The federal government is targeting dodgy training providers in a new compliance blitz aimed at protecting vulnerable students.
In a National Press Club address on Tuesday, 3 October, Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor announced a new $37.8m investment towards funding a new integrity unit designed to crack down on non-genuine vocational education and training (VET) providers that rort public funding and take advantage of students.
“We are working to weed out the minority of non-genuine VET providers, the bottom feeders, who seek to exploit people and traduce the integrity and reputation of the entire sector in the process,” Mr O’Connor said in a funding announcement statement ahead of the address.
The unit will operate within the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), with a goal to address threats to the integrity of the VET system, in an effort to help improve student outcomes.
Whistleblowers invited to share
The launch of a confidential tip-off line will enable whistleblowers to alert the regulator to serious breaches, without worrying about punishment. The integrity unit will conduct compliance checks in collaboration with other government bodies, including the Australian Federal Police the Department of Home Affairs, as well as other state and commonwealth law enforcement agencies.
By focusing on the training quality that is essential to ensure students – and the broader Australian economy – receive much-needed skills training, Mr O’Connor said the actions are “aimed at stopping domestic and international students and graduates from being exploited by unscrupulous operators”.
Student visa reforms overdue
The announcement came just one day after the government revealed changes aimed at reducing the widespread rorting of international student visas.
Under those changes – announced by Education Minister Jason Clare – universities will be prohibited from paying education agents to actively poach students.
Careful monitoring of student attendance will also help prohibit cross ownership between training colleges and education agents.
More details of the proposed changes will be announced next week and follows revelations that thousands of recently arrived Indian students had entered Australia under the guise of attending established universities but enrolled in cheaper training providers instead.
Closing loopholes that enable people to enter Australia on student visas to work without actually studying is one of many visa-related reforms to be enforced following an immigration system review, conducted by former Victoria Police commissioner Christine Nixon.
