VET Information

The ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies is responsible for ensuring that colleges offering courses leading to a nationally recognised vocational qualification meet relevant quality standards, and that appropriate policies and procedures are in place.

To achieve these standards, most ACT secondary colleges offering Years 11 and 12 have become Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).

VET is delivered internally by college RTOs in V and C courses.

VET courses are a component of an A,T or M course (for example A/V, T/V or M/V courses). This means that students can complete a VET qualification and still receive an A-E grade and, for T/V courses, a course score.

For further information about specific industry areas contact the college or visit their listing on the National Training Information Service website

The E classification is given to approved externally delivered training which leads to a nationally recognised vocational qualification (VET Certificate or Statement of Attainment) that is delivered by an external Registered Training Organisation (RTO).

An E classification is also given to Australian School Based Apprenticeships (ASBAs) for:

• Both structured training and on-the-job training for an external RTO
• On-the-job training only for an ASBA undertaking the structured training with the school as the RTO.

E courses have industry areas as course titles. These courses will be in course areas with other relevant BSSS courses. The and the maximum contribution of any one course area to the minimum requirements of the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate is 8 standard units as per BSSS policy.

In E courses, students may be awarded standard units in multiples of 0.5, undertaken as a structured educational program.

The lodgement of an electronic E Course Notification at the time of enrolment in the training will enable the management and processing of an application.

Students who undertake an E course with an external RTO must submit, via their college VET Coordinator or authorised delegate, an electronic E Course Application Form on completion of training periods, usually at the end of each semester or by Week 14 in Semester Two of Year 12.

All evidence to support the application must be included in the submission.

Further information on the E Course Notification and E Course Application is available through contacting the college VET Coordinator or BSSSEnquiries@act.gov.au

External Vocational Studies Application Information 181KB

Note: Students cannot receive credit towards an ACT Senior Secondary Certificate for any training that duplicates content in a BSSS course they have studied, are studying, or will study.

What is an Australian School-Based Apprenticeship (ASBA)?

An ASBA offers students, 15 years of age or over, the opportunity to achieve a nationally recognised vocational qualification by combining paid work and training as part of their education program.

An ASBA fits within a student's study program whilst at school and can count toward their ACT Senior Secondary Certificate.

Training is provided by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). This may be the school, CIT or a private provider.

To be eligible for an ACT training contract an ASBA must:

• complete a minimum of 11 hours per week and a maximum of 20 hours per week if undertaking a Certificate II qualification. This includes eight hours of work and three hours per week of structured training
• complete a minimum of 15 hours per week and a maximum of 20 hours per week if undertaking a Certificate III qualification. This includes 12 hours of work and three hours per week of structured training.

What are the benefits of an ASBA?

Benefits include:

• valuable experience that provides pathways to future training and employment
• receiving, on successful completion, a nationally recognised vocational qualification along with the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate
• providing students with an opportunity to get a great head start in their career.

How to get started?

Students must contact the VET/ASBA Coordinator at their school and advise them of their intention to do an ASBA. The VET/ASBA Coordinator may also be able to assist in finding an employer.

If students are currently employed, they could discuss the possibility of converting their current job into an ASBA.

For more information and advice on all aspects of Australian Apprenticeships, contact the local Apprenticeship Network provider or call the Australian Apprenticeships referral line on 13 38 73. Apprenticeship Network providers are contracted by the Australian Government to provide free Australian Apprenticeships support services to apprentices and employers.

Units awarded to ASBAs on the Senior Secondary Certificate

ASBAs who are undertaking a Certificate II qualification will be entitled to a maximum of 2 units a semester in the relevant industry area (1 unit for structured training and 1 unit for on-the-job training).

ASBAs who are undertaking a Certificate III qualification will be entitled to a maximum of 3 units a semester in the relevant industry area (1 unit for structured training and 2 units for on-the-job training).

The maximum contribution of any one course area to the minimum requirements of an ACT Senior Secondary Certificate is 8 standard units as per BSSS policy.

The ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS) recognises the value of vocational learning and its contribution to quality education and enhanced transitions to work and further learning.

ACT school students may choose to complete a BSSS developed course integrating a VET Training Package or a nationally accredited VET program that is not integrated into a BSSS developed course. This may be a full qualification or Statement of Attainment with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) as part of an ASbA or other approved training program.

From 2024, students new to the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate (ACT SSC) can apply for recognition of nationally accredited VET competencies that are not integrated into a BSSS developed course. The competencies may be recognised on the ACT SSC as External VET Credit (E) Units.

External VET Credit (E) Units

The BSSS calculation for an E Unit is based on the nominal hours of successfully completed competencies.

