What’s an RTO?
16 November 2026
ACE is a community college redefining careers, changing outlooks and empowering positive futures. We are a registered training organisation, offering vocational education and training. But what exactly does that all mean?
What is vocational education and training (VET)?
You may be familiar with university – but vocational education and training (VET) offers an alternate learning pathway. Australian VET courses are designed and taught by industry experts. They provide practical knowledge and technical skills for hundreds of trade and industry roles.
What is a registered training organisation (RTO)?
Only registered providers can deliver nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET). These providers are called Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). ACE Community Colleges and all other RTOs are regulated by the Australian Skills Quality Authority.
What is a community college?
A community college is a not-for-profit education service provider, represented by the peak body Community Education Australia (CEA). Community colleges or community education focuses on providing accessible learning opportunities for adults within local communities. CEA emphasises the profound social impact of these community-based educational pathways.
Why ‘ACE’?
‘ACE’ stands for Adult Community Education. ACE has been designing and delivering education programs since 1977. We started as one of the first community education providers in regional NSW and are now one of the largest nationally. So much more than a training business, we are active partners in each of our communities.
ACE today
Our services are delivered in an ever-expanding footprint across the Northern Rivers NSW and Southeast QLD. Our colleges are located in Lismore, Murwillumbah and Coomera and with a dedicated Learning Centre in Robina.
ACE is an established education leader in the sectors of Ageing, Disability, Business, Work Skills and Foundation Skills. We have regular intakes for qualifications and skill sets in each of these fields.
Now that you have the low down on all things RTO, Tap here to explore all the options.