National regulator found problems with every TAFE SA course scrutinised in a random audit
ALMOST 2500 TAFE SA students face uncertainty over their qualifications after a random audit found problems with every course which came under scrutiny.
- TAFE SA warned that 16 courses could lose accreditation
- TAFE SA aircraft maintenance students hit after CASA finds course to be inadequate
ALMOST 2500 TAFE SA students face uncertainty over their qualifications after a random audit found problems with every course that came under scrutiny.
Higher Education Minister Susan Close has confirmed that all 16 of the courses audited by the national regulator did not comply with certain standards.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority warned TAFE SA on Monday that it could lose accreditation for the courses, covering sectors including health, building, plumbing and automotive, if it did not make improvements.
It is not yet clear what the consequences for the almost 2500 students enrolled in affected courses would be if accreditation is revoked.
However, Dr Close said she did not believe it would result in students who had completed courses losing their qualifications.
She said many of the concerns raised by the national regulator related to the accuracy of marketing material or administration. ASQA has given TAFE SA a month to make changes.
Dr Close also confirmed that TAFE SA CEO Robin Murt received a $48,000 bonus payment in 2015-16 but the board was yet to make a determination about the 2016-17 bonus.
“It is my expectation that they would take into account what has occurred,” she said.
The warning followed “routine regulatory scrutiny” in May which “identified some noncompliance” with national training guidelines in all 16 courses which were audited.
Opposition education spokesman John Gardner questioned whether the qualifications of current students would be recognised and whether TAFE SA would have to stop offering the courses if it lost accreditation.
Dr Close said she was not able to release ASQA’s audit report because the national body had “chosen” to keep it confidential at this stage.
“They could have put it immediately onto their website but they chose not to do that in this instance,” she said.
Dr Close has asked TAFE SA to contact every affected student.
“It is a cause of concern for me that all of the courses that ASQA looked at had a variety of issues raised,” she said.
A spokesman for the national regulator said TAFE SA had been “co-operating ... to work through and rectify the noncompliances”.
He said it was “not unusual” to identify issues “with very large providers” such as TAFE.
TAFE SA education executive director Brian Rungie said the organisation had “made significant progress” to address elements identified during the ASQA audit.
It comes after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority revealed earlier this month that accreditation for a TAFE SA aircraft maintenance training course based at Parafield Airport had been suspended after the skills of up to 80 students were found lacking.
The course came under scrutiny five months ago after CASA found worrying issues with the courses assessment procedure during a routine check.
A Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman said its investigation into that issue was complete, but would not be made public.