| Top of STA | Index | Table of Contents | Feedback | |
This page provides an overview of the VET Statistics subsystem and its use for the production of VET Government statistical returns. This is a highly specialised part of Callista, intended for the use of statistics specialists only. (For information about HE Statistics, see Understanding HE Statistics.)
No attempt has been made to restate the data specifications provided by AVETMISS. Refer to the relevant AVETMISS manuals as the definitive source of this information.
Statistics Reference Data is maintained in other subsystems. Refer to the Statistics Subsystem Table of Contents for details.
For insights into Government Course Types and Qualification Names, see Australian Qualification Training Framework.
For definitions on various word usage in this section, see the Statistics Glossary.
Topics covered include:
Users of the Statistics Subsystem and Required Knowledge
The production of Government Statistics is a job for the Specialist Statistics Officer. It requires an intimate knowledge of both the requirements of AVETMISS statistical reporting and the data sources within Callista. Users of this subsystem need to be familiar with the contents of the AVETMISS manual. It is the basis upon which this subsystem is designed. They need a broad understanding of system-wide functionality and a detailed operation of the Enrolments and Job Control and Scheduling subsystems. This manual provides the necessary information in the System Overview, Enrolments Subsystem and Job Control and Scheduling Subsystem chapters. Help for a specific topic can be found using the Index.
Setting up the Statistics subsystem prior to its first use requires some programmer/analyst activity. This is detailed in Statistics Subsystem Data Pre-Requisites.
Maintenance of Statistics-Related Data in Callista
The entry of data used by the Statistics subsystem is distributed throughout other subsystems. For instance, Course and Unit information originates in the Course Structure and Planning subsystem and is used in the Enrolments subsystem. Users entering this data do not require detailed knowledge of the Statistics subsystem.
For the Statistics subsystem to function, specific reference data must be created and maintained in other subsystems (for example, specific Calendar Instances and Date Alias Instances must be created in the Calendar subsystem). These pre-requisites are detailed below. This data is usually created by a System Administrator or by the Specialist responsible for the subsystem concerned.
Government Codes, as specified in the AVETMISS manual, are recorded throughout the system. In most cases one or more institution defined codes map to a Government Code and it is the institution defined code which is used by the majority of users. Institution and Government Codes are usually created and maintained by a System Administrator or by the Specialist responsible for the subsystem concerned.
Pre-Requisites for Government Statistics Processing for VET
Setup
Specific data must be created in other subsystems in order for the Statistics subsystem to function correctly. This data is detailed in Statistics Subsystem Data Pre-requisites and must be established prior to running data 'snapshots'.
Statistics Reference/Control Data
The following Reference Data/Control forms related to VET Statistics Snapshots exist in the Statistics subsystem:
The Government Statistics Process for VET
The broad processes involved in preparing a Government Statistics Submission are described below.
Government reportable data is maintained routinely in Callista. For example, Student Addresses and Course and Unit details are maintained as part of the business of the institution. A set of specific codes used for government reporting is also maintained in the system. An example is Government Attendance Types.
The process of obtaining government statistics (whether or not institutions use all the fields) is as follows:
The Maintain VET Government Snapshot Control (STAF8005) form sends information to the Create VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot (STAJ8000) job which in turn sends information to the Create VET Government Submission Snapshot job (STAJ8005) job. (The Delete VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot (STAJ8002) job may be run at this point, if required.) The Create VET Government Submission Files (STAJ8800) job is then run to create information for all the NAT.txt files that are sent on to AVETMISS.
Note 1: The VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot Control (STAF8000) form is also part of the process. It manages the VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshots. Each snapshot involves large volumes of data and it is likely that only a small proportion of snapshots created will need to be saved for future reference. The Statistics specialist is able to indicate which snapshots are no longer required. Comments can be recorded against snapshots; these comments may indicate why the snapshot has been retained in the system.
Note 2: The VET Statistics sub-system consists of a number of snapshot jobs with complex processing that manipulate large amounts of data. If any of these jobs fail due to an unexpected error there are a number of clean-up activities that must be performed. Using Microsoft Word, open the stats_vet.doc in the Help/techdoc/callista directory for further information on how to carry out clean-up procedures.
| Run Order: | Description: |
Details: |
|
| 1 | STAF8005 | VET Government Snapshot Control | Details |
| 2 (a) | STAJ8000 |
Create VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot |
|
| 2 (b) | STAF8000 | VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot Control | Details |
| 2 (c) | STAJ8002 |
Delete VET Enrolment Statistics |
|
| 3 | STAJ8005 |
Create VET Government Submission Snapshot |
|
| 4 | STAJ8800 |
Create VET Government Submission Files |
|
| 5 | STAJ0120 |
Copy Extract File to Secure Area |
Each job or form mentioned above, is described below.
