Student Handbook

Please note, this Student Handbook are only for students who are enrolled in a nationally recognised training program with Edna Training College. If you are enrolled in a short course with us, please refer to our Terms of Use policy instead.

About Us

Our vision is to produce graduates who are job-ready that meets the needs of the industry. Edna Training College believes in the importance of a high-quality training experience, placing our students at the centre of all that we do and ensuring we are compliant with all laws and regulations applicable to our services and operations.

We believe in supporting our students achieve their vocational goals and providing a safe and equitable learning environment to enable our students realise their potential for them to advance, grow and contribute positively to their respective communities, industries and workplaces.

Our Trainers and Assessors are qualified, dedicated and passionate, and they provide the highest standard of training to our students.

As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), we offer training and assessment services in nationally recognised training programs via online delivery. We are to comply with the Standards for RTOs 2015 at all times and we are responsible under our registration with our vocational education and training regulator – the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) for the quality of the training and assessment we deliver, and for the issuance of any AQF certification documentation that may result based on your achievement of the course requirements.

Our Vision

We strive to meet and exceed our students’ expectations by:

• Believing that our students should be at the centre of all that we do. This encourages us to place our students’ needs at the forefront of our operations and decision-making processes.
• Striving to take care of our team as best as we can, as we believe that if we do a stellar job at taking care of their needs and goals, they will take good care of our students. We endeavour to attract, recruit and retain talented, dedicated and qualified personnel who are excited to be a part of our family!
• Preparing students to be job-ready at the end of their training. We are committed to engage with the industry to help us develop training and assessment strategies that would deliver graduates that matches the industry’s needs and expectations.
• Maintain compliance. As an RTO delivering nationally recognised training, it is imperative that we are compliant in all aspects of our operations. This is to ensure our students are able to trust that we are doing right by them.
• Having a consistent approach in our decision-making process.
• Committing to providing an environment which is safe, equitable to enable our students to realise their potential.  
• Aspiring to deliver high-quality services and implement high-quality systems which support training and assessment excellence. We are constantly looking at new and innovative options and offerings available on the market to improve our students’ experiences with us.

Student Code of Conduct

Edna Training College strives to provide a supportive, inclusive, safe and positive experience to our students. 

In order for us to be able to do so, we seek your co-operation to:

• Treat others with respect, dignity and fairly;
• Respect the rights and privacy of other students and staff members;
• Accept cultural, gender, race, sexual preference, political affiliation, disability, religious belief and other individual differences of other students and staff members;
• Engage in practices that provide a positive, safe and secure environment for all;
• Follow all reasonable instructions and directives provided by our staff members;
• Attend classes punctually and be responsible for your own learning and development by ensuring that you maintain progress with your learning;
• Participate in the training and assessment activities actively and positively;
• Seek out help and assistance where required ;
• Not disrupt the class consistently and egregiously;
• Not bring any dangerous items onto any training and/or assessment sites, such as lighters and knives;
• Not smoke in or around the training and/or assessment sites;
• Maintain the peace of the learning environment;
• Act and present your work honestly and ethically, without plagiarism, cheating or collusion;
• Be free from any prohibited drugs and substances, including alcohol;
• Not be aggressive or behave in a violent manner towards any individual;
• Not use or behave in an offensive, bullying, discriminatory or harassing manner;
• Refrain from any activity that deliberately obstructs, offends, harms or injures others;
• Make use of our facilities, equipment and resources responsibly and respectfully without intentionally destroying or damaging them; and
• Abide by all laws, regulations, terms of enrolment, as well as our policies and procedures diligently.

Breach of Student Code of Conduct

Where a student has conducted themselves in a manner that contradicts the Student Code of Conduct, they may be liable for student misconduct and disciplinary action may be taken, such as:

• A formal warning may be issued;
• A student may be suspended from their training program;
• A behavioural management contract may be enforced; and/or
• A student’s enrolment may be cancelled – where serious misconduct involving violence and aggression to others, damage to property, or a breach of law.

Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment

Edna Training College is committed to ensuring that our practices, systems, policies and procedures support an environment that is free from bullying, discrimination and harassment. We do not tolerate any kind of harm, be it physical, emotional or mental harm, regardless of the circumstances. We encourage equal opportunity and encourage our students, staff members and visitors to report any discriminatory or harassment behaviours they experience or witness. We strive to treat all complaints in a sensitive and just manner, as well as guaranteeing protections by the complainant or appellant from any victimisation or reprisals.

Students who believe that they have been bullied, discriminated against or harassed should approach a Edna Training College staff member they trust and report the matter to them. Students can be rest assured that their privacy will be respected and the situation will be treated with sensitivity and care. Where a student wishes to report the matter to an independent agency, they are advised to contact the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission – 1300 369 711.

Safe Training Environment

Edna Training College is committed to providing a safe learning and working environment for our students, staff members and visitors alike.

We endeavour to do so by following a systematic approach to the planning and the management of work health and safety matters within our premises and our online learning platform which enables our students and staff members to interact with one another.

We encourage all students to report any potential hazards, accidents and near misses to us, as well as if you notice anything amiss or out of the ordinary. This includes hazards such as the misconduct of other students taking place within the classroom environment, or on our online learning platform.

We encourage you to notify us via e-mail at: hello@edna.edu.au. This will enable us to investigate and control or eliminate the hazard and promote an adequately safe and secure environment.

