AVB

AVB Training
Student Information Handbook – January 2010, Version 1.3

Welcome to the AVB. We hope the time you spend completing courses with us will be productive and enjoyable.
To avoid misunderstandings, we would like to let you know about our courses, what you might expect and the procedures you will be required to follow.

ENROLMENT AND SELECTION PROCEDURES

• Enrolment

Complete the Online Enrolment Form for the course you wish to enrol in. Check that you have included payment of fees (see Course Costs) or forwarded payment if faxing – please attach a copy of your enrolment form when posting payment separately – and that you have met any prerequisites of the course. When fees have been paid you will be issued with a receipt, confirmation of enrolment and course materials.

• Changes to Enrolment/Personal Details

AVB needs to keep all student records up to date. Should you cancel a course, change your name, address, competencies/electives or other information during the period of your training; please contact our office – contact details above.

• Selection

All students are selected for enrolment in training in an ethical and responsible manner, based on the date of receipt of enrol and payment. AVB guarantees all decisions concerning the enrolment of clients in the course will comply with equal opportunity legislation and occupational health and safety legislation.
Professional and suitably qualified staff will be involved in the process of enrolling clients for training. The special training needs of clients will be identified during enrolment and support services organised to ensure they can participate safely and fairly in the course.

STUDENT ORIENTATION
After enrolling in your course, you will be provided with information on the course delivery and assessment strategies, including an overview of the types of assessment you will be required to complete (eg.observation of performance, assignments and theory tests) and vocational outcomes of the course.

DELIVERY AND FLEXIBLE LEARNING
Competency-based training places emphasis on how a person “performs” in the workplace as a result of completing training program rather than what the person “can” do or “knows”. It includes either course requirements – which are comprised of units of competency or modules – or National Training Package Qualifications (which are comprised of units of competency) at a specific Australian Qualification Framework level – eg. Certificate I, II, III, IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma.
At the completion of a course you will be awarded a Certificate or Diploma and a Transcript of the units of competency completed. For students who do not complete all of the units of competency required for a qualification, a Statement of Attainment will be issued listing the units of competency achieved.

ASSESSMENT INFORMATION
Competency-based assessment is designed to ensure that each student has achieved all elements of units of a competency standard. Assessment is based on gathering sufficient evidence which is valid, reliable

and fair, to make a judgment against the required performance criteria.
Should you not achieve competency in an assessment, you will be given the opportunity to be assessed again. Please see your Trainer/Assessor for further information about this.
Appeals
Should you be assessed as Not Yet Competent in a unit of competency and you do not agree with the judgment, you may appeal against the judgment within 21 business days of the return of your assessment. In the first instance, you may ask to be reassessed by the Trainer/Assessor. If you still do not agree with the result you should complete a Grievance and Appeals Form and lodge the form with the Course Coordinator at the above address (see Grievance and Appeals Procedure).

COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS PROCEDURE
The following Complaints and Appeals Procedure may be used for all feedback, any complaint or to appeal an assessment result. Any person – such as a parent, teacher, employer or Trainer/Assessor – may lodge a complaint or provide feedback using this procedure.
All complaints and appeals to follow the following process:

• Discuss the complaint or appeal with the Trainer/Assessor
• If the complaint or appeal is not addressed to the satisfaction of the student, the client or the student is advised to complete a Complaints and Appeals Statement – attached.
• The Course Coordinator or Management is to evaluate the Complaints and Appeals Statement, conduct enquiry where necessary and address the complaint or appeal
• If the complaint or appeal is not addressed to the satisfaction of the student, it is to be referred to an external source

COURSE COSTS
For costs of course, refer to course brochures.
REFUND POLICY
The refund policy of AVB is as follows:

• AVB will make a full refund of all fees paid should a course be discontinued. Should the student desire to take an alternative course in the AVB, fees will be fully transferable to that course. In the event of a course for which the student was enrolled being unavailable or no acceptable alternative course is available, fees are fully refundable.

Should a student cancel an enrolment with AVB, the following conditions will apply regarding a refund of fees:

• The enrolment fee is non-refundable
• Cancellation up to two weeks prior to the commencement of the course, a full refund – less $80.00 administration fee will be given
• Cancellation between course commencement date and two weeks prior to the commencement of the course, 80% of fees will be refunded less the administration fee.
• No refunds or transfers will be given for cancellations or discontinuations after a course commencement date or after exclusion for unsatisfactory attendance or behaviour, except where extenuating circumstances prevail
• All requests for cancellation or refunds must be made in writing, and be accompanied with supporting documentation where necessary
• Normal processing time for a refund request is up to four weeks
• Confidentiality of student information will be ensured
• Refunds will be paid within one week of the claim being agreed
• Extenuating circumstances:

Should a student have to discontinue a course for legitimate reasons, such as sickness, exceptional family circumstances, a pro-rata refund will be given less the administration fee.

ACCESS AND EQUITY POLICY
At AVB we have an open access policy and encourage participation in our courses from the whole of the community. All trainers and staff are responsible for ensuring the Access and Equity Policy is implemented.
We seek to meet the needs of individuals and the community through the integration of access and equity guidelines to ensure all people are provided with the opportunity to participate and successfully achieve their outcomes. We will ensure that equity principles for all people are implemented through the fair allocation of resources and the right to equality of opportunity without discrimination.
AVB prohibits discrimination towards any group or individuals in any form, inclusive of but not limited to:

• Gender
• Pregnancy
• Race, colour, nationality, ethnic or ethno-religious background
• Relationship status
• Sexual orientation
• Age

Principles of social justice must be appropriately addressed in all aspects of a course’s implementation. In rare cases workplace health and safety legislation may impinge on social justice considerations.
Social justice outcomes may be achieved through such considerations as:

• Using learning resources which are gender and culturally inclusive;
• Using language which is both appropriate to the abilities of the learners and the outcome(s) of the modules;
• Taking into account individual learning styles and needs;
• Ensuring equitable access for all learners to facilities, resources and support services.

