Policy & Procedure

Learners’ rights

Learners have a right to:

• learn in a safe, secure and clean environment
• be treated fairly and equitably and with respect by other Learners and staff
• learn in an environment free of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation
• receive encouragement and support during the course of their training
• have their personal information and privacy protected
• have the results of their progress stored securely and maintained accurately
• be able to access their personal Learner records on request
• obtain information about assessments and the assessment process in advance of an assessment
• receive adequate comment from trainer/assessors about their performance in class and after an assessment, and about their progress in the course
• make a complaint by using the proper procedure and have it treated confidentially and dealt with fairly and quickly
• have the right to appeal against any decision made in relation to a complaint they make
• discuss their concerns or problems confidentially with staff
• Learners are always encouraged to follow internal complaints and appeals procedures wherever possible. However; in ACT, if learners undertaking the ACT Training Initiative Program (Skilled Capital & User Choice) wish to communicate any complaints or feedback regarding their training directly with the Skills Canberra, they may contact them on; Phone: (02) 6205 8555 (during business hours) Email: skills@act.gov.au Address: PO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601 Business Hours: 8:30am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday and/or through the Skills Canberra website https://www.skills.act.gov.au/complaints

Learners’ responsibilities

Learners are required to:

• be courteous and polite to, and respectful of, each other and staff
• cooperate with each other and staff
• take all steps to improve teamwork and interpersonal communication
• adhere to all health and safety requirements at all times (whether written or spoken)
• behave in an appropriate and acceptable way and not do anything that may cause anyone else offence or embarrassment (This includes not swearing or using offensive language; not using threatening or abusive language; and not harassing, bullying or victimising anyone.)
• not do anything that disrupts a class or the learning of other Learners
• attempt to resolve any conflicts or misunderstandings immediately they arise
• be punctual, regular and committed, and take responsibility and ownership for their own learning and their own actions
• sign any attendance register required (85% attendance is required)
• maintain satisfactory course progress
• provide accurate information about themselves and promptly inform AAAS of any change in their details
• pay relevant fees when they are due
• not smoke, consume alcohol or drugs in the college premises; not enter the college under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs; not bring alcohol, illegal drugs or weapons to the college
• use mobile phones or paging devices in class or in any assessment situation
• prepare adequately for assessment, submit assessment tasks (such as assignments) by the due date, and ask for an extension of time if exceptional circumstances require it
• not engage in plagiarism or cheating of any kind
• dress suitably at all times
• not steal, damage, or misuse any AAAS equipment or resources or anyone else’s property

Data Management Policies and Procedures

• AAAS recognises every student’s right to privacy. AAAS collects information about all learners through enrolment forms, assessment tasks, surveys and personal interviews. Any information collected is stored within AAAS’s training database. We use this information in many different ways, for example to assess our learners’ competencies, to analyse our marketing activities and for promotional purposes. AAAS sometimes contacts its learners and graduates to let them know about future products and services. In cases involving State or Commonwealth funding for a student’s training, AAAS is obliged to submit their enrolment and progress details for statistical purposes. This does not include providing any student’s name or any other personal details
• During enrolment, learners are required to sign a consent form that allows AAAS to share these details with the appropriate government agencies. AAAS does not share, rent or sell any personal information of its learners or corporate clients provide to it. The information collected by AAAS is protected under the Commonwealth Privacy ACT 1988 and local State & Territories’ current privacy protection acts and regulations. All of AAAS’s learners are required to follow the Privacy Act
• Every learner is required to observe discretion in his/her communications with other co learners, clients and stakeholders. Should AAAS require to use any information collected for statistical or promotional purposes (i.e. editorial, photos for advertising purposes, etc), AAAS will obtain the person’s written consent first and will not use any information unless this condition is satisfied
• AAAS reserves the right to make changes to its services including courses, unit costs and dates. The availability and composition of courses can vary with the locations. Please contact AAAS office on 1300 SKILLS or 1300 754 557 for more information

AAAS will ensure that all individual learner enrolments in the nationally recognised qualification are provided with their Unique Student Identifier (USI). In case of data breach, AAAS would comply to the NDB (Notifiable Data Breach) scheme under the Australia Privacy Act 1988. In doing so, AAAS will:

• Notify individuals whose personal information is involved in a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm including recommendations about the steps individuals should take in response to the breach
• The Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) must also be notified of eligible data breaches
• For more information, please refer to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) website
• For more information about AAAS’s policies and procedures, please refer to the Learner Information Handbook