STAF8005 - Maintain VET Government Snapshot Control
STAF8005 - Maintain VET Government Snapshot Control gathers data from Calendar information. It allows an institution to define what Load Periods the system should consider when creating a Government Submission Snapshot. It also allows the institution to mark a Government Submission Snapshot as complete.
The tables involved in STAF8005 are:
These tables and their details are provided in STAF8005.
Note: 'Load Period' and 'Load Calendar Instance' are terms used to describe the same process.
STAJ8000 - VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshots
Preparations for Government Statistics Submissions commence with the creation of an Enrolment Statistics Snapshot. A snapshot is produced each time the Enrolments Statistics Snapshot (STAJ8000) job is run. It gathers information from Course and Unit Structures, Calendars, Student Enrolment, Advanced Standing and Assessments.
The primary purpose of the VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot (STAJ8000) is to identify records that are to be considered for inclusion in the VET Government Submission Snapshot (STAJ8005).
Institutions may choose to access the VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot Table (ENR_STATISTICS_SNAPSHOT_VET) using an ad-hoc reporting tool for purposes such as Enrolment Analysis.
Institutions can choose to run this job as often as they require. This is likely to be nightly during Enrolment Periods, for example, to update tables for internal reports.
STAJ8000 captures Course and Unit data for all Student Unit Attempts except those with Student Unit Attempt Status UNCONFIRM, INVALID or DUPLICATE at the point in time at which the capture process takes place. The process carries out the following actions:
VET also includes Advanced Standing. The Advanced Standing Unit:
The five tables involved in STAJ8000 are:
For more details on each table, see STAJ8000.
When using the STAT_SNPSHT_IDX table, indexes are dropped prior to the insert of data on the VET Government Snapshot Enrolment table. This assists with performance of the job. When inserting large volumes of data it is more efficient to drop the indexes, insert the data, and then rebuild the indexes after the data has been inserted. Before dropping the indexes, the indexes are stored in the index properties on the Statistics Snapshot Index table (above).
Note: If any indexes are dropped/recreated for performance reasons, may mean, jobs fail due to an unexpected error there are a number of clean-up activities that must be performed. Using Microsoft Word, open the stats_vet.doc in the Help/techdoc/callista directory for further information on how to carry out clean-up procedures.
An Enrolment Statistics Snapshot Exception Report (STAR8000) is produced that lists records not included in the snapshot, as errors. A reason is provided for each exception, permitting identification and resolution of problems.
Unwanted Enrolment Snapshots should be deleted using the Delete Enrolment Statistics Snapshots process (STAJ8002) on a regular basis, due to the large amount of storage space they consume.
STAF8000 - VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot Control
STAF8000 (VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot Control) manages the VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshots (STAJ8000). Each snapshot involves large volumes of data and it is likely that only a small proportion of snapshots created will need to be saved for future reference. Comments can be recorded against snapshots; these comments may indicate why the snapshot has been retained in the system.
There is one table involved in STAF8000. It is:
For more information, see STAF8000.
STAJ8005 - VET Government Submission Snapshots
A Government Submission Snapshot is the snapshot used to create the extract files used in AVETMISS. These snapshots can be created as required and used in AVETMISS to check data at any time prior to the actual submission being produced. (Note: For a particular Submission Year, number and type, only one Government Snapshot is retained in the System. Running the Government Snapshot process again, overwrites the existing version.)
The Create VET Government Submission Snapshot (STAJ8005) receives information from Create VET Enrolment Statistics Snapshot (STAJ8000) and passes it on to Create VET Government Submission Files (STAJ8800).
Data to be included in a snapshot is determined by:
Production of the AVETMISS Submission involves determining that a particular Enrolment Snapshot reflects the enrolment situation at the Census Date. This Enrolment Snapshot may by necessity have been created after the Census Date to allow for processing of retrospective Enrolment/Discontinuation transactions (by staff with Override Variation Cut-off Date authority). The Government Submission Snapshot process (STAJ8005) is run via Job Scheduler. It uses the chosen Enrolment Snapshot to identify which records to consider for reporting in the Government Submission and as a source of some data. The remaining required data is extracted or derived from other parts of the system. Other checks are performed by the system to determine if records should be included in the Government Submission (for example, 'Is unit enrolled as at the Census Date?). These are detailed in the AVETMISS manual.
The tables involved in STAJ8005 are:
For more information, see STAJ8005.
STAJ8800 - Create VET Government Submission Files
Having created the Government Submission Snapshot, the Create VET Government Submission Files job (STAJ8800) is run in Job Scheduler (regardless of the submission number and type) to create the extract files required for AVETIMISS.
