Bridging the gap in skills training

A NEW evaluation of remote, rural, and regional skills training has highlighted the importance and relationship of independent Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and public TAFE.

Published by the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), the 2024 Remote, Rural and Regional Skills Training Snapshot shows about 1.12 million students engaged in skill training in the regions choose to study with an independent RTO.

This equates to 87.3 per cent of all students participating in skills training in remote, rural, and regional Australia.

ITECA chief executive officer Troy Williams, said the figures were not surprising.

“Investing in skilling, upskilling, and reskilling workers in remote, rural, and regional Australia drives economic vitality, fosters community resilience, and bridges opportunity gaps,” Mr Williams said.

“This is what makes the work of ITECA members so critical to these communities.

“The key to improving skills training across remote, rural and regional Australia relies on a mutually supportive network of quality independent RTOs and public TAFE colleges.”

Mr Williams and ITECA believe the report proves how vital it is to put students at the heart of the skills training system, and are supported to study with the provider of their choice by Federal, State, and Territory Governments.

“When supporting remote, rural, and regional students to get into a job and secure, private RTOs achieve great outcomes with 84.8 per cent of students employed after training,” Mr Williams said.

“Independent RTOs achieve some of the highest levels of student satisfaction.”

To read the 2024 Remote, Rural and Regional Skills Training Snapshot in full, visit ITECA’s website.