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Registering with NARA

Benefits of Becoming an RTO

Only Registered Training Organisations (RTOs):

All training organisations in Australia (including TAFE institutes) that issue Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications and Statements of Attainment must be registered by an authorised Registering Body. The National Audit and Registration Agency (NARA) delivers audit and registration services for RTOs under delegation from States and Territories.

Each State and Territory also has its own authorised Registering Body, as per this list State and Territory Registering bodies.

Eligibility for NARA Services

A new training organisation seeking registration as an RTO for the first time is eligible to register with NARA if it can provide evidence that shows it will be operating in more than one jurisdiction within six months. Please note that the State or Territory Registering Body in your home state is responsible for determining an organisation's eligibility for registration with NARA.

Please refer to details of eligibility on NARA's home page.

Registration Process for New RTOs

If you are considering becoming a Registered Training Organisation and being registered with NARA, you need to follow the steps outlined below.

  • Check your eligibility. Do you operate in more than one State or Territory? If so check the exact evidence you will need to demonstrate this and provide it to the State or Territory Registering Body in your home state.
  • Determine your intended scope of registration. Document the training that your organisation plans to offer students.
  • Contact a NARA Endorsed Quality Consultant.  You need to engage the services of a NARA Endorsed Quality Consultant from this list.
  • Prepare your Application for Registration. The Quality Consultant’s role is to assist you demonstrate compliance with the AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Initial Registration and to prepare your Application for Registration with NARA.

    These standards can be found on the training.com.au website. [see link below]

    AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Initial Registration

    Send your Registration Application and digital evidence to NARA by Registered Mail once your Quality Consultant has signed your application as ‘audit ready’. Your Quality Consultant will assist advise you to prepare then load your evidence on either a CDRom or USB under particular folder headings. The relevant NARA Client Relationship Manager will then assign an independent Lead Auditor to undertake the applicant’s initial audit, following the AQTF 2007 Audit Handbook. See the NARA Audit Model for more information about the audit process.
  • Wait to be contacted by your NARA Client Relationship Manager. Your application will be reviewed by one of NARA’s Client Relationship Managers.
  • Victorian Organisations. As a delegate to the VRQA, NARA has adopted the VRQA process for Victorian Organisations seeking RTO registration. The VRQA Guidelines contain specific requirements for an organisation’s financial, planning and governance arrangements which will be approved before the evidence is examined against the AQTF Standards. The VRQA produced FAQs which may assist RTOs to understand the requirements against the VRQA Guidelines.

    To accommodate assessment against the VRQA Guidelines, applications for Victorian Organisations will be assessed in two stages. This process is outlined here.

    It is important to note that NARA service standards do NOT apply to stage one.
  • Liaise with the NARA Lead Auditor to make arrangements for your audit. Your Client Relationship Manager will assign your Registration Application to a NARA Lead Auditor who will contact you to make arrangements to facilitate your audit against the AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Initial Registration and any relevant State or Territory Guidelines. The scope and time for the audit will be determined on a case by case basis depending on the size of your organisation and proposed operating locations.

    The AQTF 2010 Essential Standards for Initial Registration have come into effect and audits will be against the new Standard and any relevant State or Territory Guidelines.
  • Receive verbal feedback and a draft Audit Report. At the conclusion of the audit your auditor will provide you with verbal feedback on your audit. Subsequently you will receive a draft report on the outcomes of the audit for your comments. Identified strengths, opportunities for improvement and non-compliances in your proposed operations will be identified as appropriate. Once the Lead Auditor is satisfied that an initial application for RTO status meets the AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Initial Registration (and any additional State or Territory Guidelines or Policies) he/she will provide a copy of the Audit Report to the relevant Client Relationship Manager for sign-off.

    Lead Auditors will need to be satisfied that an initial application for RTO status meets the AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Initial Registration and any additional State or Territory Guidelines or Policies.
  • Comment on your final Audit Report and its recommendation. Once you have had an opportunity to comment on the report, and if your Client Relationship Manager is satisfied with the auditor’s recommendation that compliance requirements have been met, they will make a recommendation to the NARA General Manager regarding your registration application. If your organisation meets or exceeds the AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Initial Registration, NARA will grant registration for up to five years. If your organisation meets or exceeds the AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Registration, NARA will grant registration for up to five years. Certification confirming your registration will then be sent to you.
  • Refusal of Registration. If your organisation does not demonstrate compliance with the AQTF Standards, NARA may refuse registration. In the event that non-compliances and/or improvement opportunities are identified, you may be required to rectify these issues within a given timeframe and then reassessed against actions taken, prior to a decision being made in regards to your registration application. 

NOTE: Where an applicant also seeks approval under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) the same process will apply, with the Quality Consultant assisting the applicant to prepare for audit against both sets of requirements (AQTF & ESOS) and the independent Lead Auditor checking compliance against both sets of standards.

Registration Process 

The diagram below represents the process map for the steps above.

A PDF version of the chart above is also available.

Process Chart 1 [27kb]

Print this page | last updated: 21 Jul 2010 3:25pm