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Funding Fairness: Public vs Private RTOs
Manage episode 490908204 series 2653628
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🎙 In this episode of the RTO Superhero Podcast, Angela Connell-Richards, with Lauren Hollows, dives into one of the biggest funding battles in Australia’s VET sector—the growing inequality between TAFE NSW and private RTOs.
Private RTOs are under increasing pressure as TAFE NSW now receives 80% of all Smart and Skilled funding—despite data showing private providers deliver better outcomes at lower costs.
🚨 Here’s what’s at stake:
- 📊 Private RTOs boast higher completion rates (54%) vs. TAFE’s 43%
- 💰 For every $1 spent on a private RTO, $3.34 is spent on TAFE
- ✅ Student and employer satisfaction consistently favours private providers
Angela explores the real impact of this funding imbalance, from regional RTO closures to TAFE’s capacity crisis—outdated facilities, digital access issues, and staff shortages.
She also uncovers the hidden flaw in “fee-free” training: ❗️low student commitment and poor completion rates, leading to wasted resources and skills shortages.
✅ What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why the “dodgy RTO” myth doesn’t hold up to the data
- How current funding decisions risk collapsing the support ecosystem for quality training
- The unintended consequences of centralising training delivery
- What we must do now to protect student choice, innovation, and training diversity in Australia
🎧 Tune in to join the fight for fair, equitable funding—and learn how you can take action.
✍️ Sign the petition: change.org/save_private_rtos
Join host Angela Connell-Richards as she opens each episode with a burst of insight and inspiration. Discover why compliance is your launchpad to success, not a limitation.
Connect with fellow RTO professionals in our free Facebook groups: the RTO Community and RTO Job Board. Visit rtosuperhero.au/groups to join today.
Wrap up with gratitude and guidance. Subscribe, leave a review, and join our community as we continue supporting your compliance journey in vocational education.
Thank you for tuning in to the RTO Superhero Podcast!
We’re excited to have you join us as we focus on the Revised Standards for RTOs in 2025. Together, we’ll explore key changes, compliance strategies, and actionable insights to help your RTO thrive under the new standards.
Stay connected with the RTO Community:
📌 Don’t forget to:
✔ Subscribe to the RTO Superhero Podcast so you never miss an episode!
✔ Share this episode with your RTO network—compliance is a team effort!
🎙 Listen now and get ahead of the compliance changes before it’s too late!
📢 Want even more compliance insights? Subscribe to our EduStream YouTube Channel for our FAQ series on the New Standards for RTOs 2025! 🎥
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✉️ Email us at [email protected]
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🖥️ Visit us at vivacity.com.au
Chapters
1. Funding Fairness: Public vs Private RTOs (00:00:00)
2. Introducing the TAFE funding debate (00:00:54)
3. Private vs TAFE: Cost and outcomes comparison (00:02:26)
4. Debunking provider quality misconceptions (00:06:37)
5. TAFE capacity challenges and infrastructure issues (00:11:40)
6. Fee-free training: The completion rate problem (00:16:01)
7. Survey on funding impact and petition details (00:21:55)
8. Cultural expectations about education funding (00:29:23)
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