A registered training organisation (RTO), in Australia, is an organisation providing Vocational Education and Training (VET) to students, resulting in qualifications or statements of attainment that are recognised and accepted by industry and other educational institutions throughout Australia.
There are almost 5000 RTOs in Australia, providing training across a wide range of subject areas including traditional trades, advanced technical training, para-professional and professional studies, as well as pre-employment and basic skills programs.
RTOs may be government (state or territory) or privately owned organisations. All RTOs in Australia and the qualifications they are registered to deliver are listed on training.gov.au, the national register that replaced the National Training Information Service (NTIS) in 2011.
To become registered as an RTO, an organisation must apply to the regulatory body under whose jurisdiction it falls. Depending on the organisation's main location and the student cohorts to whom it intends to provide training and assessment services, its regulatory body will be:
the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)
the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), or
the Training and Accreditation Council (TAC).