VET News

Moving Training Services Online ... Where to From Here?

It seems that online learning may well be here to stay.

Many registered training organisations (RTOs) plan to deliver more online training even after the constraints arising from the COVID-19 pandemic eventually subside.

The research The online delivery of VET during the COVID-19 pandemic: part 2  from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) provides an extensive analysis of the implications of lockdowns and restrictions to VET teaching and assessments through a survey of 1,247 RTOs and in-depth interviews.

Results show that 61.8% of RTOs surveyed intend to use more blended online and face-to-face learning in the future, and 22.1% are likely to permanently shift more units or parts of qualifications online.

Although the shift to online VET delivery brought challenges, around three-quarters of the RTOs surveyed indicated that it provided opportunities. They were able to review training quality and effectiveness, as well as innovate and be creative.

NCVER's Managing Director, Simon Walker said that the VET sector has been responsive to the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many RTOs able to shift their training delivery online.  However, the suitability of online training delivery in VET is nuanced and needs to be considered at the unit level, rather than the skill set, qualification, or training package level.

The research highlights that RTOs need to ensure that their plans for online delivery reflect not only students’ needs but also the suitability or otherwise of training material for online delivery. A companion report Insights for delivering VET online  outlines practical pointers for designing and implementing training that is fully or partially online.

Read full NCVER media release here.

Date posted Feb 24, 2022