‘Unscrupulous training providers’ to be investigated

The Andrews Labor Government is upping the pressure on rogue training providers with a new investigations unit in the Department of Education and Training to put them under the microscope.

Dodgy training courses in Victoria will soon be scrutinised by a new investigation led by a former Victorian Ombudsman investigator.

The crack squad, headed by a former Victorian Ombudsman Principal Investigator, will conduct targeted and more detailed investigations into unscrupulous training providers to restore student and industry confidence to the sector.

The team will add to the Department’s capability to expose poor quality providers to ensure qualifications are meeting industry standards and making sure students are receiving the skills they need to do their job safely.

The new team is the latest initiative as part of the Labor Government’s crackdown on unscrupulous training providers to restore student and employer confidence in the training system. It will examine:

Inappropriate low quality short course delivery
The quality of the course delivery from training providers
The suitability of a qualification for students and whether it leads to a job
The marketing practices of training providers
Suspected fraud and refer to relevant authorities

Since the Labor Government’s quality blitz started in July 2015, 57 RTOs have been identified for investigation, 15 training contracts have been terminated and $40 million in Victorian taxpayer’s money earmarked for recovery.

The 2015 Training Market Report has revealed training providers who had their contract cancelled or who did not receive a 2016 contract, accounted for half of the total decline in course enrolments last year.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Training and Skills Steve Herbert

“We’re leading the country with stamping out rogue training providers. We’re working to restore confidence to the system prior to the introduction of a new funding system in 2017.”

“We will not give providers a blank cheque for taxpayers’ money – especially when the safety of the community could be put at risk because of substandard training.”

“Our new tough contracts and tougher entry requirements for RTOs accessing government funded training mean students can have confidence in the training they’re receiving.”

References: http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/

Sukh Sandhu

Executive Director

Sukh has been working in the VET and Higher Education Industry for over 25 years. In this time, he has held several roles with RTO's and Higher Education Providers (HEP) including CEO roles for International Colleges and National Compliance and Quality Assurance Manager roles for several RTO's, TAFE's and Universities. Sukh has also worked for the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) as a Business Systems Project Official. Sukh is a Canadian permanent resident and Australian citizen.

Sukh has had extensive project management experience in risk management, compliance, administration and as a training consultant. He has extensive knowledge in government compliance standards and has participated in nearly one hundred audits across Australia and provided consultancy advice regarding ASQA/VRQA, TEQSA, ACPET, DET-HESG, VQF/Higher Education, ELICOS, NEAS, ANMAC, AHPRA, CRICOS, ESOS and ISO.

Sukh is a member of several independent professional organisations and government bodies including, ACPET, VELG, ACS, AITD, MARA, MIA, ISANA, APEX, IEEE, The Internet Society (Global Member), AISIP, IAMOT, ACM, OISV, APACALL, IWA, Eta Kappa Nu, EDSIG and several others.

Sukh's qualifications include two MBAs, three masters in IT and systems, a Graduate diploma of management learning, Diploma in training design and development, Diploma in vocational education training, Diploma of work, health and safety, Diploma of Quality Auditing, Advanced diploma of management, Advanced diploma in marketing, human resources, information technology, and a number of other courses and qualifications. He has been working as a lecturer and as a trainer and assessor since 1998, Sukh has been a vocal advocate of audit reforms and system centred auditing practices rather than auditor centred auditing practices for many years.