Cyber safety

• Bullying, discriminatory or harassing behaviours occurring on our online learning platform, or on other platforms such as social media sites are to be reported to us as soon as possible. In order to keep our students safe and our learning environment harmonious, it is crucial that we are aware of these behaviours as soon as possible to be able to counsel and support those involved.
• Where students are provided with access to interact with others on the online learning platform, we will monitor the conduct and behaviours of the students to ensure that learners are interacting with each other in a respectful manner.

Fire and electrical safety

• Evacuation and emergency procedures will be communicated to students on induction day (where applicable). Students will also be shown the location of fire equipment and first aid stations.
• Students are not to bring any lighters, matches of flame starters onto any training and/or assessment site. Should any lighters, matches or flame starters be required for training and assessment purposes, Edna Training College will provide these requirements to the students and provide safe instruction for use.
• Fire drills will be conducted at least once a year to familiarise students and staff members with the evacuation plans, routes and assembly points.

• Electrical equipment that is not working, or that has experienced a short circuit should be reported to our Student & Administration Support personnel immediately.
• No liquids in open containers or canisters are to be present around electrical equipment, sockets, points, plugs, wires or cabling.
• The use of electrical cables are strictly prohibited by students. Should a student notice an electrical cable or extension cable cross any walkways, pathways or open spaces, it should be reported to our Student & Administration Support personnel immediately.
• Electrical work should only be performed by appropriately licensed electricians. Students are not to fix any electrical equipment, socket, point, plug, wire or cabling on their own accord.

Work and learning station safety

• Students are to observe ergonomic practices to help reduce the strain on their eyes, necks, backs and wrists when working at your workstation, particularly for long periods of time.
• Students should endeavour to get up from their workstations and stretch every hour.
• Feet should be comfortably placed on the floor, or footrest and arms are to be positioned at a 90-degree angle.
• Work and learning stations are to be kept neat and tidy at all times.
• Rubbish should be disposed of in the respective bins.
• Desks, tables, machinery and equipment are not to be sat on.
• Desks, tables, chairs, machinery and equipment should not be used to climb or stand on.

Personal safety

• Students are expected to take reasonable precautionary measures to ensure their own safety, and the safety of others.
• Students are to always be aware of your surroundings.
• Stay home and rest if feeling unwell, particularly if experiencing symptoms of a communicable or contagious disease.
• If something or a situation is triggering, bring it to the attention of your Trainer or our Student & Administration Support personnel so that we are aware of it and can help you manage them appropriately.
• Do not lift or move any heavy equipment, furniture or items. Contact the Student & Administration Support personnel for assistance.
• It is strongly encouraged not to discuss or engage in conversations that are sensitive, or can be viewed as sensitive by others, such as racial, religious, gender orientation, and political matters.
• It is strongly advised not to share any personal information with others such as your bank or credit card numbers, your address and your personal identification information such as your driver’s licence number.
• We encourage you to report any violent, attacking, bullying or unacceptable behaviours to the Student & Administration Support personnel immediately.
• Any and all accidents and hazards are also to be reported to the Student & Administration Support personnel immediately, including, but not limited to:
  • Physical accidents and hazards
  • Flammable accidents and hazards
  • Chemical accidents and hazards
  • Biological accidents and hazards
  • Equipment accidents and hazards
  • Electrical accidents and hazards
  • Psychological accidents and hazards

IT Acceptable Use and Security

Edna Training College seeks to provide our students with a secure and timely access to IT equipment as well as online services and resources necessary to be able to carry out their training and assessment activities.

Edna Training College’s IT facilities and services shall be used in an approved, ethical and lawful manner to avoid loss or damage to our operations, image, or financial interests and to comply with official acceptable use.

Users of Edna Training College’s IT facilities and services shall contact the Student & Administration Support personnel prior to engaging in any activities not explicitly covered by these policies.

Acceptable and unacceptable use:

• Edna Training College’s IT facilities and services are provided for use specifically for the training and assessment activities of students. Some reasonable non-training and assessment related personal use may be allowed, but this is a privilege and is not a right. If that privilege is abused, it will be treated as a breach of this Policy.
• The use of the IT facilities and services must not jeopardise the fair, safe and productive IT environment of our community, nor our operations, assets and reputation.
• The IT facilities and services provided must not be used unlawfully or for an unlawful purpose.

Access and accounts:

• All students are entitled to access the IT facilities and services via a unique password protected account.
• Edna Training College may impose quotas on the use of the IT facilities and services (including print, file storage, e-mail and internet download) and will revise them as necessary. Where quotas exist, account holders are expected to comply with them. if an account holder exceeds any of their quotas, they may be temporarily prevented from using Edna Training College’s IT facility or service.
• When students no longer have a relationship with the organisation or are no longer authorised to have access to the IT facilities and services, their accounts will be disabled for a period of 3-months, and then deleted.
• Users may have their IT access suspended immediately where there is a suspected breach of the organisation’s Policy.
• All users must:
  • Not use their access to gain any inappropriate personal, professional or other advantage;
  • Not manipulate Edna Training College’s data without authorisation; and
  • Maintain the confidentiality of any personal or confidential information accessed via the IT facilities and services.

Security:

• Edna Training College will take reasonable steps to protect the IT facilities and services from unauthorised and unacceptable use and intrusions.
• To preserve the organisation’s standard operating environment and ensure compliance with licensing obligations, users of the IT facilities and services may only modify the standard configuration of any of the IT facilities and services, after first gaining approval from the IT Manager. Users must never install or use unlicensed or malicious software on the IT facilities and must not connect unapproved networking devices to our organisation’s IT infrastructure.
• Users of the IT facilities and services must not circumvent the authorised internet connection(s) or subvert our IT security measures.
• All Edna Training College’s IT hardware, especially portable devices, must be kept secured at all times against damage, misuse, loss or theft. In addition, hardware and software containing sensitive information or data must be protected with appropriate security measures such as passwords and encryption.

