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Mandatory Training and Onboarding Procedure

Section 1 -  Scope 

(1) This procedure applies to all staff of the University of Newcastle (University).  

(2) Honorary staff will be required to complete a tailored mandatory and onboarding acknowledgement which will form part of their honorary appointment requirements. Therefore, honorary staff will not be required to complete the training outlined in Schedule 1 and 2 unless it is identified by their Supervisor as a requirement of their role. 

(3) This procedure does not apply to controlled entities staff. As directed by the University Council (Council), controlled entities will develop their own compliance and onboarding training to meet their compliance requirements.  

(4) This procedure does not apply to contractors or visitors but does apply to temporary agency staff from Labour Hire agencies. 

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Section 2 - Purpose 

(5) This procedure outlines the requirement to complete mandatory compliance and onboarding training. 

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Section 3 - Definitions 

(6) In the context of this document the following definitions apply:

Defined Term Meaning
Agency staff Means any person who is employed by a labour hire agency who is engaged to perform duties at the University.
Casual staff Means any person employed by the University of Newcstle on a casual employment contract.
Compliance obligations Compliance obligations encompass all of the University's mandatory and voluntary commitments. Mandatory obligations are imposed by legislation, regulations, or formal directives, while voluntary obligations may arise from standards, values, or internal commitments set by the University. These obligations define what the University must or chooses to comply with. Refer to the Compliance Management Framework for further details.
Content owner Means the work unit responsible for the development, maintenance, and oversight of the training course materials.
Core staff Means any person who is employed by the University of Newcastle on an ongoing or fixed term employment contract.
Honorary staff Means any person with an honorary academic title as awarded via the Honorary Academic Titles and Visiting Appointments Policy and Procedure.
Learning Management System (LMS) The web-based system, Discover, which facilitates online training for staff and other affiliates.
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Section 4 -  Mandatory Compliance Training and Onboarding 

(7) The University requires staff to understand and acknowledge certain compliance obligations. The mandatory training and onboarding courses have been developed to meet certain compliance obligations required of the University.  

Purpose and Delivery 

(8) Mandatory compliance and onboarding programs are implemented to ensure that identified high-risk obligations are effectively managed through well-designed and adequately resourced training initiatives, aligning with the University's risk appetite.

(9) Mandatory training and onboarding ensures that staff are informed about their responsibilities. This training is not optional and is delivered via: 

  1. online courses through the University's learning management system (LMS); or 
  2. face to face workshops (where applicable). 

Enrolment and Course Requirements 

(10) Mandatory compliance and onboarding training requirements are detailed in the following schedules: 

  1. Schedule 1 – Training modules to be completed by Core, Casual and Agency Staff. This schedule outlines the mandatory compliance and onboarding training modules required for all core, casual, and agency staff members. 
  2. Schedule 2 – Training modules to be completed by People Leaders and Role-Specific Requirements. This schedule details the mandatory compliance and role-specific training modules that must be completed by people leaders and staff in specialised roles. 

(11) Staff will be automatically enrolled in the relevant mandatory compliance and onboarding training courses based on their role, as outlined in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of this procedure. Supervisors may direct staff to complete additional training beyond these schedules if required by the role.   

(12) You must complete the relevant mandatory compliance and onboarding training (the ‘courses’) within the timeframes listed in the LMS, noting: 

  1. certain courses are repeated periodically to ensure competency is maintained.  
  2. new courses may be introduced throughout the year in response to compliance changes.     

(13) The LMS will: 

  1. record course completions;  
  2. send email notifications to staff and their supervisor regarding courses that are falling due or have expired; and 
  3. allow staff and supervisors to monitor completion of courses.  

Course Development and Review 

(14) Courses will be developed based on learning and design principles to maximise the learner experience and competency. Course development will be supported by Human Resource Services (Learning and Development). To enable this to occur the Content Owner responsible for the module (as identified in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2) will: 

  1. engage with the Learning and Development team (Human Resource Services) in the design and development of the module; 
  2. review each module on at least a biannual basis to ensure currency of information; and 
  3. review feedback from participants and incorporate this into the biannual review of the module.  

(15) Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 are updated annually. Human Resource Services will coordinate the annual review in consultation with key stakeholders. The annual review will consider proposed new courses based on changes to compliance requirements and will be endorsed by the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) in October each year.  

(16) Ad hoc changes may occur throughout the year in extenuating circumstances in response to legislative or audit requirements. These must be approved by the Chief People and Culture Officer prior to any course being developed.  

Responsibilities  

(17) Staff are responsible for completing all required courses within the set timelines. Failure to do so may constitute misconduct / serious misconduct as defined in your Enterprise Agreement, relevant instrument of appointment and/or applicable contract terms, which could lead to disciplinary action. 

(18) Supervisors are responsible for ensuring their staff have the time to complete the relevant courses and monitoring compliance. Failure of a supervisor to ensure their staff complete the required courses may constitute underperformance of their duties as a Supervisor, which could lead to disciplinary action in accordance with the applicable Enterprise Agreement, relevant instrument of appointment, and/or applicable contract terms. 

Compliance Oversight 

(19) The ELT will regularly review completion rates to ensure that staff and supervisors are complying with their training obligations and responsibilities in line with this procedure.