How to Ensure Marketing Compliance for Your RTO
As marketing often represents the first interaction a potential student will have with your RTO, it's important that it not only captures attention, but also adheres to the current and incoming compliance standards. This adherence protects your RTO’s reputation, avoids legal pitfalls, and builds trust by providing clear, accurate, and accessible information.
Understand the Revised Standards for RTOs
Starting January 2025, the Revised Standards for RTOs will demand even greater transparency and accuracy in how training courses are marketed in compliance with Standard 2.1.
The Compliance Requirements are designed to ensure that all promotional materials accurately reflect the services provided and do not mislead or deceive potential students.
Key information about a course or qualification MUST be transparent and provided to prospective students BEFORE they enrol. There should be no hidden details that could limit their ability to successfully complete a course or qualification.
Here’s a guide to keeping your RTO marketing both effective and compliant.
Key Compliance Areas in RTO Marketing
Accurate Course Information: Ensure that your course advertising includes:
· Your full RTO name and RTO Code.
· The full and correct Qualification code and title as listed on Training.gov.au.
· Transparent details about course outcomes, duration, delivery modes, and any fees or prerequisites.
· If the course is Government subsidised or funded.
· If there are any work placements.
· What if any, equipment the student may need to supply themselves.
· How to create a USI.
Correct NRT Logo Usage: The NRT logo is a symbol of quality and credibility in the vocational education and training (VET) sector and is only to be used by RTOs. This logo must not be modified and should only appear on official AQF certification and marketing materials for nationally recognised training products on their scope of registration.
Approved marketing materials exclude business cards, corporate stationery or signage, merchandise, and educational materials.
Further information on the use of the logo can be found here:
Transparency and Truthfulness: Marketing materials should avoid false, misleading, or deceptive statements. Always represent your services truthfully, highlighting the actual benefits and outcomes of your courses, without exaggeration. Never make promises, such as guaranteed employment or unrealistic completion times.
Third-Party Providers: Clearly disclose if the training is being conducted by a third party. Avoid concealing this information in social media posts or brochures. It is important to transparently communicate if you are not the entity providing the training.
What else should you provide for your potential students?
Support service Information: the services that you or partner organisations can provide to assist the student to successfully complete their qualification or course. This could include:
· Language, Literacy and Numeracy Assistance.
· Support with digital literacy and skill development.
· Reasonable adjustments for students with a disability.
· Academic support sessions.
· Wellbeing programs.
Policies and procedures related to
· fees and refunds and,
· complaints and appeals.
This information can be made available on your website or in a downloadable Student Handbook or even online information sessions.
Images can capture attention!
We must include essential information in our marketing while engaging students with creative content, but ensure these pictures comply with copyright laws and ethical practices.
This means obtaining proper consent or permission from the people depicted, or the owners of the images, and giving appropriate acknowledgments where required. Using images responsibly not only upholds professional standards but also builds trust with your audience.
Ethical marketing practices
Integrity and transparency should be at the core of everything the RTO does, especially when it comes to communicating with prospective and current students.
Your RTO should adhere to the Spam Act 2003 in all communications.
This means
· always gaining consent before sending marketing messages,
· clearly identify yourselves in every communication, and
· providing a straightforward way for recipients to opt-out if they choose.
The decision to invest in education should be motivated by genuine interest and the value of learning, not by material incentives. That's why the offer of enticements such as laptops or iPads for enrolling in our courses is discouraged and frowned upon in the VET industry.
The focus should be on providing exceptional educational content, fostering an environment of skill development, and personal growth that stands on its own merit.
Through these practices, RTOs should aim to foster a trust-based relationship with potential and current students.
With clear guidelines set by the Revised Standards for RTOs, particularly Standard 2.1, every RTO should now take proactive and practical steps to align their promotional efforts with these requirements.
Compliance is more than a box-ticking exercise. By understanding the key requirements of the Standards and the Compliance Requirements, and embedding proactive review processes into your operations, your RTO can confidently meet regulatory expectations while enhancing its reputation in the industry. Take these steps forward to ensure your marketing remains compliant, credible, and reflective of the quality training your RTO delivers.
Practical Steps to Maintain Compliance:
Marketing Approval Process: Establish a formal approval process for all marketing materials. This ensures that several layers of checks are in place before any information is published or distributed.
Document Procedures: Integrate your marketing policies and practices into your Quality Management System (QMS), documenting all procedures to ensure consistency and accountability.
Staff Training: Conduct training sessions for all staff involved in marketing to familiarise them with compliance requirements and the importance of adhering to them.
Regular Audits: Implement regular reviews and audits of your marketing materials to ensure ongoing compliance. This could include checking the accuracy of course information against the national training register and ensuring the correct use of the NRT logo.
How We Can Help
Coastwide Training offers a suite of tools designed to ensure your marketing efforts remain compliant, effective, and reflect the quality of your RTO’s educational offerings.
Our products are tailored to help you manage and streamline your marketing processes with ease and precision.
We also offer e-learning courses such as
Maintaining marketing compliance is not just about avoiding penalties; it’s about building a foundation of trust with potential students. By providing transparent, accurate, and compliant information, your RTO can stand out in a crowded market as a reputable and reliable choice for vocational education and training.
With Coastwide Training’s resources at your disposal, you can ensure that your marketing strategies are not only compliant, but also effective and engaging.
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