What is an AVETMISS Compliant Student Management System?

An “AVETMISS Compliant Student Management System” is a software records management database. It helps you to collect learner data and formats it for the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) or in the case of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) receiving state funding the State Training Authority (STA) to whom they report.

In Australia, an RTO is a training business that reports student data. They need to report at least once per year, but it could be more often if you receive government funding.

To receive government funding you would enter into a training contract with the state or federal government where reporting and contract payments by state and federal government takes place monthly. To be paid, you need to submit an error-free student record at the end of each month.

NCVER AVETMISS Compliant Software Register

Bluegem can be found in the AVETMISS Compliant Software Register. If you’re an RTO, you should consult this register before purchasing a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Student Management System (SMS). Bluegem is both and therefore referred to as a Training Management Systems (TMS).

But it is important to do your homework first to avoid buying a lemon. 

What are NAT Files?

There are two sets of NAT Files, one for the State Training Authority (STA) when submitting data to NCVER and the other for RTOs submitting data to either their state training authority or directly to NCVER. For the purpose of this discussion we’re really only concerned with the “Data Collection Provider” submission, i.e. the RTOs.

• NAT 10 – Organisation File – Provides details of the RTO
• NAT 20 – Delivery Locations File – Provides details of all training delivery location by the organisation
• NAT 30 – Program File – These are the list of Nationally Accredited Qualifications, Skill sets and Courses delivered
• NAT 60 – Subjects File – These are the list of Nationally Accredited Units or Modules delivered
• NAT 80 – Client File – Holds details about the Learner, also called, client, trainee, apprentice, student or participant
• NAT 85 – Client Address File – Holds address details for the student
• NAT 90 – Client Disability File – Holds details of any disabilities the client may have
• NAT 100 – Client Prior Educational Achievement File – holds details of any prior achievements held by the client
• NAT 120 – Enrolment File – provides details of the students enrolment and training outcomes
• NAT 130 – Program Completed File – provides details of any program(s) the client has completed in the period

Read more about NAT Files and how to read them here

Annual vs. Monthly reporting

The frequency of reporting via your AVETMISS compliant student management system is determined by your funding arrangements. Every year your state government will invite tender submissions from RTOs to deliver training under the various funding state and national schemes. Often these will include industry funding schemes, such as Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) for training in the housing and construction industry.

Administering the fund is hard work without an AVETMISS compliant student management system, since you’ll need to report your student activity every month to qualify for payment in that month.

For state funded programs you will generally report via your State Training Authority, who will process the necessary data to ascertain your training payments and pass the national statistical data of your submission to NCVER. In this scenario, you do not have to submit to both your STA and NCVER.

If you don’t receive government funding submission is generally annual and you'll report directly to NCVER by Feb for the previous year. Bluegem also has built-in reporting rules across all states and makes AVETMISS, USI and RAPT reporting as easy as possible.

How often do AVETMISS standards change?

This question is more important that you might think, because when it relates to an AVETMISS compliant Student Management System, it determines how often your RTO Software needs to be updated. In our experience, AVETMISS, USI or RAPT reporting introduces changes at least once per year.

If you’re planning to build an in-house AVETMISS compliant student management system, you must consider the cost of ongoing software maintenance. You’ll most definitely need it. 

Bluegem includes software maintenance to account for all compliance reporting changes. This cost is included in your license fee.

How does AVETMISS reporting integrate with VET Student Loan or CRICOS reporting?

VSL and AVETMISS contain a lot of duplicate and overlapping data elements expressed in different formats with different codes. They are two completely independent systems demanding much of the same data.

If you add HEIMS to the mix, you have yet another reporting system collecting much of the same data as AVETMISS and VET Student Loans.

From the stand point of an RTO Software vendor providing AVETMISS compliant student management systems that also need to be VSL, CRICOS and HEIMS compliant this is a complicated and costly maintenance exercise.

Bluegem regularly updates and regression tests all of our RTO Software in order to remains a VSL, CRICOS, RAPT, USI and AVETMISS compliant student management system.

Where to next?

If you need a high quality AVETMISS compliant student management system we would strongly recommend that you evaluate Bluegem.