Bridging The Skills Gap In Rural, Remote & Regional Australia

The ambitious Regionalisation Ambition 2023 vision, published by the Regional Australia Institute , aims to transform the face of the workforce across remote, rural and regional Australia. This vision includes the bold goal to increase?the proportion of skilled workers in these areas to 80% of the workforce. It’s a target that will only be met when the complementarity of independent Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and public TAFE colleges is leveraged by government.

Remote, rural and regional Australia, with a current population exceeding 9.5 million, is on a trajectory to hit nearly 10.5 million by 2032. This population and workforce growth highlights the need to ensure equitable access to quality skills training, generally something that only exists in urban centres. In this context, independent RTOs emerge not just as facilitators but as catalysts of change in bridging the urban-rural divide in workforce development.

Student-centric investments in skill training are no longer optional but necessary to invigorate the economic, social, and cultural fabric of rural, remote, and regional Australia. The synergy between quality independent quality RTOs and public TAFE colleges forms the backbone of this transformative journey.

With independent quality RTOs supporting a staggering 87.3% of students in skills training in these regions — translating to over 1.1 million learners — they are undeniably at the forefront of the task of improving skills training outside the large cities.Across remote, rural and regional Australia, independent quality RTOs support nearly half of all apprentices and trainees. This availability is critical to ensuring that school leavers stay in their communities rather than gravitate to large cities.

To meet the target in the?Regionalisation Ambition 2023 vision statement of a 65% post-school qualification completion rate in regional Australia, a significant leap from the current 57%, a strategic alliance between quality RTOs and public TAFE colleges is imperative. This approach to policy isn't just about achieving numerical targets; it's about realising the potential of regional Australia, an area brimming with untapped opportunities and aspirations.

There is no doubt as to the reason that students outside the cities support independent quality RTOs. Official data shows high levels of?student satisfaction and impressive scores across various parameters — from training relevance to overall satisfaction. Such figures reinforce the commitment of independent RTOs to quality.

Employment outcomes post-training further bolster the case for independent quality RTOs. With an impressive 84.8% of students finding employment after their training, these institutions educate and empower the workforce, significantly focusing on uplifting women in these communities.However, challenges remain.

Ase look to the task of skilling, reskilling and upskilling the workforce across remote, rural and regional Australia, it's clear that independent quality RTOs and public TAFE colleges have a role to play. The best approach is when government policy recognises the synergies between these providers, and that is what members of the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) are pushing for.

The 2024 Remote, Rural and Regional Skills Training Snapshot , published by ITECA, is a great overview of how independent RTOs support students. It contains some of the data referenced above.

Supporting more Australians from remote, rural and regional Australia into skills training will be a key conversation topic at the upcoming?ITEC24 Conference on the Gold Coast over 5-7 June 2024, I look forward to seeing you there.

ITECA Membership – It’s a great time to get involved.

#RegionalAustralia #SkillsTraining #VocationalTraining

This post was first published as the ITECA National Monday Update on 11 March 2024