevant current experience in the industry.
b) All College Trainers and Assessors will then maintain their vocational/industry currency and relevant experience by activities in accordance with the College’s Professional Development Policy.
c) We recognise that vocational competency must be considered on an industry-by-industry basis and with reference to any guidance provided in the relevant Training Package. As such a one size fits all PD program will not be effective. Rather, the PD needs of each staff member and industry course are actively reviewed.
d) Staff will be actively involved in: client site visits, meetings to review programs, updates of learner materials, and trainer and assessor networks amongst other activities to ensure that industry engagement activities provide a positive impact on the College's learning and assessment practices and content.
#Formal Employer Surveys
a) All employers are given the Quality Indicators Survey at the completion of a student. This allows input on a wide range of questions to be obtained and considered.
b) In addition, specific surveys may be used to address specific questions or aspects of training or to ask about industry changes.
c) In general, informal information gathering occurs on a continual basis given the high level of contact we have with employers.
#Industry Engagement Policy Relationships
This Policy is subject to the acknowledgement of the following parties that the content meets their specific requirements and needs:
NSW Smart and Skilled Operating Guidelines:
Guideline 12 – Industry Engagement Requirements
Guideline 15 – Independent Validation of Assessment Requirements
Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2025:
Outcome Standard 1.2 (Industry Engagement and Relevance):
The RTO engages systematically with relevant employers and industry representatives to ensure that training and assessment strategies, practices, and resources are relevant to current industry needs and expectations.
Outcomes of industry engagement are actively used to inform program design, continuous improvement, and to maintain the current industry skills and vocational currency of trainers and assessors.
Outcome Standard 1.5 & Credential Policy (Assessment Validation & Quality Assurance):
Systematic Validation: The RTO systematically validates assessment practices and judgements across all training products on scope. Validation schedules, sampling, and frequencies are risk-based, ensuring training products are systematically reviewed within designated self-assurance cycles.
Validation Panel & Independence: Validation is conducted by person(s) not directly involved in the particular instance of delivery and assessment being validated.
Validation Competencies & Credential Requirements: Validators must collectively hold current vocational skills, relevant VET teaching/learning knowledge, and required credentials as specified under the Credential Policy. Industry experts may be included in the validation process to ensure appropriate technical and workplace currency.
#Related Policies
#Industry Engagement in Action
#Site Visits
Being on site at work locations ensures that we see what really happens in workplaces. This helps us look at policies and procedures in action and observe (and sometimes we are allowed to use) the latest equipment and technology.
Visits also allow for detailed conversations and discussions to get the full picture of current industry practices.
This information informs our earning resources and assessment activities. It is one of the many ways we ensure that the courses we offer meet genuine industry needs and ensure graduates with current industry skills.
#Surveys and Industry Meetings
Staying in touch with industry stakeholders ensures that we get timely input on the pressures for change within that sector. This may be technology updates; changed job roles; legislative impacts; and also market changes. These may be industry wide changes or specific to one client.
These changes influence key decisions about staff learning needs; learning delivery modes; scheduling of training and also new recruitment strategies like School Based Trainees. These impact the strategies we will propose for future training and assessment.
In addition the information we gather feeds directly into our learning resources and assessments and will trigger minor or major updates in materials.
#Industry Bodies
Of critical importance to College qualifications is ensuring that compliance and legislative information in courses is maintained as current and reflects workplace practices.
The College therefore engages with industry regulators (eg ASIC; ACCC; APRA...); industry associations; ITABs and Skills Service Organisations; and relevant government bodies and agencies eg Fair Trading; and relevant NGOs and associated industry support organisations as circumstances and needs require.
In this way we get "straight from the horses mouth" key information about changes that will trigger the need for material updates.