TRANSCRIPT
The federal government is launching a new integrity unit to weed out so-called dodgy VET, or vocational education and training providers, to help protect vulnerable students and stop operators from attempting to rort the system.
There are some 4000 registered training organisations in Australia - which includes things like TAFE [[Technical and Further Education]], first aid-training, apprenticeships and postgraduate diplomas.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor says international students are most at risk.
"We're serious about stamping out the unethical and badly performing training providers that tarnish the whole sector ... Now, we have to make sure that overseas students get access to the labour market, just like Australian students get access to labour markets when they study overseas. But we need to get rid of the bottom feeders, the dodgy providers who are not there for the genuine purpose of educating and training people. Most providers do the right thing, but there's that element."
In 2019, an estimated 4.2 million students were enrolled in VET with an Australian training provider, representing almost a quarter of the Australian population aged from 15 to 64 years of age.
From Wednesday, October 4th, people will be able to report instances of bad behaviour. A confidential tip-off line will be established for potential whistle-blowers to alert the regulator, ASQA [[the Australian Skills Quality Authority]] to serious allegations of non-compliance and fraudulent practices.
Minister O'Connor says it's about lifting standards.
"If we get this wrong, we're gaming immigration and we're traducing our reputation as an education provider. Because we cannot have substandard training providers who are there ostensibly to have people enrol in their courses, but they're there for other purposes. Mainly allowing other people to get access to the labour market."
$37.8 million will go towards the integrity unit. It will work alongside Home Affairs, the Australian Federal Police and other Commonwealth and State law enforcement agencies.
Minister O'Connor told the ABC the regulator will also be able to conduct compliance checks on providers who have been identified as high risk.
"So ASQA will be given powers. It has powers now to deal with some of these matters. But we will make sure we can suspend or chat or or compel a provider to act in a certain manner or indeed ultimately expel that provider, deregister the organisation."
A key element of the government's agenda is fee-free TAFE and VET places.
"The reason why I've emphasised TAFE is, we still need at the centre of this sector, a very significant public provider that's working in with universities and I think to that extent it should be at the centre of TAFE, but complimented by all the other providers I've just mentioned, provided quality is there."]
The measures are being introduced in response to recommendations made by the Migration Review and the Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia's Visa system.
Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia's chief executive Troy William says it's a welcome announcement.
"What we want, as a nation, in fact, what we need as a nation is for an international student who studies in an area where Australia needs the skills, is fully able to study and work. We need to tie our skills training system, higher education system, and our migration system more closely together. At the moment as a nation, we've had them operating separately. Education doing one thing. Migration doing the other. We need to tie those together and that's what the Australian government is working towards. Quite frankly, if we need butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, and they've been studying those courses in Australia, those international students, and we need those skills, an international student who has completed their studies should be able to stay and work in Australia upon completion of their course."
Mr Williams says there needs to be a central point of reference.
"The Independent Tertiary Education Council has argued, for an international education commissioner to coordinate the different arms of government, so the department of education, the department of employment workplace relations and of Home Affairs are on the same page. We think an international education commissioner would be a really strong advocate for international students in Australia."