(Note: Not all files are created for each submission. Refer to the documentation for each file and the AVETMISS manual - Section 6: File Specifications, for a list of those files included in each submission.)
The purpose of the STAJ8800 job is to create the following AVETMISS files:
The parameter form will allow users to define which of these files are to be generated during the running of this job.This function retrieves data from STAJ8005 - VET Government Submission Snapshot, and writes it out to the AVETMISS files.
Each file is a ‘flat’ file, consisting of a sequence of data records. All records consist of a set of fixed length fields and are terminated by two extra bytes containing a carriage return/line feed combination (ASCII codes 13 and 10). Files are written to the 'KEEP' directory (as defined on the System Job Control table, see below).
Refer to 'AVETMISS: The Standard for VET Providers' for exact detail about each of the files.
The STAJ8005 tables retrieved are:
The following table S_JOB_CONTROL will store control information for Job Scheduling. The values in here will be used by jobs, for example, to determine where files can be found and also where outputs should go.
| S_JOB_CONTROL | Reason/Description |
| CONTROL_ITEM | Control item is a system recognised value. For example 'KEEP' are the files to be kept. |
| DESCRIPTION | Description of the Control Item. Institution-defined. |
| CONTROL_VAL | This field contains the value of the Control Item. For example, it may contain the path name for a directory. |
| UPDATE_WHO | The name of the user who last updated the table. |
| UPDATE_ON | The Date and Time the record was last updated. |
For more information, see STAJ8800.
Copy the Stats/Centrelink Files from Secure Area
After running a snapshot job, the 'Copy Govt. Stats/Centrelink Files from Secure Area' (STAJ0120) job is run to copy the extract files from the secure (KEEP) directory to a directory accessible to users. Files in the 'KEEP' directory cannot be accessed by users. The files can be copied from this secure directory, to a user directory in which they can be accessed, using the Copy Extract Files From Secure Area process (STAJ0120). The user directory is specified by the 'USER' environment variable (refer to your System Administrator).
This job is expected to be run when access to the submission files is required. This is typically for:
Use of extract files is covered by 'Steps in Preparing and Sending Returns to AVETMISS and the ATO', of the AVETMISS manual.
Errors produced should be fixed by amending data in the 'live' database and repeating the process above.
Note: After any of the Statistics jobs have been run, the Job Run Log should be checked. It will identify both the reasons for a job failing, and missing and incorrect data.
The final step in Callista, following the forwarding of a submission to AVETMISS is to 'close off update access' to the submission. This is done by setting the Completion Date for the submission in the Government Snapshot Control form (STAF8005). A logical date to use would be the date the submission was forwarded to AVETMISS.
The VET FEE-HELP Statistics Reporting Process
The process for reporting VET FEE-HELP statistics follows the same process as that used by the HE sector for DIISRTE statistics reporting; it therefore differs to the VET Govt. Statistics process in that it is not based on AVETMISS requirements.
Preparation for VET FEE-HELP statistics submissions commences with the creation of a VET FEE-HELP Submission Snapshot. This snapshot is produced as frequently as the institution requires by running the Create VET FEE-HELP Submission Snapshot (STAJ8050) job. At an appropriate time, one of the snapshots is selected as being representative of VET FEE-HELP statistics and is used to produce the VET FEE-HELP submission files (STAJ8850).
STAJ8050 identifies and extracts student records for inclusion in the VET FEE-HELP Government Submission files (STAJ8850) for DIISRTE statistics reporting.
The Create VET FEE-HELP Govt Submission Files (STAJ8850) job is then run to create the submission files from the data extracted by the STAJ8050 job.
The VET FEE-HELP Revision Submission Snapshot (STAJ8055) is run using the same three tables used in STAJ8050 (listed below) to report additions, deletions or changes to previously reported VET FEE-HELP submission records.
Figure 1: The VET FEE_HELP Reporting Process
___________________________________________
[Image added: Jan 2010]
STAJ8050 - Create VET FEE-HELP Submission Snapshot
This job identifies and extracts student records for inclusion in the VET FEE-HELP Government Submission files (STAJ8850) for DIISRTE statistics reporting.
Data to be included in a VET FEE-HELP Submission Shapshot is determined by Reporting Statuses set in the Maintain VET FEE-HELP Snapshot Control form (STAF8050) and parameters specified when STAJ8050 is run.
At any one time the job may be run for:
Eligibility Rules:
The eligibility rules to determine whether a student/unit is eligible for VET FEE-HELP and is therefore reported, are as follows:
Snapshot Tables:
The snapshot consists of data collected from throughout Callista and is stored in the following three snapshot tables based on whether the data is at a student, course or unit level:
If an exception is created, messages are logged to the system log. GENJ1100 (see section below) can be run to access the log and view information about the errors that need fixing. If required, re-run STAJ8050 to capture fixed or amended records.