COMPLIANCE WITH LEGISLATION
There is a variety of important State and Federal legislation that affects you as a student in the vocational education and training system. You should make yourself aware of this legislation and familiarise

yourself with your rights and responsibilities under it.
The legislation applies to you both at work in your workplace and in all aspects of your training. Some important legislation is outlined below.
For general information on your part in the VET system, and matters that affect you, go to www.det.qld.gov.au or www.training.qld.gov.au or phone the Department of Employment and Training on ph 1300 369 935.

The Copyright Act 1968 -Commonwealth.
This legislation makes it illegal to photocopy or otherwise reproduce – eg. scan, facsimile, record or store, another person’s work without that person’s express written permission, except in the limited circumstances set out in the Act. The Act applies to all written materials -books, magazines, reports, pictorial representations -photographs, drawings, graphs, electronic materials (websites, computer programs) and sound recordings -tapes, CDs. The Act does allow copying of materials in certain situations, if the copying is for the purpose of research or study.
For research or study purposes, it is legal to copy:

• 10% of a written work, or one chapter if the work is divided into chapters;
• one whole article from a newspaper, magazine or journal, or more than one article if they are about the same subject matter.

For copying more than this amount, and copying other types of materials, the Act sets out guidelines for working out whether the copying is legal. You should consider whether your use of materials at work or for your training and assessment may breach copyright. For detailed information and advice on copyright go to www.copyright.org.au or contact the Australian Copyright Council on ph 02 9318 1788.
Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 – Queensland.
Racial Discrimination Act 1975 – Commonwealth.
Sex Discrimination Act 1984 – Commonwealth.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 – Commonwealth.
This legislation prohibits discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation at the workplace in respect to any aspect of work, and both at work and in training, in respect to any aspect of your training or assessment.
Workplace Health & Safety Act 1995 – Queensland.
Workcover Queensland Act 1996 – Queensland.
This legislation imposes certain obligations on employers to ensure the health and safety of their workers, and on employees to do certain things to safeguard their own safety, and allows a worker to claim for an injury or illness caused by their work. Australian Visual Bookkeepers will also provide a safe environment for you to study, ensure safe access to the venue and ensure anything you use is safe when operated properly.
As a person in training, you have an obligation to ensure your own health and safety and the health and safety of others. You must:

• obey any instructions you are given for workplace health and safety; and
• use any protective equipment provided

You must not:

• deliberately misuse or interfere with anything provided for workplace health and safety; or
• deliberately endanger the workplace health and safety of any person; or
• deliberately injure yourself.

Industry Specific Legislation – relevant to Bookkeeping.
Trade Practices Act 1974
Trade Practices Amendment Act – No. 1 2001
Taxation Administration Act 1953
Taxation Laws Amendments 1 – 8 1997 – 2003
Tax Law Improvement Act – no 1. 1998
Tax Law Improvement Act 1997
A New Tax System – various Acts 1999 – 2000.
Income Tax Acts – various.
The above legislation is relevant to ensuring businesses meet the requirements of the Australian Taxation Office and business operations.

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING / CREDIT TRANSFER/MUTUAL RECOGNITION
What is Recognition of Prior Learning – RPL?
Recognition of Prior Learning means that you may be able to receive recognition for specific skills you have acquired through on-the-job training or even through some hobbies or community work in which you have been engaged.
What is Mutual Recognition?
Mutual Recognition means that you will be able to receive recognition for nationally recognised training outcomes you have received from other institutions – eg. TAFE, University or Private Registered Training Organisations.
What is Credit Transfer?
Credit Transfer refers to recognition of training outcomes you have received from other institutions which may not be exactly the same as the current module or competency standards, but they have been mapped and deemed equivalent when a new course or set of competency standards have been developed.
How can RPL / Mutual Recognition/Credit Transfer benefit me?
You may be able to shorten your course, or substitute the learning of new or more advanced skills for those skills you have already mastered. It also means that you do not have to waste time by repeating the learning of skills that you already have.
What kind of information can be used for Mutual Recognition/Credit Transfer?

• you can supply copies of Certificates and results or Statements of Attainment for courses and subjects that you have undertaken and/or completed.

What kind of information can be used for RPL?
This can be done in several ways:

1. you can supply copies of Certificates and results or Statements of Attainment for courses and subjects that you have undertaken and/or completed.
2. you can submit a portfolio that you have compiled, reports you have written, samples of your previous work or references detailing your previous skills or experience.
3. Even if you are unable to supply any of this information, you may undertake testing to assess your skills.

What steps are involved in Credit Transfer/RPL?
There are three main stages in the process:

1. the first stage is for you to complete an RPL/Credit Transfer Application.
2. upon receipt of your Application, you will be contacted to meet with a nominated Trainer/Assessor to discuss gathering any evidence that you may have or to complete any assessments which may assist to provide evidence – assessments may be practical demonstrations or theory tests. All evidence is to be forwarded to the nominated Trainer/Assessor.
3. your application will be assessed against the requirements of the unit of competence and a decision will be made as to whether recognition will be granted to you. You will be advised of the outcome, and be provided with information about further action that you may take if you are unhappy with the decision – see Grievance and Appeals.

How much will it cost me to apply for RPL / Credit Transfer?
Please ask at the AVB office for information of RPL or credit transfer costs.