Higgins Training Solutions is an approved 3rd Party provider (Partner) of Allens Training Pty Ltd RTO #90909, therefore all student and user data that is supplied for the purposes of delivery of services under this agreement will be required to comply with the Allens Training Pty Ltd Privacy Policy. This policy is outlined below and available to all users via the Student Handbook.

Allens Training Pty Ltd Privacy Policy

Allens Training Pty Ltd takes the privacy of students very seriously and complies with all legislative requirements. These include the Privacy Act 1988. The Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012 (Privacy Amendment Act) made many significant changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act). The main change is that all businesses that collect or handle personal information will be required to comply with a new set of Principles, the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) as of 12 March 2014.

In our operation as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) we are required to collect certain information by external agencies such as the National VET Regulator and other licensing bodies in order to meet our compliance requirements as an RTO. All information shared is kept in the strictest confidence by both parties and is available on request. The Privacy Notice at Schedule 1 of the National VET Data Policy explains these requirements, which can be accessed through: https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-notice.

The Privacy Notice as at Schedule 1 of the VET Data Policy is provided in this document. It is current as of January 2021.

The relevant Privacy Principles are summarised as:

Collection We will collect only the information necessary for our primary function and you will be told the purposes for which the information is collected.

Use and disclosure Personal information will not be used or disclosed for a secondary purpose.

Data quality We will take all reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up to date.

Security We will take all reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Allens Training Pty Ltd will only use or disclose personal information about a student for a purpose other than the primary purpose of collection (a 'secondary purpose') if:

the secondary purpose is related to the primary purpose of collection and the student would reasonably expect to use or disclose the information for the secondary purpose, or
Allens Training Pty Ltd reasonably believes that the use or disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious and imminent threat to an individual's life, health or safety or a serious threat to public health or public safety, or
Allens Training Pty Ltd has reason to suspect that unlawful activity has been, is being or may be engaged in, and uses or discloses the personal information as a necessary part of its investigation of the matter or in reporting its concerns to relevant persons or authorities, or
the use or disclosure is required or specifically authorised by law.

Notwithstanding the above, Allens Training Pty Ltd is prohibited by law from releasing a student’s personal information to third parties, including members of their family without that individual’s prior written consent.

Photography Privacy

We recognise that in some circumstances there are sensitivities relating to the taking of photographs. This is particularly relevant to capturing images of children. We may, from time to time, wish to take photos of training activities we are conducting. When these instances arise in an environment external to our own training facilities, we will first obtain permission from the premise’s owner or manager, as well as from the students themselves.

If you have concerns about how Allens Training Pty Ltd is managing your personal information, we encourage you to inform our staff and discuss your concerns. You are also encouraged to make a complaint directly to us using our internal complaint handling arrangements outlined in this handbook.

Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) you also have the right to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) about the handling of your personal information. You can find more information about making a privacy complaint at the website of the OAIC located at: http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints.

Student Data

Under the Standards for RTOs 2015, we are required to capture student data at the time of enrolment. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they provide accurate information in regard to themselves and their enrolment. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they inform us of any change of personal details in writing within seven days of the change occurring.

This data is known as AVETMISS data – Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard. We must gather information in regard to the following data: who the student is, where they study and what they study.

We are also required to confirm the identity of the student enrolling into the course. This may involve requesting copy of photo ID or other documents that will verify the student ID. For more information on specific ID requirements for your course, refer to the ‘Student Information’ for your course available on the Allens Training website.

Please Note: Enrolment into a course will not be confirmed unless the required student data and proof of ID has been collected and confirmed.

Records Management

All course paperwork is scanned and entered into our Training Desk database. Files are stored for the legislated period of time and electronic files are backed up regularly and are stored on a protected server.

Information concerning contact details, financial status, academic status, attendance status, registration details, identification details, evaluations, feedback, and surveys are all confidential.

Accessing your Records

Students have access to personal records upon written request to the Compliance Team email compliance@allenstraining.com.au A Request for access to Student Records Form is available for this purpose, or to allow access to records by a third party. The form can be downloaded from our website under the student section.

In all cases Allens Training Pty Ltd will require proof of identity to protect the privacy of all client information. Student assessment records are only retained by Allens Training Pty Ltd for the legislated minimum timeframe of 6 months as per the ASQA General Direction on Retention requirements for completed student assessments.

Students are obligated to keep Allens Training Pty Ltd informed of their current contact details and to inform us immediately of any change in these details. Students should be advised that if they do not receive any correspondence due to incorrect contact details, they are fully responsible.

National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER) Privacy Notice

Privacy Notice as at Schedule 1 of the VET Data Policy is provided below.

Why we collect your personal information?

As a registered training organisation (RTO), we collect your personal information so we can process and manage your enrolment in a vocational education and training (VET) course with us.

How we use your personal information

We use your personal information to enable us to deliver VET courses to you, and otherwise, as needed, to comply with our obligations as an RTO.

How we disclose your personal information

We are required by law (under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth) (NVETR Act)) to disclose the personal information we collect about you to the National VET Data Collection kept by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER). The NCVER is responsible for collecting, managing, analysing and communicating research and statistics about the Australian VET sector.

We are also authorised by law (under the NVETR Act) to disclose your personal information to the relevant state or territory training authority.

How the NCVER and other bodies handle your personal information

The NCVER will collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with the law, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and the NVETR Act. Your personal information may be used and disclosed by NCVER for purposes that include populating authenticated VET transcripts; administration of VET; facilitation of statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage; and understanding the VET market.

The NCVER is authorised to disclose information to the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), Commonwealth authorities, State and Territory authorities (other than registered training organisations) that deal with matters relating to VET and VET regulators for the purposes of those bodies, including to enable:

administration of VET, including program administration, regulation, monitoring and evaluation
facilitation of statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage
understanding how the VET market operates, for policy, workforce planning and consumer information.

The NCVER may also disclose personal information to persons engaged by NCVER to conduct research on NCVER’s behalf.

The NCVER does not intend to disclose your personal information to any overseas recipients.

For more information about how the NCVER will handle your personal information please refer to the NCVER’s Privacy Policy at www.ncver.edu.au/privacy

If you would like to seek access to or correct your information, in the first instance, please contact your RTO using the contact details listed below.

DESE is authorised by law, including the Privacy Act and the NVETR Act, to collect, use and disclose your personal information to fulfil specified functions and activities. For more information about how the DESE will handle your personal information, please refer to the DESE VET Privacy Notice at https://www.dese.gov.au/national-vet-data/vet-privacy-notice

Surveys

You may receive a student survey which may be run by a government department or an NCVER employee, agent, third-party contractor or another authorised agency. Please note you may opt out of the survey at the time of being contacted.

Contact information

At any time, you may contact Allens Training Pty Ltd to:

request access to your personal information
correct your personal information
make a complaint about how your personal information has been handled
ask a question about this Privacy Notice