What the Australian Skills Quality Authority report into TAFE SA found

BASIC failings in courses on cookery, motorcycle mechanics, aged care, and much more — here’s what the scathing TAFE SA report found.

• TAFE SA “in crisis” as boss quits amid scathing report, courses cut
• Dozens of TAFE students pass despite withdrawing from subjects
• National regulator found problems with every TAFE SA course reviewed
• TAFE SA warned 16 courses in danger of losing accreditation
• Aircraft maintenance TAFE students lose accreditation

ALARMING shortcomings have been revealed in a report on 16 courses run by TAFE SA, of which 14 have now been axed.

Incredibly, the Australian Skills Quality Authority report found basic failings in some of their most popular courses, including not being taught up-to-date hygiene practices in cookery, and it highlighted a lack of safety issues in motorcycle mechanics.

The Certificate III in Commercial Cookery course came under attack for not proving students had been exposed to “sufficient practical training” or had the opportunity to put their training into a simulated kitchen environment.

A Motorcycle Mechanical Technology course required students to work on two different motorcycles with brake issues, but the report found not all pupils had access to the appropriate motorbikes.

It meant there was a failing that they could “diagnose and rectify” motorcycle brake faults.

Students of Certificate III in Individual Support with a focus on ageing were not taught up to date information on dementia, and no documentation was provided to show they had successfully completed CPR training.

A single question on dementia testing students knowledge was answered incorrectly by four out of five students tested by assessors.

The report identified 26 students of the Certificate III in Automotive Finishing Technology who would require remedial assessment.

One hundred and seventy students from the Certificate II in Meat Processing (abattoirs) will have remedial assessment as they could not prove they had learnt how to sharpen knives properly.

Even the TAFE SA website was found to be not compliant by assessors with marketing of course material not consistent with the actual courses.

Three trainers and assessors from the Certificate III in Plumbing did not have the knowledge and skills to teach various parts of the course.