User responsibilities:

• It is a condition of use of the IT facilities and services that this Policy, particularly the principles of acceptable and unacceptable use, and its associated procedures must be complied with.
• Users must not:
  • Access pornographic or obscene material or material that could offend others;
  • Let anyone else use any of your accounts or tell anyone else your password;
  • Download videos, music or anything else that is copyrighted by other people;
  • Use the IT facilities to bully or harass other people;
  • Install unlicensed or malicious software;
  • Use the IT facilities to advertise for goods or services for personal purpose;
  • Forget to log out of the computer systems when you have finished using them;
  • Use the IT systems for purposes not relating to your work or learning at Edna Training College; and
  • Forget to think carefully about your online conduct to protect personal information.
• Users are responsible for all activity initiating from their account.
• Users must only access the IT facilities and services using their own account.
• Users must ensure that their passwords are securely stored.
• Users of the IT facilities or services provided by a third-party provider on Edna Training College’s behalf must comply with any terms and conditions issued by that third-party provider.
• Users of the IT facilities and services must not create, send, store, upload, access, use, solicit, publish or link to:
  • Offensive, obscene, profane or indecent images or material;
  • Material likely to cause annoyance, inconvenience or distress to other individuals or cultures;
  • Discriminating or sexually harassing material or messages that create an intimidating or hostile work environment for others;
  • Defamatory material or material that makes misrepresentations or could otherwise be construed as misleading;
  • Material that infringes the intellectual property (including copyright) of another person or organisation;
  • Malicious software such as viruses, worms or address-harvesting software.
• The IT facilities and services must not be used in the conduct of any personal business or unauthorised commercial activities.
• The IT facilities and services must not be used for any illegal activity such as sending chain letters, breaching the SPAM Act 2003, or attacking of other computer systems.
• Electronic materials must never be forwarded on without the express or implied permission of the material’s creator.
• Peer-to-peer and torrent software must only be used for lawful purposes.
• Any observed security weaknesses in or is a threat to the IT facilities and services, as well as any known or suspected breach of this Policy and its associated procedures must be reported to the Student & Administration Support personnel as soon as practicable.

Managing and monitoring:

• Edna Training College will manage user accounts, maintain a secure IT environment and keep users of the IT facilities and services informed of their user responsibilities and expected best practice standards.
• Edna Training College reserves the right to investigate any and all aspects of its electronic information systems if it is suspected that any user of the IT facilities and services is acting unlawfully or violating this Policy or any other business Policy.
• Edna Training College may take action it considers necessary to remedy immediate threats to the IT infrastructure or security, including suspending authorised accounts and/or disconnecting or disabling relevant IT facilities or other equipment, with or without prior notice.
• Edna Training College reserves the right to block or filter any network traffic that potentially breaches this Policy or is potentially illegal.

Consequences of non-compliance:

• Minor breaches of this Policy will be addressed by sending e-mails to users requesting that they desist from the breaching behaviour.
• Ongoing or serious breaches of this Policy by any user will be addressed by the relevant disciplinary procedures.
• If a breach of this Policy, including procedures, appears to constitute an offence under State or Commonwealth law, Edna Training College may (and in some cases is obliged to) refer the suspected breach to the appropriate law enforcement agency(ies).

Critical Incident Response

A critical incident is a traumatic event, or the threat of such, which causes extreme stress, fear or injury. Critical incidents may include, but are not limited to, a missing student, severe verbal or psychological aggression, death, serious injury, a natural disaster, domestic violence, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and other potentially life-threatening events. It should be noted that this does not include serious academic misconduct.

Exposure to a critical incident can be overwhelming and threatening. This can be harmful when a person has demands and expectations that are out of keeping with their needs, abilities, skills and coping strategies. This distress can result in a decline in one’s wellbeing.

If you witness or experience a critical incident, contact us immediately on 0431 544 227 to notify us of the incident.

Privacy Notice

Edna Training College has a responsibility to collect, use and store personal and sensitive information on our students in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations:

