Improving Access To Quality Skills Training For More Indigenous Australians.

Improving access to quality skills training for Indigenous Australians is a major policy priority for the Australian, state, and territory governments. This is a significant endeavor, one that’s critical to getting more Indigenous Australians not just into jobs but into meaningful careers.

Skills training empowers Indigenous Australians. It bridges educational and employment gaps and, through this, improves workforce participation, laying the groundwork for improved prospects for future generations of Indigenous Australians.

Nationally in 2021, 58.0% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–24 years were fully engaged in employment, education or training is an increase from 57.2% in 2016. Under the National Agreement on Closing The Gap, the 2031 objective is to increase the engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged?15-24 years in employment, education, or training to 67%. Notably, independent Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are set to continue their critical role, as they currently?support 78.3% of all Indigenous students in skills training.

The data in the?2024 Indigenous Skills Training Snapshot?shows the benefits of governments creating a policy framework for that recognises the complementarity of quality independent RTOs and public providers. It's the key to helping more Indigenous Australians access quality skills training.

The data in the 2024 Indigenous Skills Training Snapshot?further reveals that independent RTOs are particularly instrumental in helping Indigenous Australians achieve higher-level skills, supporting 61.6% of students in Diploma (and higher) skills training qualifications. Independent also RTOs support 51.8% of Indigenous apprentices and trainees, crucial for businesses, especially in remote, rural, and regional Australia, where skill shortages are prevalent.

Of note is that 76.8% of female Indigenous students, some 62,170 individuals, study with independent RTOs. This training is essential in empowering these women, breaking cycles of disadvantage, boosting employment opportunities, and encouraging leadership within their communities, thereby advancing gender equality and cultural resilience.

Indigenous students have expressed immense satisfaction with the training quality at independent RTOs, with a remarkable 90.7% satisfaction rate among those at private RTOs, according to the data in the 2024 Indigenous Skills Training Snapshot.

The Australian Government’s investment in this sector is noteworthy, allocating up to $214 million over five years to help achieve the Closing the Gap skills targets. This includes $36 million for establishing a Vocational Education and Training (VET) policy partnership with First Nations organisations. The Commonwealth’s financial contributions will be matched by respective states, complemented by additional funding for regional data and information sharing.

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) welcomes the Australian government’s significant policy commitments in this area, and we’re very much looking forward to working with them on our shared goal of helping more Indigenous Australians access skills training.

The ITEC24 Conference on the Gold Coast over 5-7 June 2024 includes a great session on the delivery of programs to Indigenous Australians. I look forward to seeing you there.

Troy Williams, ITECA Chief Executive

#SkillsTraining #VocationalEducation #SkillsTraining

Thos post was originally published as the 'ITECA National Monday Update' on 19 March 2024.