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VET Marketing Procedure

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Section 1 - Summary

(1) This Procedure outlines the processes and responsibilities in relation to the marketing and promotion of nationally recognised Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses at Victoria University.  It also outlines the processes in relation to branding and external media for VET products and services.

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Section 2 - TEQSA/ASQA/ESOS Alignment

(2) ESOS National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018: Standard 1 Marketing Information and Practices

(3) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015: Standards 4 and 5

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Section 3 - Scope

(4) This Procedure applies to marketing and promotion of all VET programs based on nationally accredited training products and any media relating to TAFE.

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Section 4 - Definitions

(5) Training Product

(6) CAMS

(7) Media - Social Media as well as news articles, website, television and radio.

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Section 5 - Policy/Regulation

(8) Nil.

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Section 6 - Procedures

Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

Role

Responsibilities
Executive Director, Pathways and Dual Sector Operations
  1. Exercise overall responsibility for the quality and compliance of all marketing and promotional materials used across TAFE.
General Manager, Industry and Growth
  1. Oversee and provide direction for TAFE's strategic marketing initiatives in collaboration with Victoria University Brand and Marketing and Future Students service departments.
  2. Ensure compliance of all VET marketing and promotional materials used across TAFE.
  3. Maintain ongoing relationships with internal and external stakeholders responsible for the development of marketing activity.
Manager Marketing
  1. Oversee maintenance of the monthly register of approved marketing products.
  2. Work with TAFE Managers and department staff in the development of effective and compliant marketing materials.
  3. Conduct periodic audits of course marketing material to ensure compliance with relevant regulatory standards and this Procedure.
Coordinator, Digital and Communications
  1. Maintain a monthly register of social media, printed materials, and digital advertising activity generated by TAFE.
  2. Edit course webpages under direction from Managers to maintain full compliance with internal policy and external regulatory requirements.
  3. Receive and process all requests for use of the approved TAFE social media platform for marketing purposes.
  4. Receive and process all requests for recruitment event activations under the Victoria University brand.
  5. Receive and process all requests for digital advertising and collateral to create approved Victoria University digital marketing assets.
  6. Receive and process all requests for printed marketing materials and advertising, ensuring the information provided by managers matches the information on the website/CAMS, thus ensuring it is compliant and accurate.
Executive Directors/Director TAFE and Managers
  1. Ensure only approved marketing products are used within each delivery area.
  2. Ensure that course information in CAMS is current and accurate.
  3. Work collaboratively with Marketing Team in the development and publication of all marketing assets and activities.
  4. Complete a compliance check prior to the submission of a request for marketing support.
  5. Monitor relevant course webpages and course information sources and liaise with Marketing to ensure they remain compliant and accurate on a quarterly basis.
  6. Follow Marking procedures and processes when requesting support from Marketing to ensure compliance and accuracy across all activities and assets.

Part B - Overview

(9) The Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth) and the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training Funding Contract include stringent guidelines for the marketing of Vocational Education and Training programs.  In particular, VU must ensure that:

  1. prospective students are fully informed about -
    1. the products and services offered (including clear information on fees / charges and refund policies), to enable them to make an informed choice between training providers;
    2. individual rights and responsibilities while studying at TAFE;
    3. their repayment obligations, especially in relation to VET FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans or other fee loan options.
  2. its Registered Training Organisation Code (3113) and, where relevant, Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) is clearly displayed;
  3. any programs promoted are on VU’s Scope of Registration;
  4. the national code and title of relevant training products, as they appear on the National Register, are clearly displayed;
  5. the National Recognised Training (NRT) logo is only used in promotional material that relates to nationally accredited training products;
  6. any delivery of training and assessment by VU on behalf of another Registered Training Organisation (RTO) or any training and assessment delivered on VU’s behalf by a third party, is clearly indicated;
  7. students are not misled in relation to possible employment or licencing outcomes from training programs.

(10) Any use of the VU Brand will comply with the Brand Policy and Brand Procedure.

(11) The Executive Director, Pathways and Dual Sector Operations holds overall responsibility for the quality and compliance of all marketing and promotional material used across TAFE. This includes print based materials, Victoria University website content and the use of social media for the purpose of promoting TAFE and its programs.

(12) Victoria University Marketing Team must maintain a register of approved marketing material.

(13) TAFE Managers must adhere to procedures and processes for engaging the Marketing Team.

(14) TAFE Managers may only use marketing or promotional materials that have been approved by the Marketing Team and are registered on the Victoria University Marketing Register.

(15) The Marketing Team must communicate with relevant TAFE and broader University departments when planning to conduct promotional campaigns to enable support teams to be appropriately prepared for customer response.

(16) TAFE Managers and Executive Directors/Directors must communicate to the Marketing Team -

  1. any external comments made to media;
  2. involvement with external publications that may profile TAFE programs or staff.

Part C - TAFE Course Pages on VU Website

(17) All TAFE course pages must be structured according to the Victoria University Anatomy of a Course Page.

(18) Much of the information that populates course pages comes from CAMS, and TAFE Managers have responsibility to ensure that information drawn from CAMS and published on course pages on the VU website is current and accurate.

(19) The development and publication of new course webpages occurs according to:

  1. Information fed through from CAMS according to Governance processes when the course is added to Scope. 
  2. The Coordinator, Digital and Communications edits webpage material as requested and completes the Victoria University Marketing Checklist to ensure that the course webpage is fully compliant (for nationally recognised training courses).
  3. Any compliance issues will be resolved through communication with the relevant TAFE Manager and other key stakeholders.
  4. Approval for publication must be provided by -
    1. Relevant TAFE Manager (for content accuracy);
    2. Victoria University Web Services (to meet web accessibility standards and to publish).
  5. The webpage is published after receiving approval from the TAFE Manager and Victoria University Web Services.
  6. The Coordinator, Digital and Communications adds the appropriate reference to the Victoria University Marketing Register.

