Professional development
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Independent RTOs will “do the heavy lifting” to address shortages peak body says
Freya Lucas
Jun 28, 2023
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Independent registered training organisations (RTOs) will be needed to do the “heavy lifting” required to address skills shortages in Australia, the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) has said, calling for more to be done to put students “at the heart of the skills training system”.
ITECA is a peak body that represents independent skills training, higher education, and international education providers, and has made the call as the New South Wales Government reviews options to address skills shortages across the state.“It's clear that independent RTOs will do the heavy lifting to address those shortages,” said ITECA Chief Executive Troy Williams.
This, ITECA believes, is evidenced by government data on student enrolments and satisfaction that should inform and drive policy-making.
"When it comes to accessing quality skills training, students are voting with their feet,” Mr Williams said.
“It's clear that independent training providers are the go-to source for training that will help them into a new job or one with better pay and conditions."
Government data referenced in the ITECA State Of The Sector Report shows that independent RTOs support 80.8 per cent of the 1,139,266 students in skills training in New South Wales.
Mr Williams also cited course completion rates, where he says private training providers “easily outperform” the public sector, and employment status after training, where he said private RTOs again outperformed the public sector.
"When it comes to helping students get the skills they need to achieve their life and career goals, it's clear that independent RTOs not only do the heavy lifting in terms of the number of students supported, but they also achieve the best outcomes. This shows why independent skills training is great for students, and great for New South Wales," Mr Williams said.
The analysis of the government data referenced above, produced by the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research, comes as the future of skills funding in New South Wales is being debated.
"We need to put students at the heart of the skills training system,” Mr Williams notes.
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