Additional comments from Coalition members

1.1Coalition members are concerned about the Employment, Education and Training Committee’s Perceptions and Status of Vocational Education and Training report.

1.2Members are concerned that the recommendations overlook the role of private registered training organisations (RTOs). For example, zero of the report’s 34 recommendations mention the inclusion of private RTOs. This goes against the will of secondary education providers who stated in paragraph 4.133 that they preferred to engage with private RTOs due to their ability to be flexible and more cost effective.

1.3Furthermore, in discussing the Government’s recent Australian Universities Accord, the Minister for Education almost exclusively refers to university and TAFE while refusing to recognise the substantial number of students who choose to study with an RTO.

1.4As such, members are concerned that private RTOs have been forgotten about in the recommendations of the final report where there is a strong emphasis on government providers and Members request that RTOs be considered alongside TAFE as part of the report’s recommendations. Doing so will provide choice for students and secondary schools between public and private education providers.

1.5We believe that Government should be supporting both public and private RTOs equally to provide the best outcomes for all.