Privacy at TAFE NSW

We’re committed to protecting the privacy of everyone we deal with, including staff, students, suppliers or members of the public.

This page provides information on how we manage privacy, including our responsibilities and obligations. Any reference to the term ‘personal information’ refers to both personal and health information, unless specified otherwise.

Our primary privacy obligations are governed by the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) and Health Records and Information Protection Act 2002 (NSW) and where applicable the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and other privacy and data protection legislation.

We detail the way we meet these obligations and manage personal information we hold in the TAFE NSW Privacy Policy and the TAFE NSW Privacy Management Plan.

The TAFE NSW Privacy Policy applies to all personal information we hold and our controlled entities (if any). It also sets out how we collect, store, use and disclose your personal information, and your rights in relation to that personal information. 

Under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW), we’re required to have a Privacy Management Plan.

The TAFE NSW Privacy Management Plan applies to all personal information we hold and our controlled entities (if any). It also details how we manage such personal information under our legal obligations, including how you can access and amend your personal information and make a complaint about privacy matters.

Under the Student Identifiers Act 2014 (Cth), we’re required to collect personal information about students and disclose that personal information to the Student Identifiers Registrar (Registrar) where we’re required to apply for a Unique Student Identifier (USI) on behalf of the student.

We detail how the Registrar will manage that personal information in the TAFE NSW USI Privacy Notice. Our USI Privacy Notice is supplementary to the TAFE NSW Privacy Policy and Privacy Management Plan.

Under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Data Provision Requirement) Instrument 2020, we’re required to collect personal information about you and to disclose that personal information to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).  

We detail how the NCVER will manage that personal information in the:  

• TAFE NSW NCVER Privacy Notice 
• TAFE NSW National VET Data Policy Privacy Notice. 

The TAFE NSW NCVER Privacy Notice and National VET Data Policy Privacy Notice are supplementary to the TAFE NSW Privacy Policy and Privacy Management Plan.

If you’re a student, you can find your contact details and other enrolment information at your Student Hub at my.tafensw.edu.au. For help call Student Services on 131 601.

If you’re a staff member, you can access your personal information through People@TAFE on the intranet or the SAP Finance and HR portal on the Staff Portal.

If you’re a counselling client, you can access your counselling records by calling the Counselling Administration Team on 131 601. Find more information at Counselling and Career Development Services.

Others can get their personal information by contacting the part of TAFE NSW they deal with.

Sometimes we may ask you to prove who you are or give extra information, so we know we’re talking to the right person. You can learn more about how to see or change your personal information in our Privacy Management Plan.

Although processes are in place to protect the personal information we hold, if such information has been lost, or is subject to unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, a data breach may have occurred.

If you believe that we have breached your privacy, or you have concerns regarding the management of your personal information, contact the responsible business area or unit.

All complaints will be investigated in accordance with the procedures outlined in our Privacy Management Plan.

If you’re not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may request an internal review by submitting a Privacy Complaint Internal Review Application form to the TAFE NSW Privacy Officer at privacy@tafensw.edu.au

You can use the Information and Privacy Commission Internal Review Application Form at Privacy Forms for Citizens. You must submit the application within 6 months of the conduct in question, otherwise it may not be accepted.

We will conduct an internal review within 60 days of receiving a valid application, unless an extension is otherwise agreed with the applicant. Our Privacy Officer or delegate will undertake the internal review.

We’ll notify you in writing about the outcome of the internal review within 14 days of completing the review.

If you’re not satisfied with the outcome of your internal review, you can request an external review by submitting an application to the Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal at:

NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal
PO Box K1026
Haymarket NSW 1240

You can call the tribunal on 1300 006 228.

You must lodge your application within 28 days of receiving notice of the finding of an internal review. You can find more information about requesting an external review at the Information and Privacy Commission NSW.

You may also contact the NSW Privacy Commissioner to complain about a privacy matter at:

NSW Privacy Commissioner
Information and Privacy Commission (IPC)
GPO Box 7011
Sydney NSW 2001

Phone: 1800 472 679
Email: ipcinfo@ipc.nsw.gov.au
Website: www.ipc.nsw.gov.au

Under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW), we’re required to maintain and publish a public notification register for certain eligible data breaches. This register will contain notifications for eligible data breaches where we’re unable, or it is not reasonably practicable, to directly notify all affected individuals.

Any public notification on the public notification register will remain available for at least 12 months after the date of publication.

For more information on how we manage personal information and for all other privacy enquiries, email the TAFE NSW Privacy Officer at privacy@tafensw.edu.au