The RTO (registered training organization) is the agency that provides education in Australia, outside of the curriculum of the formal education. The difference between them and other, similar, structures and mechanisms, lies in the fact that they’re not government-owned. This, nonetheless, doesn’t mean that they aren’t recognized and appreciated by the Australian government or that various companies don’t accept them.
Outside of the benefits for individuals, these companies also provide training and resources for various businesses, as well as get engaged with guided career development. In other words, this is a field where there’s an abundance of demand and it might be quite lucrative for you to get involved. Here’s what you need to know in order to start your own RTO.
1. Start by examining the registration process
Regardless of the field or niche that you pick, the registration process is always the same. Therefore, it might be worth checking out if you have what it takes to register and, if not, do you have the means and the ability to get it. First of all, there are the initial fees like the initial lodgment fee, the initial assessment fee and the annual RTO registration charge that you’ll have to cover right away. These are far from cheap, which means that it might affect your fundraising process later on.
As you could tell from the previous paragraph, some of these fees are a one-time only, while others need to be renewed every year. Now, while to your clients, RTO may be an educational facility, to you, it’s predominantly business, which means that you need to make sure that you have enough income to cover these expenses year in and year out.
The fees are not the only concern you have to address, seeing as how you need to deliver training and assessment qualifications, meet data provision requirements and even prepare for an audit. Once all of this is taken care of, you can start doing the work that you’ve had your eye on from the very start.
2. The curriculum and structure
Depending on your aims, you’ll have to undergo a series of processes and fulfil a lot of requirements. Still, the most important single task that you have to resolve is the quality of the education that you provide. Make no mistake, you are a service provider, which means that the quality of the service determines customer satisfaction and your reputation.
This alone affects the effectiveness of your business. This means that the structure of your organization needs to be clear and the curriculum made so that it meets the expectations of your students. Also, you need to make sure that learning materials are always available to your students. Some businesses, like Total VET Training Resources, specialize in selling RTO materials. Therefore, it might be incredible student-friendly if you were to tailor your curriculum based on the availability and accessibility of these materials. You could even craft the core of your courses according to them.
3. Getting internationally recognized
Earlier on, we talked about an organization that’s recognized as a legitimate RTO by an Australian government, however, some potential students are looking for more than that. What they want is a degree, license or a certificate that will be internationally recognized. Of course, it’s possible for your RTO to get such a status, yet, it requires both a complex and an expensive process. Therefore, what you need to do is start thinking like an entrepreneur, once again, and think about how cost-effective it would be to obtain this status. Would it really be worth the effort and does the majority of your client base insist on it? It’s unwise to make any moves before you know the answer to these questions.
In conclusion
At the very end, you need to be as honest as possible when it comes to the issue of whether this line of work is right for you. Sure, running an RTO means running a business, yet, work in education greatly differs from other forms of services. Moreover, different specializations of your RTO may mandate different initial funds and different specifications. Nonetheless, the above-listed three factors remain relevant regardless of your industry or field.
