Season 5 · Episode 28

    Funding Chaos: Navigating Australia's Complex VET Landscape with Lauren Hollows

    Angela and Lauren Hollows tackle a confronting reality in Australia's VET sector—how arbitrary funding decisions are crippling high-performing private RTOs. Despite delivering 80% of Australia's training, private RTOs receive just 30% of government funding.

    4 July 202546 min
    RTO Superhero Podcast: Funding Chaos: Navigating Australia's Complex VET Landscape with Lauren Hollows

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    Show Notes

    • Outstanding RTOs excluded from funding programs due to postcode politics
    • "Mom and pop" RTOs pushed out by skyrocketing compliance costs
    • One RTO slashed unit completion times from 400 to 84 days using their own data better
    • The imbalance reshaping Australia's training landscape
    • Why it's time to stop pitting TAFE vs. private RTOs and start building collaborative solutions

    Key Takeaways

    • Private RTOs deliver 80% of training but receive only 30% of funding
    • Compliance pressure is forcing quality providers out of the sector
    • Data-driven management can dramatically improve performance
    • We need collaborative solutions, not TAFE vs. private competition

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