The Victorian government released its updated skills plan in November.
Unsurprisingly, this plan has met with resistance from ITECA (Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia.
In a media brief, CEO Troy Williams says, “Independent RTOs are being pushed to the brink, with the Victorian Government’s cuts to skills funding forcing staff cuts. These devastating changes, set to take effect in January 2025, mean job losses could hit hard just before Christmas, leaving employees and their families facing an uncertain future.”
Furthermore, he outlines the changes to funding will have far-reaching consequences, including:
- Job losses (even before the Christmas break)
- Reduced commencement allocations
- Disproportionate impact on metropolitan providers
- Programs removed from funded scope
- Fee increases likely
- Limited program choices
- Regional vs. Metropolitan divide
- Continuing students also affected
The government’s changes favour TAFEs, dual-sector universities, and community-based training providers over independent RTO’s, despite independent RTO’s consistently delivering high-quality outcomes.
Unfortunately, any of us living in Victoria will know that the government is looking to cut costs where it can.
For further information, refer to the ITECA news section. This particular news item is available for members only.
