As the Australian state and territory governments consider new approaches to engaging more Indigenous Australians in skills training, a significant new report underscores the need for policymakers to fully leverage the complementary strengths of both independent and public skills training providers.
The 2024 Indigenous Skills Training Snapshot, published by the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), the peak body representing independent skills training, higher education, and international education providers, reveals that independent Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) support 78.3% of all Indigenous students in skills training.
"Skills training is crucial for Indigenous Australians, fostering empowerment and community development. It bridges educational and employment gaps, enabling participation in the broader economy," said Troy Williams, ITECA Chief Executive.
In 2021, 58.0% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–24 years were fully engaged in employment, education or training, 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%.
"Official statistics demonstrate that independent RTOs will play a critical role in achieving the Closing The Gap targets, as these institutions currently support 78.3% of all Indigenous students in skills training," Mr. Williams added.
The 2024 Indigenous Skills Training Snapshot further reveals that independent RTOs do the heavy lifting in aiding Indigenous Australians to attain higher-level skills, supporting 61.6% of students in Diploma (and higher) skills training qualifications. These RTOs also support 51.8% of Indigenous apprentices and trainees, which is crucial for businesses, especially in remote, rural, and regional Australia where skill shortages are common.
Importantly, the official data in the 2024 Indigenous Skills Training Snapshot indicates that independent RTOs support the majority of Indigenous students studying for higher-level qualifications, with 61.6% enrolled in a Diploma (or higher) qualification.
"The data from the 2024 Indigenous Skills Training Snapshot highlight the benefits of governments creating a policy framework that recognises the synergy between quality independent RTOs and public providers," Mr. Williams noted.
Indigenous students have reported high satisfaction with the training quality at independent RTOs, achieving a remarkable 90.7% satisfaction rate among those at independent RTOs, according to the data in the Snapshot.
The data in the 2024 Indigenous Skills Training Snapshot is sourced from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), an initiative of the Australian state and territory governments. NCVER data is widely utilised by governments to assess the performance of the skills training system.
