Marketing And Advertising - Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)

Marketing and advertisingIntroductionThis fact sheet aims to help registered trainingorganisations (RTOs) understand the marketing andadvertising requirements of the Standards forRegistered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015,specifically Clause 4.1.Your RTO must provide—and ensure third partiesprovide—clear, current and accurate information aboutyour RTO, the training and assessment you offer andthe performance of your RTO. Providing accurateinformation enables informed choices by clients andlearners.As a third party, a broker or recruitment agent cannotoffer to provide all or part of a VET course in their ownname. Third parties that provide these types ofservices must accurately and honestly represent theprincipal RTO in all marketing and enrolment activities.When a third party provides information on behalf ofyour RTO, your RTO remains ultimately responsibleensuring the requirements of the Standards for RTOs2015 are met.ASQA has provided guidance to help providersunderstand their obligations when using a third-party.You should read and understand this guidance beforeentering into any third-party agreement: Fact sheet—third-party arrangementsGeneral Direction—third-party arrangementsfor training and or assessment of VET coursesFact Sheet - Marketing and advertising, updated 9 August 2019This includes meeting the standards relating tomarketing and providing accurate information in all ofyour marketing material, regardless of the channel ormethod used, such as: advertising—(newspaper, radio, television) brochures or other hard copy publications websites—including your RTO’s own websiteand any other sites where your RTO is referredto social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin,YouTube, Instagram), Online Directories (Yellow pages, TrueLocal,HotFrog) Online Advertisements (Google Adwords,Groupon, Scoupon), and any marketing by third parties that relates toyour RTO or to any training and assessmentthat you provide.Your RTO is also subject to all relevant consumerprotection law that applies in any jurisdiction whereyou operate.Meeting the marketing andadvertising requirements of theStandardsYour RTO must honour all commitments made in anymarketing or advertising materials.All information on any advertising or marketingmaterial referring to your RTO and training andassessment must be accurate.Page 1 of 5

Advertising and marketing material provided by yourRTO—or a third party on your behalf—must: be in the name of your RTO only, and not usethat of any business conducting advertising,marketing or recruitment on your behalfinclude the registration code of your RTOinclude the code and title of any trainingproduct (as published on training.gov.au)o If you are not marketing or advertisinga specific VET training product, butrather promoting training in a generalindustry area, you may not need toreference the title or code of thetraining to be provided. For example, ifyou are undertaking promotion usingterms that could relate to a number ofcourses on your RTO’s scope ofregistration, such as ‘XYZ RTO offersa range of business training’.clearly include details about any VET FEEHELP, government-funded subsidy or otherfinancial support associated with the RTO’sprovision of training and assessment, includingdetails about debts the learners will incur, andhow those debts will be repaidnot guarantee that:o a learner will successfully complete atraining product on your scope ofregistrationo a training product can be completed ina manner which does not meet therequirements of Clause 1.1 and 1.2, oro a learner will obtain a particularemployment outcome where this isoutside the control of your RTOonly refer to another person or organisation ifthe consent of that person or organisation hasbeen obtained prior (for example, if you haveobtained written consent through a disclaimerin a student enrolment form which the studentis required to sign)Fact Sheet - Marketing and advertising, updated 9 August 2019 only use the nationally recognised training(NRT) logo in accordance with the conditionsof use, as specified in Schedule 4 of theStandardsdistinguish between nationally recognisedtraining and assessment leading to theissuance of AQF certification document andany non-accredited training or assessmentdelivered by your RTOo The use of an NRT Logo in a websitefooter could potentially be misleadingif your RTO delivers both accreditedand non-accredited training. Be sureto only include the NRT logo on anywebpages that are associated withnationally recognised training.only include a non-current training productwhile it remains on your RTO’s scope ofregistrationonly state that a training product your deliverwill enable learners to obtain a licensed orregulated outcome where this has beenconfirmed by the industry regulator in thejurisdiction of the advertisement and/or trainingand assessment.Tips for specific types of marketingand advertisingPrinted materialNewspaper / Brochures With printed advertising and marketingmaterial, ensure that the RTO code is visible. Include the NRT logo only when you areadvertising a training product that is registeredon your scope of registration.Marketing onlineWebsites Your RTO code needs to be easily identifiable.It may be useful to include your RTO Code inPage 2 of 5