• As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), we collect your personal information so that we can process and manage your enrolment in accordance with our obligations as an RTO.
• Your information is collected through administrative tools such as the Enquiry Form on our website, the Enrolment Form, Recognition of Prior Learning Application Form, Credit Transfer Form, Complaint Form, Appeals Form, Payment Refund Form, surveys and questionnaires. Information is also collected through your completed assessment submissions.  
• The personal information collected about you will enable us to deliver the training program you have enrolled into.
• We will retain personal information about you relating to your enrolment with us for a period up to 30-years. This includes your personal details and your training and assessment outcomes.
• We will also retain records of your training activity and are required to do this in accordance with the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (NVETR) Act 2011.
• Personal information about you along with information about your training and assessment activity is entered and retained within our secure computer network and software systems. The data is protected and backed up frequently to our secure server located in Australia, in accordance with relevant legislation.
• Where personal information is collected in hard copy formats, the responses are entered into our software systems, the information reviewed and/or analysed (where required), and the hard copies are then destroyed.
• Edna Training College is required by law to make student information available to Government bodies and agencies such as the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research, the Australian Skills Quality Authority, or any relevant State or Territory Training or Funding Authority.
• Under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Data Provision Requirements) Instrument 2020, we are required to collect personal information about you and disclose that personal information to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). NCVER is responsible for collecting, managing, analysing and communicating research and statistics about the Australian VET sector.
• NCVER will collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with the law, including the Privacy Act 1988 and the NVETR Act 2011. This information may be used and disclosed by NCVER to the Australian Government department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), Commonwealth authorities, State and Territory authorities (other than Registered Training Organisations) that deal with matters relating to VET and VET regulators for the purposes of those bodies, including to enable:
• Populating authenticated VET transcripts;
• Administering vocational education training, including program administration, regulation, monitoring and evaluation;
• Facilitation of statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage; and
• Understanding the VET market, such as how the VET industry operates, for policy development purposes, workforce planning and consumer data.
• NCVER may also disclose personal information to persons engaged by NCVER to conduct research on NCVER’s behalf and NCVER does not intend to disclose your personal information to any overseas recipients. You can refer to NCVER’s Privacy Policy here for more information on how NCVER handles your personal information.
• You may receive a student survey which may be run by an Australian government department or an NCVER employee, agent, third-party contractor or another authorised agency. Please note, you have the right to opt-out of the survey at the time of being contacted.
• You have the right to access information we retain that relates to you. You can do so by viewing the information on your online learning platform, or by completing a Student Information Release Form and we will action your request within 2 business days.
• Where a third-party requests for personal information about you, we will seek written permission from you before disclosing any information. The only exception is where an employer or a job network provider has paid for your training and they have requested for your training activity information and outcomes, or where we require the services of an organisation for the purposes of our operations such as a Compliance Consultant and sharing your personal information is required, or where we are bound to by law such as with the national regulator – ASQA, and with NCVER.
• At any time, you may contact us to correct any personal information we hold about you, this includes your legal name and your contact information.
• Where we receive any unsolicited personal or sensitive information, it will be treated and managed according to the Australian Privacy Principles.
• Edna Training College uses Google Analytics and Cookies on our website which provides us with the ability to track and report website traffic, and the tools we would need to better understand our website visitors and users. This information would help us strategise and help inform our future operations. These cookies are stored on Google’s servers in the United States and may transfer this information on to third-parties, if required by law, or for information processing on its behalf.
• It is important to note that no personal information is recorded and this data is only used for website management and improvement purposes. You can choose to disable cookies by changing your web browser’s settings and to opt-out of Google Analytics. It is important to note that by disabling the Google Analytics function may affect a user’s experience on our website.
• If you have concerns about this Privacy Notice, or about how we are managing your personal and sensitive information, we encourage you to reach out to us.
• Under the Privacy Act 1988, you have the right to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) about the handling of your personal information by us.

Our Guarantee

If you are enrolled in one of our nationally recognised training programs, and we are not able to deliver the training to you, we will issue a full refund for any services not provided. This means that if we cancel a training program which has not yet commenced, we will refund the full amount of the fees paid. Where we cancel a training program part way through the course, we will action a refund based on the unit of competency not yet delivered and issue you with a Statement of Attainment for the units you have completed.

Edna Training College reserves the right to amend our agreed services, policies relating to a learner’s rights and the payment of fees and charges, or to the conditions of a student’s enrolment at any time. Edna Training College will inform current learners prior to the changes coming into effect at least 7-days prior to any changes coming into effect.

Unique Student Identifier        

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to implement the Unique Student Identifier (USI) to provide students with the ability to obtain a complete record of their nationally recognised training activity and outcomes easily.

If you’re undertaking any nationally recognised training, you are required to have a Unique Student Identifier (USI). Your USI is linked to an online account that contains all your training records and results that you have completed from 1 January 2015 onwards.

Without a USI, a student will not be issued with their AQF certificate or qualification at the completion of their nationally recognised training program.

Should a student not have a USI, they are to obtain one online from the Australian Government’s USI platform.

Under the Student Identifiers (Exemptions) Instrument 2014, eligible students will not be required to provide us with their USI in order for their AQF certificate or qualification to be issued. Where this is the case, it is important to be aware that the assessment results will not appear on their VET transcript or be available to them through the USI registry system.

Fees Payable

In accordance with Clause 7.3 of the Standards for RTOs 2015, Edna Training College will only collect up to $1,500 prior to the commencement of training. Where the course fees are over $1,500, the balance of the payment will be invoiced prior to the commencement of the second semester of the course. For a full list of current fees and charges please refer to our website.

Edna Training College may discontinue training if fees are not paid as required.

Edna Training College accepts payment for fees using:

Statutory Cooling-Off Period

The Standards for Registered Training Organisations require Edna Training College to inform individuals considering enrolling into a course with us of their right to a statutory cooling off period.

A statutory cooling-off period of 10-days is a period of time provided to a consumer to allow them to withdraw from a consumer agreement, where that agreement was established through unsolicited marketing or sales activities. These include activities such as door-to-door sales and telemarketing. A statutory cooling off period allows a consumer to withdraw from a sales agreement within 10-days of having received a sale contract without penalty.

It must be noted that Edna Training College does not engage in unsolicited marketing or sales tactics.

Fee Extension

If you are experiencing difficulty paying your fees by the due date and require a reasonable extension, you may submit a request to our Student & Administration Support personnel via e-mail to: hello@edna.edu.au. Your request will be reviewed and you will be notified within 10 business days.

Refunds

Students who give notice to cancel their enrolment 10 business days or more prior to the commencement of a program, will be entitled to a full refund of the course fees paid.

