Introduction to the Skills SA Student Support Standards
Skills SA is committed to the wellbeing of all VET students undertaking subsidised training in South Australia. As a training provider delivering subsidised VET training, you play an important role in this space.
The Skills SA Student Support Standards show the level and type of supports every RTO with a Funded Activities Agreement is expected to provide to their students in South Australia. The six Support Standards cover all parts of a supportive learning environment for VET students.
If your RTO meets all six Support Standards, it will show that your learning environment is ready for diverse student groups and can effectively address individual student needs. You will have shown that you understand and plan for disability support needs. You will also have shown that you support your staff to develop the awareness and skills needed to support the needs of a diverse range of students.
The answers you give and the processes and practices you have in place will help you respond to the student support, diversity and wellbeing requirements in the national 2025 Standards for Registered Training Organisations.
Skills SA Student Support Standards
There are six Student Support Standards you need to meet. Click on the different Standards below to see the questions you'll need to respond to in your-self assessment for each Standard.
Standard 1: The upfront assessment of need (UAN)
Support Standard Outcome: Your UAN procedure explains how the UAN Guidelines are implemented consistently within your organisation
1.1 Does your current UAN procedure (including any associated work instructions) meet:
- the published UAN Guidelines
- the VETRO UAN Guidelines (where required)
- the UAN Procedural Requirements?
1.2 Who is responsible for making sure your UAN / VETRO procedure:
- meets the required Guidelines
- is consistently followed for every subsidised student?
1.3 When assessing the ability to communicate effectively in English, how do you identify if an issue is related to low English proficiency?
Support Standard 2, Understanding and Supporting South Australian Students
Support Standard Outcome: You have an up-to-date understanding of your South Australian student group/s. You offer flexible training and assessment that works for your students. This reduces the need for individual adjustments.
2.1 What are the demographics of your South Australian student group/s?
2.2 What are the typical learning barriers you have identified within each student group/s?
2.3 Have you observed, and put in place measures to support students with learning and thinking differences?
2.4 How do you use the information you collect about your students to tailor the supports you offer?
2.5 How do you make sure that your students have choices in how they:
- receive training
- are assessed?
2.6 How do you provide the following accommodations to all students during training?
Support Standard 3: Developing and delivering individual supports
Support Standard Outcome: You recognise and address the individual support needs of students.
3.1 How do you make sure that relevant staff in your RTO know the in-house supports available to your students, and how to effectively implement them?
3.2 How do you make sure that students have someone within your RTO they can talk to about non-training-related issues?
3.3 How do you identify and respond to support needs as these come up during training?
3.4 Do you have a current Success and Wellbeing Services (SWS) partnership agreement?
3.5 How do you work with your SWS provider/s?
3.6 How do you actively promote SWS to your students during their training?
Support Standard 4: Disability access
Support Standard Outcome: You make sure support is available for students with disability. You have processes in place whether or not you currently have students with disability.
4.1 How do you make sure all staff know their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act Disability Standards for Education (2005)?
4.2 During training, how do you make students feel safe and supported to tell you about their disability?
4.3 During training, how do you plan, put in place, and track reasonable adjustments in partnership with the student who needs them?
Support Standard 5: Professional development
Support Standard Outcome: Every year you complete professional development to address the specific support needs of your students in South Australia. This includes any mandatory professional development required by Skills SA.
5.1 Have you previously completed an organisational self-assessment?
5.2 As an existing RTO, you were required to complete the 2025-26 Skills SA mandatory PD by 24 February 2026. Please show how you have met this requirement by filling out the table.
5.3 As an existing RTO, in addition to the 2025-26 Skills SA mandatory PD, you are required to complete the 2026-27 Skills SA mandatory PD by 1 June 2027. Please show how you have met (or will meet) this requirement by filling out the table.
5.4 In addition to the Skills SA mandatory PD, every year you are expected to undertake PD that is relevant to your South Australian students’ barriers and needs. Provide a list of relevant PD completed by your staff in the past 12 months, and any PD planned for completion in the next 12 months.
5.5 How did any Skills SA-funded PD undertaken in the past 12 months benefit your organisation?
5.6 What PD would you like to see Skills SA provide?
Support Standard 6: Procedures
Support Standard Outcome: You have procedures that demonstrate compliance with each support standard.
6.1 What are your procedures that demonstrate compliance with each Support Standard?
6.2 Do you have any feedback about the self-assessment process?