Skills funding policy must be reshaped by the Australian, state, and territory governments to enable more students in remote, rural and regional areas to take up skills training, according to the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), the peak body representing independent skills training, higher education, and international education providers.

The Rural & Regional Skills Training Snapshot released today highlights the outstanding work of independent Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) in helping more students outside major cities access skills training.

“The report shows that when it comes to delivering skills training across remote, rural, and regional areas, it’s independent RTOs that do the heavy lifting,” said ITECA Chief Executive Troy Williams, speaking in Darwin ahead of a meeting of regional skills training leaders.

Using official data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), the report provides key insights into the skills training system:

Independent Skills Training Providers Support —

• 88.3% of all students in remote, rural, and regional areas
• 77.2% of Indigenous students in remote, rural, and regional areas
• 71.2% of students with a disability in remote, rural, and regional areas
• 86.4% of female students in remote, rural, and regional areas

“The data shows that independent RTOs lead on key measures of student satisfaction, including being employed after training, satisfaction with learning resources, and satisfaction with their assessments,” Mr. Williams said.

The official data in the Rural & Regional Skills Training Snapshot also highlights why independent RTOs are critical to helping businesses outside the major cities access a skilled and educated workforce.

“In key industries such as resources and infrastructure, health, and retail services, the official data demonstrates that independent RTOs are clearly the preferred training providers across remote, rural, and regional Australia,” Mr. Williams said.

ITECA argues that the official data in the Rural & Regional Skills Training Snapshot underscores the need for governments to recast the National Skills Agreement between the Australian, state and territory governments. Although independent RTOs support the majority of students in remote, rural, and regional areas, too many are forced to rely on personal savings or student loans to acquire the skills they need.

“As governments progress skills policy reform, it’s critical they place students at the heart of a high-performing skills training system underpinned by quality RTOs. Government skills funding programs should support a student’s informed choice to study with the provider of their preference, whether it be a public provider or a quality independent RTO,” Mr. Williams said.

The Rural & Regional Skills Training Snapshot is available ONLINE

Formed in 1992 and active across Australia, the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) is the peak body representing independent providers in the skills training, higher education, and international education sectors.

Key facts:

Independent Registered Training Organisations Providers Support —

•  88.3% of all students in remote, rural, and regional areas
•  77.2% of Indigenous students in remote, rural, and regional areas
•  71.2% of students with a disability in remote, rural, and regional areas
•  86.4% of female students in remote, rural, and regional areas