RTO Marketing & Recruitment – Follow The Student Journey Part 1
Following The Student Journey Blogs will allow you to quality assure your RTO. This is part 1 of a 6 part Blog update.
MARKETING & RECRUITMENT (This is known as the 1st phase of the students journey)
This area focuses on a student’s experience of marketing and recruitment into the courses and programs you will offer. RTOs are responsible for providing accurate and accessible information to prospective and current students about RTO services and performance. This includes when these are published or distributed by third parties, such as educational agents or trainers and assessors who work on your organisation’s behalf.
In this part you should review your proposed organisation’s marketing and advertising materials, and the processes that you have in place to ensure your marketing and advertising materials are appropriate and the student has been informed via clear, accurate and readily accessible information to allow them to make informed choices about the training that may best suit their needs.
Here are some considerations and questions to ask yourself on the 1st phase of the student journey (Marketing & Recruitment)
- Does your marketing material accurately represent the organisation and the services provided to all students? (eg Website, Social Media, Your Student Information & Enrolment Form, Flyers, Brochures).
- Does your marketing material identify a space where the RTO code will be inserted if registration is granted? (eg already developed student information and enrolment forms, brochures, flyers, website).
- All marketing material only includes testimonials, photos and references to other organisations or people if their consent has been recorded. (eg consent forms from people whose image you may use in the brochures, social media and flyers you have developed) (Do you have a consent form???)
- Does all your marketing material only use the Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) logo in accordance with Schedule 4 of the Standards for RTOs 2015. (eg this logo is restricted in its usage therefore this must be demonstrated that it will be used correctly, where, how and when, possibly in a sample marketing plan and a specific policy for NRT usage). You will also be required to read schedule 4 to become familiar with the requirements.
- Does all your marketing material clearly identify all third parties used by the organisation and their role (i.e. if the third party is used for recruitment, training and assessment, and so on – If you plan to use a 3rd party you must show evidence that you have developed a comprehensive 3rd party agreement.
- Does all your marketing material make it clear where training and assessment is being delivered on your behalf (eg should you be using a 3rd party to deliver your services this is noted in your marketing material ie flyers, website, student information brochures).
- Does all your marketing material only advertise current training products with the correct title and code as published on training.gov.au? (points to note: who will be responsible for checking and reviewing the currency of the units of competence?, what is the process method should changes in the training package occur?, Who will be informed and how? )
- Your marketing material should not guarantee:· a licensing outcome, unless this outcome has been confirmed as appropriate by relevant industry regulators in the jurisdiction, an employment outcome, successful completion of the training product. A ‘Guarantee Policy’ should be developed to accommodate for this area, A Policy and Procedures Manual, Code of Conduct and Training & Assessment Strategy and possible Student Handbook, Information Brochure should be developed and highlighted in these pieces of documentation.
- All your marketing material includes details of any government or financial support arrangements the student will be required to access during enrolment. (eg flyers and brochures, student information brochures should be developed to incorporate this information to ensure that the student has all the appropriate information prior to the course).
- Describe the review process you will have in place to ensure that any marketing, promotional or advertising material that your organisation will publish or distribute is current, factual and appropriate for your intended clients and how it will be managed? A Marketing Review Policy may need to be developed in your Policy and Procedure Manual. This should include the process used to monitor material published and distributed on your behalf by other organisations. Consider who will review, who will approve the material and how you will disseminate this information to your team. Consider when changes are made to your Training and Assessment Strategy how does that feed back into the marketing materials and vice versa?
- What staff member will be responsible for checking the accuracy and currency of information before it is published?
- Who will be responsible for approving all new materials and promotional materials?
- Have you considered a marketing materials register, that will show all approvals and changes made?
- What form of method do you use to collect data, information and feedback from clients/students to say they have/will receive the services you will / have provided?
- Develop and review a course evaluation form/Stakeholder evaluation form
- Permission slips/consent forms may need to be developed to show evidence should you use a name, company or person on your website or flyer. (Testimonials must show evidence of permission)
That completes Part 1
More next week
