We asked this question to some of our RTO colleagues, to know what worked for them, how they are contributing positively to the VET sector, and we have captured their responses:
Dr Bryan West is founder and manager of Fortress Learning, RTO. 31974. Fortress Learning has from its early days emphasised robust delivery of training programs, initially through the Cert IV TAA, and now through the Certificate IV and Diploma TAE programs.
Why do you enjoy working in the VET Sector?
I have worked in a range of educational settings, from primary to secondary, tertiary, corporate and community. For me, the VET sector is where education becomes real. The highly applied nature of it means that there is an immediate relevance for learners and I find a constant opportunity to discover new things about how people learn and put them into practice.
What are your contributions to the VET Sector or how can we make a better VET sector?
I would like to believe that through Fortress Learning, I have made a contribution to the sector by ensuring that our TAE graduates have the skills and knowledge that their piece of paper says they should; we have quite a number of graduates who come back a few years after they completed their course; they are now in more senior roles and they wish their staff to do the same.
A common piece of feedback from our students is that we model for them the balance between the box-ticking of VET and caring for people; that is nice to hear. About a year ago we started to conduct our own research and that has been very interesting; I believe that all RTOs have a part to play in sculpting the future of the sector, rather than sitting back and wondering why x, y or z is not happening, and I guess our research program is one way that we believe we can contribute.