Partnership Information

Partnering with an RTO

Under the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF), RTO’s may establish partnerships with other RTOs as well as non-registered organisations to offer a wide range of training and assessment materials and / or services. This includes delivery of courses or units relating to courses, assessment via a variety of methods to ensure flexibility and reasonable adjustment for student learning styles as well as assessment over a period of time. It also includes validation as a quality review process to check that the assessment tools produce valid, reliable, sufficient, current and authentic evidence to ensure reasonable judgements can be made, and moderation which is the process of bringing assessment judgements and standards into alignment – This is a process that ensures the same standards are applied to all assessment results within the same unit(s) of Competency.

Partnering with Max Therapy Institute RTO No.: 21113
Not all businesses have the required resources to become Registered Training Organisations (RTO) but would still like to be involved in the delivery of accredited training courses. Developing partnership arrangements with an RTO allows these businesses to have the opportunity to contribute and become involved in their industry’s future quality of knowledge and skill of graduates from accredited training courses.
Max Therapy Institute partners with private qualified trainers / teachers, private health clinics, lifestyle and wellness centres, health environment organisations, community groups, other educational based networks, members of Industry Associations and other RTOs.
These partnership arrangements also involves the development of establishing the pathways for Credit Transfers (CT) of units of Competency from the Max Therapy Institute’s Scope of Registration Courses into other courses delivered by other RTOs as well as pathways into higher education.
Establishing of partnerships provides many opportunities.

Workplaces can be involved in delivering nationally recognised training qualifications to their employees and assist in embedding the required employability skills and client safety aspect of mindful practice
Industry experts can contribute by ensuring that recent development and emerging trends are passed onto new generations of graduates
Community organisations can contribute by mentoring, educating in cultural awareness and respectful practice and supporting students and graduates to help their communities grow and prosper
Validators and moderators can contribute by ensuring the integrity and quality of assessment is not compromised
Qualified trainers / teachers can contribute by bring real and current workplace experience and problem solving skills into training in the classroom and educating in cultural awareness and respectful practice as well as assisting in the development of employability skills and the importance of client safety by mindful practice
Other RTOs can contribute and share in the Continuous Improvement of training delivery and assessment in an open and transparent environment
Higher Education providers can be assured that graduates from Max Therapy Institute have the foundations and discipline required to achieve at the higher level of education required of their courses
Industry associations can contribute and be assured that their membership base is versed in the importance of upholding codes of ethics and practice as well as the importance of members being professional ambassadors of their industry

Creating a partnership arrangement provides opportunities to share skills, knowledge and resources for mutual benefit.

Non-registered organisations may enter into an agreement with Max Therapy Institute to deliver nationally recognised training and / or assessment services on behalf of Max Therapy Institute (the RTO). Max Therapy Institute remains responsible for the quality of service, the Statement of Attainment or full Certificate and the compliance with the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) Essential Conditions and Standards.

Partnership responsibilities
When a non-registered organisation partners with Max Therapy Institute, the partners have the following responsibilities:
Responsibilities of the non-registered organisation:

Ensure that the student is enrolled with Max Therapy Institute
Keep and maintain training and assessment records
Ensure that the training and assessment records are transferred to Max Therapy Institute for formal assessment and validation
Responsibilities of Max Therapy Institute:
Ensure the quality of the training and assessment throughout the life of the agreement
Issue the Statement of Attainment or the full Certificate
Ensure that the issued qualifications are for the qualifications / courses that appear on Max Therapy Institute’s scope of registration

Record Keeping
It is Max Therapy Institute’s responsibility to ensure the partner organisation is aware of the training and assessment records that must be kept and transferred to Max Therapy Institute. The records transferred are to include the assessment tools, assessment results, any Recognition of Prior Learning and any Credit Transfer outcomes.

Both Max Therapy Institute and the partner organisation are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of record keeping. Registering authorities will require access to these training and assessment records.

Establishing the framework for success
When entering into a partnership both Max Therapy Institute and the partnering organisation need to be sure they can work together as a team. They need to ensure that they have a strong basis for mutual respect and teamwork by developing an understanding each other’s vision, mission, values, attitudes and culture. There also must be a clear understanding of each other’s formal and reporting requirements before entering into the partnership.
A clear understanding of each parties business and education needs, commitments to excellence, gaps that need to be filled, commitment to the success of the partnership, resource requirements, and strategies for delivery and assessment, is required to be established to ensure success.

It is important that both parties state their key interests, their intent, what they require and what they expect the end product to look like. This exercise needs to be completed prior to developing the details of the partnership.

Reflective exercise needs to be undertaken by each partnering organisation.

How can entering into this partnership benefit both organisations?
What is the most important reason for considering this partnership arrangement?
What contributions of resources from each partner would be fair and equitable?
What are the expectations of time and delivery outcomes? How can these be negotiated?

Once both parties have decided to form a partnership arrangement, it is now time to establish the framework that outlines what and how things will be achieved.

The partnership
Establishing the formal agreement:
Max Therapy Institute is required to establish a written, formal agreement with each organisation it enters into partnership with.
The written formal agreement can take a number of forms. E.g.: a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU); a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA); a Service Agreement (SA); a Letter of Agreement (LOA).
The formal agreement will clearly establish the basic rules under which the partnership agreement will operate.
Influences:
They type of agreement to be chosen will be influenced by a number of factors.
   •   Each organisations Policies and Procedures on partnership arrangements
   •   The contribution that each partner is required to make towards money, time, and effort
   •   The amount of risk that may be associated with entering into the partnership
   •   The level of conflict of interest that may be involved if the partnership is established

Max Therapy Institute’s accredited courses for consideration for partnering arrangements
HLT31507 - Certificate III in Nutrition and Dietetic Assistance (not available in year 2013)
HLT40307 - Certificate IV in Massage Therapy Practice
HLT50307 - Diploma of Remedial Massage
HLT52007 - Diploma of Practice Management
21920VIC - Advanced Diploma of Remedial Massage (Myotherapy)

Exploring possibilities
To find out more about Max Therapy Institute’s partnering opportunities and to register your interest, please phone our office on (03) 9804 7773 or email info@mti.vic.edu.au or phone Pauline Kelly direct on 0403 596 997.