These advantages come with a downside or two. Their small size, and the imperatives of operating in a commercial context, means some limitations on how private RTOs respond to the complex social and educational needs of this learner group. As the report observes, early school leavers ‘can, by most measures, be regarded as disadvantaged.’<\/p>\n

They come to VET – whether through private, TAFE or community providers – with challenges that complicate the journey to successful qualification completion. Those factors can include disengagement, low motivation, drug and alcohol problems, learning difficulties, poor social and communication skills, confusion about career goals, and financial, transport and housing stress.<\/p>\n

Private providers interviewed for the study also emphasised that for this group of learners, poor language, literacy and numeracy skills represented a frequent stumbling block.<\/p>\n