Students who give notice to cancel their enrolment 9 business days or less prior to the commencement of a program will be entitled to a refund of up to 75% of the course fees paid.

Students who cancel within 10 business days of the course commencing will be entitled to up to 25% of the course fees paid.

Students who cancel their enrolment after 10 business days of their training program commencing will not be entitled to a refund of any fees paid.

The amount retained by Edna Training College is required to cover the costs of staff, learning materials and resources which will have already been committed based on the student’s initial intention to undertake the training.

Edna Training College will not refund the monies for the text or workbook purchased.

Continuous Improvement

Edna Training College strongly believes in continually improving our practices, systems and processes to be able to deliver a high standard of training and assessment services. In order to achieve this, we apply a clear and systematic approach as part of our operations and strategies.

We encourage you to provide us with suggestions and feedback to help us improve our services and operations to provide a better experience for you and other students. You can submit your suggestions and/or feedback via our Suggestions and Feedback Form. If you are not comfortable in providing frank feedback, you may do so anonymously.

Complaints and Appeals

In accordance with Standard 6 of the Standards for RTOs 2015, Edna Training College is committed to managing complaints and appeals in a fair, efficient and effective manner.

Edna Training College will do our best to address, acknowledge and resolve issues that arise during as they occur. Where it is not possible, the individual should be encouraged to lodge a complaint.

A complaint is dissatisfaction expressed about the services or people connected with Edna Training College such as the quality of our courses, the efficiency of our systems, the conduct of another student, interactions with one of our staff members, or the marketing of courses.

To lodge a complaint, you are encouraged to complete a Complaint Form and submit it to our Student & Administration Support personnel via e-mail to: hello@edna.edu.au or through your online learning portal.

A learner can appeal any decision made by Edna Training College or a third-party providing services on Edna Training College’s behalf, not just assessment judgements. At times, a learner may appeal a decision due to compassionate or compelling circumstances. These circumstances are generally those beyond the control of the learner and they have an impact on the learner’s capacity and/or ability to progress through a course. These circumstances may include chronic illness or severe injury sustained (including any mental health illnesses or injuries); the passing of a close family member; major political upheaval or natural disaster; or a traumatic experience.

To lodge an appeal, you are to complete an Appeals Form within 20 business days of being notified of the decision or finding and submit it to our Student & Administration Support personnel via e-mail to: hello@edna.edu.au or through your online learning portal.

These forms are available on the online learning platform, or you may request the form from our Student & Administration Support personnel.

If you are under 18 years old, a copy of the complaint or appeal as well as all other correspondences in relation to the complaint will be forwarded to your parent or legal guardian.

Edna Training College resolve to:

• Review and finalise all complaints and appeals as soon as possible, and no longer than 60-days, unless absolutely necessary;
• Keep the complainant or appellant informed of the process and update them on the progress of their complaint or appeal every fortnight;
• Keep all records of the complaint or appeal on our Complaints and Appeals register securely and safely;
• Utilise any complaint or appeal received as an opportunity for continuous improvement and take immediate corrective action to eliminate or mitigate the likelihood or re-occurrence;
• Ensure any complaint or appeal is treated with the strictest of confidence and not negatively impact or discriminate against the complainant or appellant;
• Ensure the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness are adopted at every stage of the complaint and appeal process;
• Handle all complaints and appeals at no cost to the complainant or appellant;
• Provide adequate support mechanisms, such as providing the complainant or appellant to be accompanied or assisted by a support person at any meeting or interview;
• Provide the complainant or appellant with the opportunity for a review by an appropriate party independent of Edna Training College if our internal processes are not satisfactory; and
• Co-operate with any statutory body or external agency that may investigate the handling of a complaint or appeal.

Complaints and Appeals Process

• Edna Training College will send an acknowledgement letter to the complainant or appellant within 2 business days confirming receipt of a complaint or appeal.
• The handling of a complaint or appeal will commence within 5 business days of the lodgement of the complaint or appeal and all reasonable measures are taken to finalise the process as soon as practicable.
• We will aim to resolve the complaint or appeal within 10 business days, and no longer than 60-days, unless absolutely necessary.
• Where Edna Training College considers that more than 60-days are required to process and finalise the complaint or appeal, the complainant or appellant will be notified in writing on a fortnightly basis.
• The person making a complaint or seeking an appeal is to be provided a written response to the complaint or appeal, including details of the reasons for the outcome. A meeting is organised with the complainant or appellant to communicate the outcome of the appeal, with a written response to be provided to the complainant or appellant in the meeting. This meeting should occur within 5 business days from when the CEO has finalised their response to the complainant or appellant.
• Where the complainant or appellant is dissatisfied with the outcome or the handling of their complaint or appeal, an appropriate independent third-party such as The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria or Mediate Today will be appointed to review our handling of the complaint or appeal.
• Where the complainant or appellant wishes to appoint a separate third-party, they may have to contribute to the cost of engaging the third-party to undertake the review.
• Edna Training College will accept any recommendations made by the independent third-party as final and will be advised to the complainant or appellant and implemented by Edna Training College within 10 business days (unless circumstances does not permit) without prejudice.
• Where the complainant or appellant is still unsatisfied with the outcome, they may refer the matter to the National Training Complaints Service – 13 38 73, or the Commonwealth Ombudsman – 1300 362 072.

