Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia

Australia's apprentice and trainee pipeline continues to contract at a time when employers across the economy are already experiencing significant workforce pressures.

Recent data shows declines in both trade and non-trade apprenticeship commencements, raising concerns about Australia's future skills capacity and the ability to meet workforce demand across critical industries.

For skills training providers, employers, and policymakers, these trends highlight the importance of ensuring Australia has a strong and sustainable apprenticeship and traineeship system.

Read ITECA's latest analysis to understand what these trends mean for the sector.

Read the full article here:
https://ow.ly/Cxwt50ZgH7C

The new ITECA Website and Member portal are now live!

Designed to provide a more streamlined, intuitive, and user-friendly experience, the new platform makes it easier for ITECA Members and stakeholders to access information, register for events, manage memberships, and stay connected with the latest sector developments.

ITECA is really pleased to launch the new platform and it marks an important step in enhancing the way we support and engage with members and stakeholders across business and the independent tertiary education sector.

We invite you to explore the new website and member portal today.

Visit: www.iteca.edu.au

The Conference is over. Now we empower the outcomes.

One of the most common things we hear after ITEC26 is: "I wish I had more time to follow up on those conversations."

That's exactly what ITECA membership is designed for.

As a member, you get access to executive briefings, interest groups, and workshops throughout the year — spaces specifically designed to continue the sector conversations that matter most to your organisation.

Not just updates. Not just news. Actual dialogue between education leaders — on funding, regulation, and enhancing.
If ITEC26 gave you a glimpse of what those conversations look like, membership is how you stay in them.

🔗 Become an ITECA member!
👉 Send us an email at [email protected]

"Australia’s tertiary education system has the capacity and capability to be genuinely world leading. We have an incredible capacity for innovation through our willingness to work together and reach for solutions across all areas of tertiary education. Our capacity is immense.

But our current system is failing students and businesses. And it’s not failing by accident or coincidence, but through design. Regulatory settings and the frameworks for investment are grossly inadequate, having created an environment where institutions and governments are prioritised and protected. At the same time, students, employers, and communities are left navigating a system that often works against their interests.

Investments made by governments, on behalf of the taxpayers they are elected to serve, overwhelmingly flow to legacy public institutions, regardless of the performance of those institutions, student outcomes, or alignment with workforce needs.

This is challenging for governments and the sector. As are the compliance and governance challenges being experienced. Of course, compliance and governance challenges are not unique to any one provider type, yet the perception across the sector is that the medicine varies significantly depending on the institution rather than the illness. This means a two-tier regulatory system becomes institutional reality.

These issues become more pronounced as we see legacy institutions escape sanction for widely known and flagrant failure of compliance obligations. The result is a system engineered to preserve both legacy institutions and institutions themselves. It is not a level playing field..."

Quote from ITECA National Update - The Tertiary Education System: Distorted Regulation and Investment Decisions, Released Tuesday, 23 June 2026.

Not part of our mailing list? We'd love to have you involved.

Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eYUVd7n5

ITEC26 wouldn't have been the success it was without the incredible support of our sponsors, exhibitors, and supporters. Thank you for backing the independent tertiary education sector and helping bring our community together in Brisbane. 🙏

A special thank you to:

Platinum Sponsor
eskilled

Gold Sponsor
People Partners

Silver Sponsors
Instructure
Future Skills Organisation
Jobs and Skills Councils

Exhibitors
RTO Logic, Australian Counselling Service, RTO Accountants, Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, ReadyTech, LLN Robot, Selma, Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, TimeEdit, Hawkeye Consultancy, Octossure, axcelerate, Assurar, Echo360

Supporters
RTOSafe, AuditExpress, Blueprint Career Development

Your partnership and investment in this sector reflects a genuine commitment to the future of independent tertiary education in Australia.

Thank you for being part of ITEC26.

