Australian Education & Career College deregistered, student qualifications under investigation

Skills Minister Andrew Giles says people needed to earn their qualifications “not buy them”, as 7000 graduates of a deregistered college were asked to prove they earned their qualifications.

Skills and Training Minister Andrew said the government was keen to protect to the integrity of the VET sector. Picture: Giles Martin Ollman

Skills Minister Andrew Giles says the government had “zero tolerance for shonks”, declaring that people needed to earn their qualifications “not buy them”.

The comments follow revelations by The Saturday Telegraph of moves by the national regulator to cancel the qualifications of 7,360 “students” who are alleged to have gained diplomas or “statement of attainments” since January last year from the Australia Education & Career College (Luviam Pty Ltd).

The qualifications that were issued included diplomas in early childhood, child protection, mental health and first aid, with many of the students understood to already be working in their fields.

The students have been given seven days from November 6 to prove they completed assessments or undertook work placements while employers of the College’s former students have been advised to seek legal advice.

Former childcare students of the Australian Education & Career College are among those who have been told to provide evidence that they earned their qualification. Picture: iStock

The national regulator — the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) — has also cancelled the registration of the “college”, which had also been advertised on the federal government’s “Your Career” Vocational Education and Training (VET) website.

“We strongly believe that people should earn their qualifications, not buy them,” he said.

“We have a zero tolerance for shonks who are undermining the credibility of our really important VET sector.

Asked whether there were people without qualifications potentially out in the workforce “dealing with vulnerable people and children”, Mr Giles said ASQA and the Department were engaging with regulators “and other authorities around the country” to ensure that “the process of the notice of cancellation is undertaken so that community safety can be upheld as an absolute priority.”

“A very large number of qualifications have been the subject of the notice of cancellation procedure initiated by the Independent Regulator,” he said.

“The business was not accredited to engage international students, but these are matters that the regulator is working through with appropriate state and other authorities.”

Why is the Australian Education & Career College under investigation

The national training college is under investigation for potentially issuing fake diplomas to workers in childcare, child protection, mental health and first aid, with more than 7300 “graduates” now asked to prove they undertook any education.

Questions are also being asked whether any students also obtained work visas based on qualifications obtained from the Australian Education & Career College (Luvium Pty Ltd), while employers of college graduates have been advised to seek legal advice.

The Saturday Telegraph exclusively revealed the national regulator Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has taken the extraordinary move of deregistering the College, and serving students who attained qualification between January 1 2023 and October 19 this year a notice of intent to cancel their qualifications.

The College was initially registered with ASQA in May 2022.

It appeared on the federal government “your career” VET training provider website prior to its cancellation.

ASQA message to former students on its website.

In a move that has widespread implications across the workforce, 7360 students must now prove they obtained a diploma or “statement of intent” to authorities to avoid their qualification being cancelled.

In a statement on its website, ASQA declared the cancellation of the College’s registration on October 19 followed evidence it was issuing qualifications “without appropriate training or competency-based assessment by qualified assessors”.

The government would not provide details of the scandal beyond declaring the move to deregister the College was taken to “ensure public confidence” of the vocational and educational training sector.

Former students who have been sent a notice of intent from the regulator are being asked to prove their qualifications by sending over completed assessment tasks, “assessment feedback”, marked assignments and “evidence that you completed work placements”.

ASQA has given affected students a seven-day deadline to supply the evidence, starting from November 6.

The qualifications impacted include Certificate III in Early Childhood and Education and Care, Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, Diploma or Community Services, Diploma of Mental Health.

Among the scores of affected “statements of attainment” are “working with people with mental health services”, “supporting people with autism spectrum disorder”, “provide loss and grief support”, “identify and report abuse”, “provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation”, “administer and monitor medications”, “identify and report children and young people at risk” and “work with children and young people with complex trauma and attachment issues and needs”.

Because the College was not registered to deliver qualifications to overseas students, any such students who used the cancelled qualification(s) and/or statements of attainment to gain entry into their current course of study have been advised to contact the Department of Home Affairs.

The regulator is also working with workplaces where students with Luvium qualifications may have been hired.

“ASQA’s decision to cancel Luvium’s registration was based on finding that Luvium issued qualifications without appropriate training or competency-based assessment by qualified assessors,” it said.

“The integrity of our qualifications is a primary focus and there is no place for any provider who seeks to undermine the sector or exploit students.”

Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles said the Albanese government was aware of the action the independent regulator had taken in relation to the College.

“ASQA and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations are co-ordinating with other federal state and territory departments and regulators to work through the potential impacts of this regulatory action, including the impact on former students and employers,” he said.

“The Albanese government invested $33.3 million to establish a new integrity unit and tip-off line within ASQA to enable the independent regulator to take action against providers that threaten the integrity of VET.”

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Originally published as Australian Education & Career College deregistered, student qualifications under investigation