Academic Integrity      

Academic integrity is the commitment to and the demonstration of honest and moral behaviour in an academic setting. This is most relevant at a vocational level as it relates to providing credit to other people when using their ideas and it requires the acknowledgement of other individual’s contributions. Failure to provide such acknowledgement is considered plagiarism.

It is important to know what plagiarism is, what form it takes and how plagiarism happens. Many students who plagiarise do so unintentionally, often because they do not have the academic skills to avoid over-reliance on the work of others or because they do not know what constitutes plagiarism.

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own work. It is a type of intellectual theft and can take on many forms:

• Incorrect referencing – when the material is copied word for word and acknowledged as paraphrased, but should have been presented in quotation marks, or material paraphrased without appropriate acknowledgement of its source.
• Collusion – when learners submit the work of someone else and call it their own, with full knowledge and consent of the other person who has supplied the work, in order to give a false representation of one’s effort or performance on the assessment item. The person supplying the work can also be deemed to have participated in collusion. Unintentional collusion can arise from study groups and from group-based assessment where students are unsure about the boundaries between what is considered acceptable group work and collusion.
• Ghost writing – when an assessment is purposely written by another person and represented by the student as his or her own work.
• Purloining – when material is copied from another student’s assessment or work without their knowledge.
• Re-submission of material – when the material has previously been submitted by another student.

Where plagiarism has been detected, Edna Training College will consider the extent of the plagiarism, noting that the more extensive the plagiarism, the more likely it was intentional.

Where it has been determined that the plagiarism or colluding has arisen from a lack of understanding, the learner will be issued with a formal warning and requested to revise and re-submit the work for assessment. The Trainer and Assessor is also to sit down with the learner to help them understand our Academic Integrity policy by explaining it to them clearly and clarifying any doubts they may have. Where a learner continues to commit plagiarism or collusion, they will be removed from the training program.

Where it has been determined that plagiarism, cheating or colluding was intentional, their work is not to be accepted, and the learner will be issued with an alternative assessment to complete. The learner will be issued with a formal warning in writing detailing the seriousness of the incident and the consequences if the learner is found to plagiarise, cheat or collude again – they will be removed from the training program.

Referencing

Referencing enables students to acknowledge the contribution of and provide credit to others in their work. This shows that the students respect the intellectual property rights of others. Failure to reference appropriately is considered unethical academic behaviour and will result in a student’s work not being accepted. Careless or inadequate referencing is considered poor practice. Where careless referencing is identified, the student will be required to correct the error and re-submit their assessment.

Printed books are not the only sources that require acknowledgement. Reference will need to be made when using words or ideas from:

• Books and journal articles
• Organisation reports
• Pamphlets or brochures
• Films, documentaries, television programs or advertisements
• Websites, letters, e-mails or online discussion forums

Where the knowledge and material has become part of the public domain, and which can be drawn on without specific acknowledgement such as common facts of history, common sense information, accepted folklore and aphorisms do not require any referencing. For example, Singapore became an independent nation in 1965.

At Edna Training College, we encourage our students to apply the Harvard Referencing System in-text citation and reference list. This approach requires three pieces of information about a source:

• The name of the author(s)
• The year of publication
• The page number

Examples of in-text citation:

An example of reference list (arranged in alphabetical order):

Learning Texts and Training Workbooks

In certain training programs, students may be required to purchase learning texts and training workbooks. Where required, students will be responsible for these expenses.

For a full list of current fees and charges please refer to our website.

Student Support

Core skills is an essential aspect of the basic foundations of any work task – from communicating instructions, to completing reports. The five core skills crucial for students to effectively participate in vocational education and training are learning, reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy.

Edna Training College generally assess a student’s core skills during the enrolment process to ensure they have the adequate skills to complete the training.

Where we have identified minor core skills deficiencies, we would develop a support plan for the student. The plan is to be tailored to the student’s specific needs and can include:

• Additional one-on-one tuition support;
• Weekly sit-downs with the Trainer to find out how they are progressing and what level of assistance may be required;
• Provide reasonable extensions for submissions; and
• Provide learners with additional resources to assist them in understanding the learning and assessment materials.

Where we have identified major core skills deficiencies, we would refer the student to a specialist provider before they are eligible to commence their training with Edna Training College.

Where you require a specific support system, please reach out to our Student & Administration Support personnel at hello@edna.edu.au to discuss options that may be available. 

Assessment

At Edna Training College, we will endeavor to assess and provide you with feedback on your assessment submission within 10 business days.

Assessment is conducted using a combination of Written Knowledge Assessments, Case Studies, Research Tasks, Project Work and Practical Activities.

The following provides a brief explanation of the primary assessment methods:

• Knowledge Tests. The student is required to participate in knowledge tests over the course of his or her study. The student will be required to individually complete the test. The student may research their answers from the course training materials and notes as well as relevant workplace references.
• Project Work. The student is required to undertake a range of projects in the context of his or her own workplace or on a case study that is provided by the assessor. A project will require the creation of various workplace documents (reports, memos, etc.).
• Written Reports / Case Study Response: The student is required to provide a written response to a situation presented in a case study scenario. This will usually require the student to consider carefully the situation presented, undertake some research to inform their response and then to propose their recommended actions.
• Presentations / Role-Plays: The student is required to demonstrate a range of skills whilst being observed by, or interacting with, the assessor. These activities will be clearly explained and always relate to duties relevant to the workplace. These activities allow the assessor to observe the student apply their knowledge and skills during the practical activity.

Re-assessment

Students will be provided with detailed written feedback if they are assessed as ‘not yet satisfactory’. This feedback on their submission is designed to assist the students in identifying the gaps in their knowledge and skills to be addressed through further training and support, preparing them for re-assessment.