The social highlights of ITEC26 were everything we hoped they'd be and more. 🥂🖤✨

eSkilled Welcome Reception — Wednesday 3 June
Soleil Pool Bar, Rydges South Bank
The connections started flowing from night one. Thank you to eSkilled for sponsoring a wonderful opening evening that brought our community together in the best possible way. 🥂

ITEC26 Conference Dinner — Thursday 4 June
Level Twelve, Rydges South Bank
What a night! Breathtaking Brisbane views. The Applause Entertainment Game Show, the ITECA Membership Milestone Award Ceremony, and a DJ to close out the night. 🖤✨ But more than anything, it was the conversations, the laughter and the connections made around those tables that made the evening truly unforgettable.

This is why we do it. The ITECA community is like no other. 💛

Over the past few years, many RTOs have added QR codes to their certificates, notably by leveraging native capabilities within their SMS/SIS of choice.

It’s a sensible move. A QR code that links to a verification page feels like progress. It gives employers somewhere to check details and signals transparency. But as we move toward the 2025 RTO Standards — with their stronger emphasis on governance and integrity — it’s worth pausing and asking a simple question:

What exactly is being verified? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eQeMYmSG

ITEC26 was incredible but the value of being part of ITECA doesn't end when the conference does.

When you join ITECA, you're not just signing up for a calendar of events. You're getting year-round access to the intelligence, connections, and advocacy that help your organisation stay ahead — no matter what changes in regulation, investment or policy.

Here's what membership actually gives you:
✅ Early insight into policy shifts and what they mean for your business
✅ Direct access to peers navigating the same challenges you are
✅ Representation in the policy conversations that affect your sector
✅ Executive briefings, workshops, and interest groups — not open to the public
✅ A network of leaders across VET, higher education, and international education

If your organisation is in independent tertiary education, this is where the real work happens.

🔗 Apply for ITECA membership today.

✉️ Send us an email at [email protected]

What an incredible time at the ITEC26 Conference in Brisbane! 🙌

From the energy of Day One's Navigating Change to the inspiration of Day Two's Empowering Innovation, our delegates were treated to two days of world-class speakers, thought-provoking conversations and ideas that will shape the future of independent tertiary education in Australia.

A heartfelt thank you to every speaker across both days:
⭐ Refiti Tovi, Turrbal Community — for a meaningful and moving Welcome to Country
⭐ Lani Refiti — for a keynote address that captivated the room and set the tone beautifully
⭐ Trevor Gauld, Jobs & Skills Australia — for a vital look at forecasting skills demand and workforce planning
⭐ Skye Cappuccio, COSBOA — for an important session on small business navigating regulatory change
⭐ Amanda Barrett, Insight Training Group; Russ H., Community Education Australia; and Dr Mamta Chauhan, VETASSESS — for a rich and generous panel on stronger collaboration in a competitive system
⭐ Prof. Andrew Norton, Monash University — for a fascinating exploration of the future of Australia's tertiary model
⭐ Stephen Walters, Optimal Economics — for a clear-eyed look at economic pressures and provider strategy
⭐ Shaun Schmitke, ACCI; Peter Denison FIML MBA; and David Cross, Energy Skills Queensland — for a powerful panel on productivity pressure and workforce reinvention
⭐ Luke Heka, Selr — for a forward-thinking session on using generative technology to drive real outcomes
⭐ Hon. Andrew Giles MP — for a Ministerial address on what government expects from an innovative and responsive skills system
⭐ Aderyn Chatterton, Department of Education Northern Territory; and Jennifer Trybula, TECNQ — for shining a powerful light on what remote Australia teaches the system
⭐ Saxon Rice, ASQA — for a practical and empowering session on building compliance to boost productivity
⭐ Nicholas Proud, Civil Contractors Federation — for invaluable insights on influencing policy without burning bridges

To every delegate, speaker, sponsor, exhibitor and partner, thank you for making ITEC26 everything it was. 💛

”The best part of conferences like ITEC isn't just the presentations, it's the conversations, shared experiences and practical insights that help us all move forward together.”
— Katya Holker & Emily Knight, Hawkeye Consultancy