Thank you for helping us reach 450 signatures so far! Your support is already making waves—but our campaign needs to grow even stronger.

Today I want to share a recent story from one of the small RTOs we work with—an organisation that delivers Certificate III in Hospitality to young adults with disability and women escaping vulnerability. They partner with local health and community centres to ensure every learner gets the support they need.

Here’s what just happened:

• 2025–26 funding was slashed by $70,200 – a devastating reduction for a provider whose entire model relies on Smart & Skilled allocations.
• They’ve already been forced to return $15,000 to meet audit requirements.
• As a result, nearly half of next year’s budget is now committed to existing enrolments—leaving almost no room to welcome new learners.

Why this matters

• Reduced capacity means fewer young adults and vulnerable women can access life-changing training.
• One-on-one support and wrap-around services will be cut back, undermining years of progress.
• The ripple effect hits trainers, venue partners, community referrals—and ultimately, local jobs.

What we need from you:

• Share the petition with your colleagues, staff, family and friends.
• Post it in your industry groups, on social media, in WhatsApp or Teams chats.
• Forward this update to anyone who cares about skills, jobs and small-business innovation.

🔗 Petition link: https://www.change.org/save_private_rtos

Every new signature brings us closer to 3,000+ voices that Canberra can’t ignore. And if you have your own experience of funding cuts or program impacts, please reply to this update—we’ll anonymise your story and include it in our next Minister briefing.

Together, we can protect the training pathways that empower our most vulnerable learners. Thank you for standing with private RTOs.

Warmly,
Angela Connell-Richards
CEO, Vivacity Coaching & Consulting