It is a policy of  Edna Training College to provide our students with two additional opportunities for training and re-assessment at no additional cost to the student.

Students who require additional training and re-assessment after they have exhausted their three opportunities will be required to pay a fee for additional training and re-assessment.

For a full list of current fees and charges please refer to our website.

Where students are not satisfied with the outcome of their assessment, they are able to access the appeals process. A student can appeal an assessment decision by submitting an Appeals Form available on your online learning platform.

This appeal must be lodged to Edna Training College within 20 business days of the student being informed of the assessment decision.

You can refer to our Complaints and Appeals policy below for more information.

Credit Transfer

In accordance with Clause 3.5 of the Standards for RTOs 2015, it is a requirement of Edna Training College to accept and provide credit to student for nationally recognised units of competency and/or modules, unless licensing or regulatory requirements prevent us from doing this.

In application for a credit transfer, a student must submit a completed and signed Credit Transfer Application Form which can be accessed on your online learning platform, and certified as true copies of the following:

• AQF certificate or qualification showing the completion of the training program and the units of competency issued by an RTO or an AQF authorised issuing organisation; or
• Authenticated VET transcripts issued by the Registrar.

In applying for credit, students should note:

• Any student is entitled to apply for a credit transfer where they have completed the unit of competency (or its equivalent unit) for the training they are enrolled in;
• Students are encouraged to apply for a credit transfer during the enrolment process to reduce any unnecessary training and assessment;
• Students may not apply for a credit transfer for all of the units of competency in a training program – they must participate in the training and assessment in at least one unit of competency;
• Students may only be awarded credit for the equivalent unit of module, as published on the National Register;
• Students may only apply for a credit transfer for units of competency which Edna Training College are approved to deliver on the National Register;
• Students authorise for Edna Training College to verify the information with the relevant authorities to confirm the authenticity and validity of the attained competencies; and
• There are no fees applicable for a credit transfer application.

Recognition of Prior Learning

In accordance with Clause 1.12 of the Standards for RTOs 2015, Edna Training College will provide students with the opportunity to seek recognition of prior learning (RPL) toward a qualification or units of competence for which they are enrolled in.

RPL is a process that assesses a student’s competency which has previously been acquired outside of the formal training and education system to determine if a student meets the requirements for a unit of competency. The RPL process removes any duplication of training and assessment and enables students to gain formal qualifications based on the informal training and education they possess.

It is important to note that credit transfer is not the same as a recognition of prior learning process. Recognition of prior learning is a form of assessment whilst credit transfer is an administrative process.

In application for RPL, a student must submit a completed and signed Recognition of Prior Learning Application Form which can be accessed on your online learning platform.

Once the application is submitted, the assigned Trainer and Assessor will review the form in order for them to prepare an RPL Assessment Plan for the student. The student will then be briefed of the requirements and will be required to collate the required evidences and submit it to the Trainer and Assessor by the due date. The evidence provided must substantiate the student’s claim that they have previously learnt the skills and knowledge through work, study, life and other experiences, and that they are currently using that knowledge and skills.

The evidence must also confirm the student’s ability to adapt their knowledge and skills to the context of the intended workplace or industry.

Forms of evidence to support your RPL application may include, but is not limited to:

• Certificates of informal learning or training undertaken by the candidate in the past 5-years;
• Examples of work products or samples;
• Job descriptions and/or letter of offer detailing the candidate’s job scope;
• License documents;
• Performance appraisals or reviews;
• Photographs or videos of the student carrying out their work;
• Professional or trade memberships;
• Records of workplace training;
• Reports from current and previous supervisors or managers;
• Testimonials from clients; and
• Work samples.

The Trainer and Assessor may also require the student to answer knowledge questions verbally, or in writing, or undertake practical tasks as part of their RPL assessment.

Written feedback will be provided to the student regarding their RPL assessment submission once their submission has been reviewed. Students will also be informed of their assessment outcome at the end of the RPL assessment process. Where the student is unsatisfied with the outcome of the RPL assessment process, they have the opportunity to access our appeals process. You can refer to our Complaints and Appeals policy below for more information.

In applying for RPL, students should note:

• Any student is entitled to apply for an RPL for the training they are enrolled in;
• Students are encouraged to apply for RPL during the enrolment process to reduce any unnecessary training and assessment;
• Students may only apply for RPL for units of competency or qualifications which Edna Training College are approved to deliver on the National Register; and
• There are no fees applicable for an RPL application.

Your Certificate and Transcript

At the completion of your training program, Edna Training College will issue students with their certificate and/or transcript within 30 calendar days of the completion of their training program, providing all agreed fees and charges have been paid and the USI provided is valid and correct.  

Where you require for a re-issue of your certificate and/or transcript, there is a fee payable. For a full list of current fees and charges please refer to our website.

Course Duration

Students are responsible for their own learning and development and ensure they are maintaining progress with their learning as outlined in their training plan.

We acknowledge that a student’s circumstances can vary from when they commence their course to the circumstances they face whilst progressing through the course.

Edna Training College will work with our students to support them in completing their course within the duration specified in their Confirmation of Enrolment.

Edna Training College will maintain and track each student’s course progress to ensure a student is continuing to meet course requirements and that the course is completed within the expected duration of study.

Edna Training College will monitor a student’s academic performance and alert the student where necessary should they be falling below the requirements.

