• Section 1 - Summary
• Section 2 - Scope
• Section 3 - Policy/Regulation
• Section 4 - Procedures
• Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities
• Part B - Learning and Training Support for Student Success
• Identifying the Need for Learning Support
• Part C - Types of Adjustments
• Short Extension
• Special Consideration
• Review of Short Extension and Special Consideration Decisions
• Reasonable Adjustment as Outlined in a Learning Access Plan
• Section 5 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment
• Section 6 - Definitions

Section 1 - Summary

(1) This Procedure outlines VU’s learning supports and assessment adjustments available to VET students to promote the necessary skills, knowledge and experiences to succeed.

Section 2 - Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to all VET course delivery.

Section 3 - Policy/Regulation

(3) Assessment for Learning Policy

Section 4 - Procedures

Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

Part B - Learning and Training Support for Student Success

(4) VU offers a broad range of Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses designed to provide vocational skills and pathways to employment options and/or higher education. VU is committed to identifying students’ learning support needs and to providing learning support and assessment adjustments which are flexible, timely and effective, and which contribute to student success.

Identifying the Need for Learning Support

Pre Training Reviews

(5) Identification of a VET student’s suitability for a course or need for extra learning support commences with the course application and the conduct of a Pre Training Review (PTR) (refer to Admissions - Course Admissions and Pre-Training Review Procedure (VET)).

(6) Students who disclose a disability or health condition and require ongoing adjustments and modified assessment arrangements are encouraged to register with Disability and Accessibility Services for support.

(7) Literacy, numeracy and digital data (LND), generated by the PTR, are assessed by TAFE Enrolment Delegate/Selection staff. Where students are identified as having levels below those required for course entry, staff forward their details to Learning Support Administration.

(8) Students must provide formal agreement before they are enrolled in LND support. The TAFE Enrolment Delegate/Selection Officer must retain documented evidence of student consent of enrolment in LND support.

(9) Learning Support staff contact all referred students and provide them with relevant information and timetabling of learning support options. In cases where groups of students within cohorts demonstrate the same LND requirements, whole groups may be addressed by the Learning Support member.

(10) While the LND assessment tool provides initial information relating to the LND needs of commencing students, TAFE teachers and senior educators may identify specific Literacy, Numeracy and Digital needs amongst their students following course commencement. Students may also self-identify that they require either literacy or numeracy support by raising this with their teacher. In such cases, students may access support through one or
more of the following options:

1. Reasonable adjustments made to teaching material and assessment tools and use of teaching strategies to respond to students’ learning support needs;
2. Open Access LND Support offered across campuses on a drop-in basis;
3. Access to resources for the development of LND skills provided to VET teachers and students; and,
4. One to one face to face or online appointments with LND specialist teaching staff.

(11) The Program Manager with Learning Support staff reviews learning support provision on an annual basis to identify changing support needs and service improvements.

(12) VU will report on LND support training activity to the Victorian Government as part of the Skills First Funding Agreement.

Part C - Types of Adjustments

(13) When a student's capacity to undertake or complete an assessment is affected by circumstances that place them at an unfair disadvantage, the following arrangements may apply:

1. Short extension of time for submission of assessable work
2. Special consideration.
3. Reasonable assessment adjustments as outlined in a Learning Access Plan.

Short Extension

(14) Students can request short extensions of time (maximum 10 working days) for the submission of assessable work. Where the short extension request relates to a practical task and the delivery is in block mode, the maximum extension period is to the next attendance block.

(15) Short extensions are available for situations including unavoidable employment, family, cultural, religious or elite sporting commitment known in advance, or other unexpected circumstances outside the student's control.

(16) Applications for a short extension must be submitted at least one day in advance of the assessment due date. Applications for short extension must be made as outlined on the Short extensions & special consideration webpage.

(17) Teachers will store the completed VET Student Request for Extension form in the learning  management system (VU Collaborate) or, where the unit is not in the learning management system, in the student file with the relevant Assessment Record Book.

(18) Applications for a short extension are  determined by the teacher. The student will be notified by the teacher in writing as early as possible of either:

1. the decision to grant the extension and the subsequent amendment to the assessment date; or,
2. the decision not to grant the extension.