(20) Updates to existing course webpages (including news, events, information sessions, course transition arrangements etc.) must be approved and published according to:

  1. The responsible Victoria University TAFE Manager must email request / editable content to the Coordinator, Digital and Communications, including all necessary information.  Attach MS Word document with tracked changes, if required.
  2. The Coordinator, Digital and Communications will make the requested updates and then use the Victoria University Marketing Checklist to ensure that the course webpage with included updates is fully compliant.
  3. Any compliance issues will be resolved through communication with the relevant Victoria University Manager.
  4. The completed Victoria University Marketing Checklist and a link to the updated page must be sent to the Marketing Manager for final approval.
  5. The Coordinator, Digital and Communications adds the appropriate reference to the Victoria University Marketing Register.

(21) General Manager, Industry and Growth, Manager Marketing and VU Web Services will review and improve the standard structure of TAFE course webpages from time-to-time, based on input from relevant stakeholders, feedback from users or updates to Victorian Government Department of Education Funding Contract or other changed regulatory requirements.

Part D - VET Marketing Collateral

(22) Prior to the development of any marketing collateral, Victoria University TAFE Managers must refer to and complete the request form available on the intranet at – http://intranet.vu.edu.au/TAFE/MarketingCollateralForm.asp.

(23) Printed assets are to be created using the Marketing Printed Assets Process.

  1. Victoria University TAFE Manager must ensure their CAMS, Webpage and Course Scripts are up-to-date before requesting support from Marketing.
  2. Victoria University TAFE Manager request printed assets by completing the request form and liaising with the Coordinator, Digital and Communications to ensure new or updated assets are fully compliant.
  3. New assets or updates to existing assets are to be submitted to the Marketing Team using the Marketing Printed Assets Process.
  4. Any identified issues are to be resolved between the Marketing Team and the relevant TAFE Manager.
  5. A copy of the asset must be sent to the Manager Marketing for final approval.  The asset is released after receiving written approval (note that a request to add an asset to webpage must be made according to earlier Part C – TAFE Course Pages on VU Website).
  6. The Coordination, Digital and Communications adds the asset to the Victoria University Marketing Register.

(24) The Manager Marketing in conjunction with the Senior Manager, Quality and Compliance(VET) is responsible for scheduling periodic audits of delivery areas to ensure that course collateral in use is compliant with the requirements of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations, 2015 and the VET Funding Contract. Where non-compliant material is identified, the Marketing Team will work with the relevant Manager to remove the material from circulation and to update it according to the above Procedure.

(25) Other course or teaching area promotional materials (for example capability promotions to industry) must also be approved by the Manager Marketing prior to creation. The Marketing Team can provide support in the development of such marketing assets.

  1. Victoria University TAFE Manager must ensure their CAMS, Webpage and Course Scripts are up-to-date before requesting support from Marketing.
  2. Victoria University TAFE Manager raises the need for marketing collateral with the Manager Marketing by submitted the request form available on the intranet at – http://intranet.vu.edu.au/TAFE/MarketingCollateralForm.asp.
  3. Victoria University TAFE Manager works with the Marketing Team to develop the product.
  4. Victoria University TAFE Marketing Team completes the Victoria University Marketing Checklist and follows appropriate process (Marketing Printed Assets Process or Marketing Social Media and Digital Process) for creating the new asset.
  5. The product is released after receiving written approval from the Manager Marketing (note that a request to add marketing product to webpage must be made according to earlier Section C – TAFE Course Pages on VU Website).
  6. The Coordinator, Digital and Communications adds the collateral to the Victoria University Marketing Register.

Part E - Use of Social Media for Marketing Purposes

(26) Request for use of the approved Victoria University social media platform for marketing purposes must be made to the Coordinator, Digital and Communications in accordance with the Marketing Social Media and Digital Process.

(27) Marketing Team to provide advice and support to TAFE Managers in the development of content for social media posts.

(28) TAFE staff are not permitted to post TAFE related content that may appear to represent the views of TAFE without going through the above approval process.  This excludes re-posting the official Victoria University posts.

(29)  The VET Student Loans program does not allow for any social media marketing to mention the availability of a VET Student Loan.  

(30) The Coordinator, Digital and Communications will record social media activity in the Victoria University Marketing Register.

Part F - External Partner Marketing and Social Media

(31) All TAFE agreements with external partners must ensure that any marketing or promotion activity related to the partnership is subject to this Procedure and the Marketing Social Media and Digital Process.

Part G - Participation in Marketing Events

(32) Prior to participating in any marketing event, TAFE Managers must refer to and complete the request form available on the intranet at http://intranet.vu.edu.au/TAFE/MarketingCollateralForm.asp.

(33) Event activation is to be actioned using the Marketing Events Process

  1. TAFE Manager must ensure their CAMS, Webpage and Course Scripts are up-to-date before requesting support from Marketing.
  2. TAFE Manager will request support to action an event by liaising with the Coordinator, Marketing and Communications to ensure events are activated in a manner that is compliant and on-brand.
  3. New requests are to be submitted to the Marketing Team using the Marketing Events Process.
  4. Any identified issues are to be resolved between the Marketing Team and the relevant TAFE Manager.
  5. A copy of the event brief must be sent to the Manager Marketing for final approval. After receiving written approval planning for activation can commence.
  6. The Coordinator, Digital and Communications, adds the event activation details to the Victoria University Marketing Register and completes the post event reporting requirements.