Nominal hours are published in the Victorian Purchasing Guide (VPG) for each national training package, found at https://www.vic.gov.au/victorian-training-package-purchasing-guides.

Nominal (supervised) hours represent the supervised structured learning and assessment activities required to sufficiently address the content of each unit of competency (acknowledging that progress can vary between students). These activities can be delivered face-to-face, online and/or through structured distance education. (Australian Skills Quality Authority, 2023)

E Units are calculated as follows: 100 nominal hours of achieved competency = 1.0 E Unit

(Increments of 10 hours (0.1 unit), rounded down)

External VET is recorded on the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate as follows:

For example: Completed Competency

CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice = 120 Nominal Hours

Example 1 – Student achievement of CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice as part of an ASbA Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.

Example 2 – Student achievement of CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice as part of a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care other than an ASbA.

Please note: E Unit credit will be awarded if there is no duplication of content between any A/T/M/V BSSS course and their external VET.

E Units can form the course equivalent to a minor (at least 2 units), major (at least 3.5 units), major minor (at least 5.5 units) or double major (at least 7 units) in Training Packages consistent with existing BSSS course areas.

Where fewer than two E Units of completed competencies have been achieved, they will be listed as ungrouped units on the ACT SSC (Ungrouped units contribute to the ACT SSC but do not form courses).

W Units

W Units are a form of Registered (R) Unit. W Units are awarded in recognition of vocational industry workplace training, where participation does not result in nationally recognised competencies, in:

• an Australian School-based Apprenticeship; or
• where a mandatory work placement is included as a training package requirement.

W Units are calculated as follows:

Students will be required to provide verified evidence of engagement to their school (e.g., training diaries, logbooks, timesheets, ASbA payslips etc.) of hours completed. Schools are responsible for assuring the authenticity of this information before awarding any W Unit.

Australian School-based Apprenticeships (ASbAs)

An ASbA will be recognised on the ACT SSC under the relevant Training Package.

Example 3 – Student undertaking an ASbA Certificate III in Carpentry attaining 6.4 E units of completed competencies and 1.5 W units for on-the-job training in the chosen industry, where participation does not result in nationally recognised competencies.

Process for recognition of external VET on the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate

To recognise external VET on the ACT SSC the BSSS must be notified prior to a student undertaking an external VET program. This notification should be completed and lodged by the school with Office of the BSSS via the student’s VET Coordinator, Transitions and Careers Officer, ASbA Coordinator, or Year Coordinator, or other designated contact as determined by the school.

A condition of registration of external VET on the ACT SCC is that the RTO providing the training must be registered with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) with the necessary scope to deliver and assess the qualification in the ACT.

Only competencies undertaken and achieved during senior years of study may be recognised on the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate (ACT SSC).

Recognition of External VET on the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate  (226KB)

Equal Learning. Equal Outcomes. Equal Status.

Improved support and recognition of externally provided Vocational Education and Training (VET) to ACT Senior Secondary Students.

The ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS) has put in place improvements to benefit ACT senior secondary students undertaking external VET including Australian School Based Apprenticeships (ASbAs).

The Context

The BSSS is responsible for accrediting and quality assuring all courses and units that contribute to the ACT SSC. All students can develop transferrable skills and understanding of their use in different contexts, through curriculum that embeds the Australian Curriculum General Capabilities. All courses including E Units listed on the on the ACT SSC are subject to quality assurance processes. What is included on a student’s certificate must be fair when compared to their peers.

Recent national reviews, including the Review of Senior Secondary Pathways into work, further education and training and the Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System led by the Hon Steven Joyce, recognised the importance of VET in providing alternative vocational pathways to secondary students.

However, these reviews also raised concerns that VET in schools “is of inconsistent quality, difficult to navigate, and not well integrated into senior secondary studies. VET qualifications delivered in schools need to meet clearly defined standards and deliver or contribute to credentials that are accepted in the labour market. (Senior Secondary Pathways Review 2020, page 76).

The improvements that have been made to the recognition of VET on the ACT SSC have clearly defined expectations and standards drawn from an extensive evidenced based review conducted in 2021. VET integrated into a BSSS course will be quality assured through system moderation. External VET will contribute to a course equivalent and be quality assured through the completion of competencies which will be recorded as E Units. VET recognition of the hours completed on-the-job will be recorded as W Units.

Students will be able to undertake VET in all the ways they currently do, with the added certainty and security that the improvements provide.

These changes will improve the consistency, integration, and contribution of VET to the ACT SSC credential. The BSSS in partnership with schools will be providing plannability, predictability, and protections.  This is what students deserve.

No guess work, no wondering, and no missed opportunities.

External VET Explained

External VET - Equal Learning Equal Outcomes Equal Status 242KB