Extension to Course Duration

Edna Training College will only extend the duration of the student’s study where it is clear that the student will not complete the course within the expected duration, as specified on the student’s Confirmation of Enrolment, as the result of:

• Compassionate or compelling circumstances;
• An approved deferment or suspension of study has been granted in accordance with the Deferral, Suspension or Withdrawal policy; or
• After implementing an intervention strategy for students who are at risk of not meeting satisfactory course progress.

All intervention strategies or extensions will be assessed individually, taking into account the circumstances of the student.

Students will only be permitted a maximum enrolment period of 2-years. If a student has reached their maximum allowable enrolment period, they will not be granted any further extensions and will have to re-enrol into the course.

Monitoring and Tracking of Course Completion

Edna Training College tracks a student’s progression during the training program to ensure the student is meeting the course requirements and is on track to complete their course on schedule as outlined in their Confirmation of Enrolment.

This enables Edna Training College to identify any concerns immediately and help minimise any adverse effects to the student. This also assists us in implementing the necessary intervention strategies, where required.

Please do not hesitate to approach your Trainer, or our Student & Administration Support personnel if you are experiencing any difficulties with your studies, and we will endeavour to provide any additional support where possible.

Intervention Strategies

It is a policy of Edna Training College to implement intervention strategies for students not meeting satisfactory course requirements. A student’s progress will be reviewed to at the end of each semester to allow Edna Training College to identify ‘AT RISK’ students:

• The student has failed more than 50% of the units within the semester;
• The student has fallen below 80% academic progress within the semester following a period of 50% or less completion;
• The student has missed more than 20% of classes for the semester (if applicable); or
• The student has been identified as unable to complete the course in the set duration.

Strategies for intervention may include, but are not limited to:

• Additional one-on-one tuition support;
• Modifications to their course load;
• Extension in course duration; and/or
• Personal counselling.

All students identified as ‘AT RISK’ will be sent a meeting request to discuss their academic progress and appropriate support and intervention strategies. An intervention strategy plan is developed and if the student does not agree with the intervention strategy plan, the student has 20 business days to lodge an appeal. You may refer to our Complaints and Appeals policy below for more information in accessing the appeals process.

Deferral, Suspension and Withdrawal

Students can defer or temporarily suspend their enrolment on compassionate grounds or compelling circumstances.

Students may also withdraw from their course. Students who withdraw from their course may be entitled to a refund of their course fees. Kindly refer to the Refunds process below for more information about a refund you may be entitled to. Where a student has purchased texts, training workbooks or materials, Edna Training College will not refund the monies for this expense.

Applications for deferment, suspension or withdrawal must be made by completing a Deferral, Suspension or Withdrawal Form. This form is available on your online learning platform, or it can be requested from our Student & Administration Support personnel. The completed form is to be submitted together with any supporting evidences via e-mail to: hello@edna.edu.au or through your online learning portal.

Applications for deferment and temporary suspension must be received at least 10 business days prior to the commencement of the course (where the student is withdrawing) or prior to the date of deferment or suspension.

If a student is under 18 of age, their parent or legal guardian must support the request in writing (by signing the Deferral, Suspension or Withdrawal Form in the relevant section).

A copy of the form as well as all correspondences in relation to the request will also be forwarded to the parent or legal guardian of students under 18.

Edna Training College may suspend a student’s enrolment on the grounds of:

• Serious misconduct or misbehaviour by the student; or
• Continuous misconduct or misbehaviour by the student where formal warnings have previously been issued.

Edna Training College may cancel a student’s enrolment on the grounds of:

• Serious misconduct or misbehaviour by the student;
• Continuous misconduct or misbehaviour by the student where formal warnings have previously been issued;
• Failure to comply with the Student Code of Conduct;
• Failure to comply with any formal warnings issued;
• Criminal misconduct or behaviour occurring on our premises or using our facilities, resources and/or equipment; or
• The non-payment of outstanding course fees and charges – generally where they have been overdue for 90-days and the student makes no resolution or plan with Edna Training College to fulfil the payment.

In any given situation that leads to a suspension or cancellation of a student’s enrolment instigated by Edna Training College, formal written notification will be provided to the student. In turn, the student has 20 business days to lodge an appeal.

The suspension or cancellation of enrolment instigated by Edna Training College cannot take effect until the appeals process has been completed should the student choose to lodge an appeal, unless extenuating circumstances relating to the welfare of the student applies. In the case of students under the age of 18, a copy of the formal notification will be forwarded to the parent or legal guardian and a resolution formulated.

Transfers

Requests for transfers to another course within Edna Training College can be arranged if Edna Training College is advised in writing more than 10 business days prior to the program commencement date and there is availability in the selected program. A fee will be incurred for transferring courses. Kindly refer to our website for more information about the current fees and charges.

Students are to complete a Course Transfer Form and the completed form is to be submitted to our Student & Administration Support personnel via e-mail to: hello@edna.edu.au or through your online learning portal.

All requests will be assessed individually, taking into account the circumstances of the student and if the transfer will be in the best interest of the student.

Transfer requests will be processed within 10 business days from the date of submission, with an outcome provided.

If a student is under 18 of age, their parent or legal guardian must support the request in writing (by signing the Deferral, Suspension or Withdrawal Form in the relevant section). A copy of the form as well as all correspondences in relation to the request will also be forwarded to the parent or legal guardian of students under 18.

If a student does not agree with the outcome, a student has 20 business days to access our appeals process.

Kindly refer to our complaints and appeals policy above for more information on the appeals process.