the website header or footer to ensure thatyour RTO code is prominent on everywebpage. On any page that references a trainingproduct, the code and title of that trainingproduct (as published on training.gov.au) mustbe used.Keep your website up to date. Your RTO mayonly advertise non-current training productswhile the product remains on your scope ofregistration.Only include the NRT logo in association witha training product that is registered on yourscope of registration.general advertisement with their RTO code,industry area of training and website address. Television/radio Television and radio advertising must includeyour RTO code. This can be included as adisclaimer at the end of the advertisement. If a student is speaking on behalf of the RTO,written consent must be obtained from thestudent prior to publishing the advertisement. Ensure that any statements made about theduration of a course are accurate. Coursedurations must be consistent with the amountof training identified in your training andassessment strategies and comply with theAQF Volume of Learning requirements. Ensure that any statements made aboutemployment outcomes following completion ofa course are not misleading. Generally,employment outcomes are also contingent onjob interviews which may be outside thecontrol of your RTO. Ensure that any references to nationallyrecognised training are associated with anAQF qualification, accredited course, skill setor unit of competency that is registered on yourscope of registrationSocial media—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,YouTube, Instagram Social media pages must include your RTOcode. Communication on social media, such asposts/tweets, must include your RTO code Replies to comments made in response tothese communications do not require yourRTO code. Where advertising on social media referencesa specific training product, you must includethe code and title of that training product (aspublished on the National Register). Your RTO may use the name and registrationcode as the name of your social media page.This may be beneficial where advertisingmechanisms have word limits.Online directories—Yellow Pages, TrueLocal Marketing by other parties Your RTO must ensure that any marketingundertaken by a third party meets therequirements of Clause 4.1. All advertising, marketing, recruitment,enrolment and issuance of qualifications mustbe in the name of the principal RTO only. It must be made clear that a third party isrecruiting prospective learners on behalf ofyour RTO.Your RTO code must be included in yourRTO’s directory listing.Online advertisements—Google AdWords,Groupon, Scoupon Ensure that your RTO code is included. In order to keep the number of adwords to aminimum, RTO’s may choose to have aFact Sheet - Marketing and advertising, updated 9 August 2019Any specific references to training productsmust include the title and code of the trainingproduct as published on training.gov.au.Page 3 of 5

As stipulated by the NVR Act 2011, where anyperson promotes all or part of a VET course, oroffers to provide all or part of a VET course,the name and registration code of the RTOwho would award the qualification/statement ofattainment must be included. Where a VETcourse is being promoted that may be offeredby multiple RTOs, the name and code of allRTOs that may issue certification must beincluded.Case study: Third party marketingBlue Sky Training recruits learners on behalf of FirstTraining for training and assessment in HLTAID003Provide first aid. Blue Sky Training has a writtenagreement with First Training which specifies that FirstTraining must approve any marketing activities thatBlue Sky Training does on its behalf. Blue Sky Trainingutilises its website to receive enrolments forHLTAID003 Provide first aid. Blue Sky Trainingidentifies First Training’s RTO code and provides a linkto First Training’s website when recruiting learners forHLTAID003 Provide first aid. Blue Sky Trainingincludes a statement on its website stating that FirstTraining conducts the training and assessment andissues the statement of attainment for HLTAID003Provide first aid. any loss of entitlement that may occur as aresult of a learner undertaking a courseassociated with a funding subsidy (forexample, where learners are only able toaccess one course through a particular fundingsubsidy or there are restrictions on whatcourses may be subsidised after a learnercompletes their study at your RTO).Case study: Using a Facebook pagefor marketingUptown Training delivers training and assessment indance and fitness in Queensland and New SouthWales. Uptown Training chooses to market its RTOusing Facebook, in order to capture its core clientgroup of school leavers.The RTO’s marketing manager approves all marketingactivities generated on Facebook in order to ensure itscompliance with Clause 4.1 of the Standards for RTOs2015.Uptown Training includes its RTO Code as part of itsFacebook page name. This ensures that every postmade by Uptown Training includes the RTO Code andname. This also guarantees that every post which isliked or shared by others includes the RTO’s code andname.Marketing and government-fundedsubsidiesWhere the course being offered is paid via a VET FEEHELP arrangement; or is offered under a fundingsubsidy; or is offered with other financial supportarrangements, details must be included about: the applicable government loan or subsidy, forexample, Certificate III Guarantee, UserChoice, VET FEE-HELP, the debt incurred by the learner, payments tobe made and interest and other chargesincurred, andFact Sheet - Marketing and advertising, updated 9 August 2019Page 4 of 5