Making a difference: exploring the impact of privately owned Registered Training Organisations in the Victorian VET system

This research investigates how the nature and scope of vocational education and training (VET) in Victoria has changed as a result of legislation passed in 1990 to enable privately owned Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to provide government accredited training.<br><br>An interpretive paradigm and multiple data gathering techniques have been applied. These included the examination of primary historical and economic documents which demonstrated why the VET system changed in Australia and quantifiable statistics which illustrated how the system changed over the period covered; from 1990/1 to 2002/3. Semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of 21 RTOs assisted in exploring the impact of the entry of privately owned RTOs into the Victorian training market. The wide experience and in-depth knowledge of the VET sector by the researcher acted as an underpinning device. <br><br>The evidence from my interviews illustrated how the privately owned RTOs in my sample provided relevant, customised and contextualised training, differentiated their services to ensure they met client needs, responded rapidly to changes in demand and exhibited considerable adaptability in their arrangements for training delivery. This adaptability extended, amongst other things, to the location, timing and mode of delivery. <br><br>It became apparent that the increased diversity found, had unintended consequences. These included an increase in the perceived complexity of the VET sector for those working within it and adversely affecting the extent to which national consistency has been achieved.