Special Consideration

(19) Special consideration is available for students who experience acute unexpected circumstances which have an adverse impact on their performance in assessable tasks, submission of assessment tasks or examination attendance. Acute unexpected circumstances are defined as life events which have a high impact and which cannot be predicted. Circumstances may include (but are not limited to):

1. an unexpected mental or physical health condition or accident,
2. difficult personal circumstances or significant emotional disturbance,
3. death of a close family member,
4. severe disruption of living arrangements,
5. hardship, trauma, being a victim of crime, or having concerns about safety,
6. military, jury, or emergency services obligations,
7. an unavoidable family, cultural, religious, or elite sporting commitment,
8. an unavoidable and essential employment obligation.

(20) Applications for special consideration must be submitted within three working days of the assessment date. Applications for special consideration must be made as outlined on the Short extensions & special consideration webpage.

(21) Teachers must review a request for Special Consideration prior to submitting the request to the Managers or Course Coordinator for a decision. The Manager/ Course Coordination will notify the student in writing as early as possible of either:

1. the decision to grant special consideration and any subsequent amendment to the assessment date; or,
2. the decision and rationale not to grant special consideration.

Review of Short Extension and Special Consideration Decisions

(22) Where a student is dissatisfied with the outcome of an application for a short extension, the student can request a review by the Manager or Course Coordinator. Requests for review must be made in writing.

(23) Where a student is dissatisfied with the outcome of an application for special consideration, the student can request a review by the relevant Executive Director. Requests for review must be made in writing.

Reasonable Adjustment as Outlined in a Learning Access Plan

(24) The University provides reasonable adjustments and modified assessment arrangements to accommodate students with a disability or health condition, and students who provide personal support as carers for individuals with disability or health conditions, in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) (Cth) and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth).

(25) Eligible students can register with Disability & Accessibility Services to obtain a Learning Access Plan, as outlined on the Disability and Accessibility Services webpage.

(26) To obtain a Learning Access Plan, the student must provide documentary evidence from a qualified professional in the relevant field. Disability & Accessibility Services will recommend reasonable adjustments for the student, based upon the student’s needs and documentary evidence.

(27) Reasonable adjustments refer to a measure or action taken to assist a student with disability to participate in education and training on the same basis as other students. An adjustment is considered reasonable if it achieves this purpose while balancing the interests of all parties affected, including those of the student with disability, the VET provider, trainers and other students.

(28) Reasonable adjustments do not represent a lowering of competency requirements or a weakening academic standards. Students must still meet the inherent requirements and learning outcomes of the course. Reasonable adjustments cannot:

1. change the inherent requirements of the course or the integrity of the qualification,
2. be inconsistent with regulatory or licensing requirements of the Training Package,
3. compromise work health and safety codes, guidelines or policies.

(29) Where recommended reasonable adjustments cannot be implemented or are not considered reasonable in the context of the prospective student's course, the Manager/Course Coordinator is responsible for:

1. communicating the reasons to the student and Disability & Accessibility Services as soon as practicable, and
2. consulting with the student about their suitability for the course.

(30) A Learning Access Plan including details of decisions related to reasonable adjustments will be recorded in the student file. This recorded information will ensure that students are not required to provide any additional documentation when requesting reasonable adjustment due to the impacts of their disability or health condition.

(31) Students with a Learning Access Plans are still required to apply for special consideration if acute unexpected circumstances not related to their disability or health condition have an adverse impact on their performance in assessable tasks, submission of assessment tasks or examination attendance.

Section 5 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment

(32) Outcome Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations 2025: Standards 2.2 Information; 2.3 and 2.4 Training Support; 2.5 Diversity and Inclusion; 2.6 Wellbeing; 4.4 Continuous Improvement.

(33) National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (Cth): Standards 6 Overseas Student Support Services; 8 Overseas Student Visa Requirements.

Section 6 - Definitions

(34) Refer to relevant definitions provided within the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Outcome Standards for Registered Training Organisations) Instrument 2025 and the relevant Skills First Dual Sector VET Funding Contract.

(35) Pre-Training Review

(36) Literacy and Numeracy (LN)

(37) DJSIR