By PETER PREKINS, QFF Project Manager- Education & Training
Over the past few months the vocational education and training (VET) sector has been put under the spotlight due to the perceived ‘unethical’ practices a small number of operators. Examples of shonky student sign up and ‘tick and flick’ training approvals were highlighted by a series of exposés in The Australian and on Channel Nine’s 60 minutes.
It is important for readers to know that the majority of rural training operators are effective, well intentioned and are contributing to our regional community by improving the skill sets of our workforce. There are plenty of excellent operators out there making a positive impact in our industry.
What employers, the rural training sector and prospective students need to take away from the recent misappropriations of the system however, are these three basic principles;
- Apply the age old principle ‘let the buyer beware’ (Caveat Emptor) when considering which operator to proceed with;
- Carry out careful due diligence when considering service providers as the VET system is open to exploitation and;
- Follow the checklist below to ensure you make all the appropriate checks when you are looking to upskill
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation, along with its industry member organisation Growcom have put together a simple checklist for those considering which Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to go with:
Choose a Registered Training Provider (RTO)
Check whether or not the RTO is a government approved training provider at https://www.myskills.gov.au/. All the training providers listed on My Skills are RTOs that meet the quality requirements to deliver training and can issue you with a nationally-recognised qualification.
Find out if the RTO can genuinely offer government-subsidised training
If the RTO offers subsidised training for the course you are after, it will be accompanied on My Skills website with the subsidised icon.
You will need to check with the RTO directly to see if you are eligible, because eligibility depends on your own circumstances and training to-date.
Check if the RTO has any restrictions registered against them
It is important to check if the Australian Skills Quality Authority (the national regulator) has placed any restrictions against the RTO. These are indicated with the restriction icon.
Consider what private information might I be asked to by the RTO
From 1 January 2015, all students doing nationally recognised training need to have a Unique Student Identifier (USI). Creating a USI is free. It creates a secure online record of your nationally recognised training that you can access anytime and anywhere, and it’s yours for life.
While most students will create their own USI, some training organisations might do this as part of your enrolment process when you begin studying. When you create your USI or when someone creates a USI on your behalf, you will need to provide some form of ID from the following list: driver’s licence; Medicare card, Australian passport, non-Australian passport with Australian visa, Australian birth certificate, certificate of registration by descent, citizen certificate or ImmiCard.
For more information see https://www.usi.gov.au/Students/Pages/proof-of-ID.aspx
Ask the RTO for a copy of their privacy policy to check how they use your private information
If you believe that it has been used inappropriately you need to lodge a complaint with the RTO in the first instance and allow them 30 days to respond.
If you do not receive a response within 30 days or you are dissatisfied with the response then you should contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 1300 363 992. See https://www.oaic.gov.au/individuals/
How can I lodge a complaint about an RTO?
You can register a complaint with the National Training Complaints Hotline by:
Phone: 13 38 73, Monday–Friday, 8am to 6pm nationally.
Email: skilling@education.gov.au
Website: https://www.industry.gov.au/skills/nationaltrainingcomplaintshotline/
So by way of summary, training is important to staying engaged with job opportunities. But, like most things in life, not all training is equal. You need to satisfy yourself that the trainer you select is competent and reliable. If you have doubts then follow the steps above and check and perhaps move on to another supplier.