For more information see, STAJ8050.
STAJ8055 - Create VET FEE-HELP Revisions Submission Snapshot
The Revisions file (VSR) is required by DIISRTE to report additions, deletions or changes to previously reported VET FEE-HELP snapshot records and remissions. Revisions processing is run after a standard VET FEE-HELP Snapshot submission is completed, to check that everything in the system has been reported correctly.
The VET FEE-HELP Revisions Submission process uses the same three tables that the VET FEE-HELP Submission Snapshot job (STAJ8050) uses (i.e. GOVT_SNAPSHOT_VET_PE, GOVT_SNAPSHOT_VET_SCA and GOVT_SNAPSHOT_VET_SUA) to store the revised data. The original data remains unchanged and the revised data is stored with a different stapshot type (VS_REV) in the same tables. This Revisions file is sent to DIISRTE, as required, although usually it is submitted with the next VET FEE-HELP submission files.
STAJ8055 identifies the following:
For more information see, STAJ8055.
STAF8050 - Maintain VET FEE-HELP Snapshot
Snapshot data produced by STAJ8050 (VET FEE-HELP Submission Snapshot) and STAJ8055 (VET Government Revisions Statistics Snapshot) can be maintained via the Maintain VET FEE-HELP Snapshot (STAF8050) form. From this form, administrators are able to:
For more information see, STAF8050.
STAJ8850 - Create VET FEE-HELP Government Submission Files
Having run the STAJ0500 or STAJ8055 job (see above), the Create VET FEE-HELP Government Submission Files job (STAJ8850) is run to create submission files from the VET FEE-HELP data extracted by STAJ0500 or STAJ8055. Depending on the parameters selected, the following submission files can be created and are used by institutions to report to DIISRTE:
Each file must be created at least once for each Government submission, but the function may be run multiple times for each submission if a file fails the validations. For example, files cannot be created if the snapshot contains records with a Reporting Status of RE-PROCESS.
The file name for each submission file, must adhere to the naming convention: hhhhxxxyyyy.pnnnnn where:
Files are written to the KEEP directory (as defined on the System Job Control table). Run the Copy Govt. Stats/Centrelink Files from Secure Area (STAJ0120) job (see below) to copy the extract files from the secure (KEEP) directory to a directory accessible to users.
Copy the Stats/Centrelink Files from Secure Area
After creating the submission files, the Copy Govt. Stats/Centrelink Files from Secure Area (STAJ0120) job is run to copy the extract files from the secure (KEEP) directory to a directory accessible to users.
This job is expected to be run when access to the submission files is required. This is typically for:
GENJ1100 - Generate XML File from System Log
This job allows the administrator to select a system log file that was created when a job was run and generate an XML file.
This process does not create any new data it just changes the format of the log file derived by the other job. All records in the selected log are included in the XML file. The job can be used in conjunction with other log type jobs to generate an XML file containing the data that was logged by the previously run job.
The user can have the XML delivered as an email attachment using standard Callista Job Scheduler functionality.
The job details definition will allow the system output type to be defined as XML. The file extension is XML.
Last Modified on April 13, 2012
History Information
| Release Version | Project | Change to Document |
| 14.0.0.2 | 1400 - calipso 35304 | Deleted stray text in the filename convention para under STAJ8850, re: setting yyyy to 0000 for VRL, VRD and VSR. |
| 13.0.0.2 | 1323 - Online Help Consolidation | Incorporated the 'How the VET Govt Statistics Process Works' (sta_vet_gov_sub_process) Help page. |
| 12.0.0.3 | 1646 - Skills VIC VET FEE-HELP Reporting | Added new VET FEE-HELP Reporting sections. (Also, re-arranged information on page, created new links and subheadings, transferred table details to relevant Help pages.) |
| 12.1.0.1 | 1647 - VIC AVETMISS Reporting | Added new fields to the ENR_STAT_SNAPSHOT_VET table, specific to the Skills VIC data requirements. Re-arranged information on page, created new links and subheadings, transferred table details to relevant Help pages. |
| 10.1.0.3.0.0 | 1506- AVETMISS NAT85 | Added details for GOVT_SNAPSHOT_POST_ADDR_VET table and NAT00085 submission. |
| 9.1.0.0.0.0 | 1286 - AVETMISS | Changed ASCO to ANZSCO and updated fields. Added REP_NOM_HRS_FOR_SCHD_HRS_IND to GOVT_SNAPSHOT_CTL_VET table. |