Authorities cancel 6300 Australia Education & Career College student diplomas

Almost 7400 graduates of a training college were asked to prove they had not been issued with a fake diploma. Just over 780 responded, raising concerns about where the others are working.

More than 6400 graduates alleged to have bought fake diplomas from a federal government-registered training college have this week had their qualifications cancelled after failing to prove they had undertaken any course work.

In one of the biggest education scandals involving a registered training organisation, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) last week ordered 7360 “graduates” of the Australia Education & Career College to produce evidence of assignments and other completed work in order to keep their diplomas.

The Sunday Telegraph can now reveal just over 780 students have responded, with the remainder – most from NSW and Victoria – failing to meet provide documentary evidence of class work.

The Authority is now investigating its legal options against Luvium Pty Ltd, which operated the College and whose licence has now also been cancelled.

However, concerns remain as to how many Luvium “graduates” who obtained jobs in child care, mental health, child protection and other sectors might remain in their jobs.

The Australia Education and Career College handed out diplomas in childcare. File picture: iStock

ASQA chief executive officer Saxon Rice said the cancellations were made in the interests of public safety and members of the community who relied on appropriately qualified staff.

“The scale of cancelled qualifications in this instance, across multiple industry sectors, has been supported by extensive collaboration and co-ordination across various Commonwealth and state and territory government departments and agencies, working proactively to identify and support risk mitigation throughout ASQA’s process,” he said.

The College is estimated to have collected more than a million dollars in fees from students over a period of almost two years.

Authorities became suspicious of its operations after receiving multiple tip-offs about the College, including to its whistleblowing hotline.

An ASQA spokesman said the agency had initially begun an audit of the college before it escalated in May this year to a formal investigation “due to the significant nature of noncompliance being identified”.

“A comprehensive compliance activity was undertaken, including interviews with key staff, that supported an evidence brief of significant noncompliance and findings of fraudulent activity, including fit and proper person findings against the key personnel of the (registered training organisation),” he said. “This resulted in Luvium’s registration being cancelled.”

The federal government training organisation website lists Rita Fragomeli as the chief executive officer of Luvium.

The Sunday Telegraph has been unsuccessful in contacting Ms Fragomeli.

NSW has the largest share of Luvium “graduates” whose qualifications have been cancelled with 2728 – more than a third of them.

The cancellations only relate to qualifications obtained from the College from January last year to October this year, with those obtained prior this period not affected.

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