Ombudsman for dodgy colleges

Dozens of Victorian education providers will be scrutinised by a new investigation unit looking into dodgy training courses across the state.

The new squad, headed by a former Victorian Ombudsman investigator, will conduct detailed investigations into “unscrupulous training providers”, and closely examine the quality of courses on offer.

The team is currently focusing on online courses, and those in security and hospitality.

“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,” Training and Skills Minister Steve Herbert said.

Providers’ contracts can be terminated if they lodge claims for training that didn’t take place, offer incentives like laptops or iPads, or if they engage in unauthorised subcontracting.

The latest contracts terminated were for Australian Vocational Education and Training Academy and the National Training Centre of Australia, a government spokesman said.

Since the state’s education quality blitz started in 2015, 57 training providers have been earmarked for investigation and 15 training contracts have been terminated.

Among the colleges that have been terminated include: MWT Institute, Imperial College, Management Institute of Australia No. 2, North Melbourne College, Yum Production, Waterford College, Education Access Australia, Australian Management Academy, Heron Assess * 2016: South Pacific Institute, Australian Learning Training and Education Centre, Australian Vocational Education and Training Academy, National Training Centre of Australia.

References: AAP