How to spot a dodgy RTO: 5 Warning Signs
Sally McPherson - GAICD
Non-Executive Director, Founder, Entrepreneur, Consultant
Choosing the right training facility can make or break your dreams of a career in earthmoving. How can you know if a trainer is good, or a shark in a hard hat?
It’s no secret that some Registered Training Organisations (RTO’s) are getting a bad name. Whenever I post a blog about certifications and competencies it usually blows up into a massive online debate about whether certification on paper is necessary or fair. A lot of people argue that the industry should continue to rely on tried and tested training methods of bringing up new talent in operation by letting newbies rack up a good amount of time on the tools. This is a subject that a lot of operators are very passionate about which means it can often get very agro in the comments section.
No doubt a lot of people have been stung, and some of the best and most experienced operators must find it frustrating to have to get a piece of paper to prove a skill they have been honing for their whole career. The issue of certification isn’t going away though, so arguing about it is a moot point to some degree. Construction companies have huge compliance and safety issues across their whole operations and they need a way to verify an operators skill before they let them loose behind the wheel of a giant hunk of moving metal.
There is plenty of negative media round RTOs (and some of them take a real hammering in social media as well). Some have been accused of engaging in questionable practices and delivering inferior and inadequate education to unsuspecting students. Some are cash grabs, leveraging off the complexity of information in the marketplace about exactly what qualifications and ‘pieces of paper’ are required to get a job and keep one.
Making a good decision on who to complete your qualification with is not to be taken lightly – after all, it’s your future they are messing with.
Here are 5 warning signs to be aware of – which could point to a dodgy RTO:
- Short delivery times on qualifications.
- A tick and flick attitude – not spending time to ensure you understand or can undertake key tasks
- Incentives to sign up or complete the course
- Inflated prices – Especially with diploma courses that have VET FEE-HELP.
- Offering to complete the paperwork for you or being overly pushy during sales conversations
RTO’s are advertising everywhere – their adverts can be flashy and their promises can be lofty. It may seem as though RTO’s are the ‘used sales cars man’ of civil construction, however that’s no reason to paint all of them with the same brush; – there is a number of high quality RTO’s around.
You almost want one that delivers training with a bit of tough love – because you can’t expect to be coddled when you hit the machines on site. Learning how to do your job quickly and efficiently, and contribute well as part of a team on a site is as important as the technical skill.
Learning to be an awesome machine operator isn’t easy. The guys that are the best at it have spent years perfecting their skills and adapting to the new technologies in the market. Once your certification is done, that’s not the end of your schooling, either. You’ve got to stay humble, curious and have an attitude and willingness to learn. The guys with the big egos and the know-it-alls are never the ones who get a walk-up start on the big jobs and keep repeat clients.
If you’re not sure about a training organisation – jump onto Google and do a search to find out about any news on the company. The ASQA is the national regulator for the vocational education and training (VET) sector. Here is a fact sheet on choosing a training education provider – https://www.asqa.gov.au/media-and-publications/choosing-a-training-or-education-provider.html
For all of those in SEQ – we recommend Major Training. They have a good reputation, plenty of courses, flexibility in how they are delivered and they tend to produce the best graduates.
If you chose a dodgy RTO – you may be at risk of having to re-take and pay for the course again as your qualification or license may not be recognised by the authority. So make sure you do your homework, research the decision well and ask around before pulling the trigger on a trainer and breaking out your wallet.
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