The Australian | 3 November 2014
ACPET to set up monitoring and validation service
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With controversy over dodgy marketing and poor quality courses among some private Registered Training Organisations and with third-party brokers exploiting government subsidies in vocational education, the Australian Council of Private Education and Training (ACPET), the private sector’s peak body, is to fast-track a new code of conduct and a standards framework to be externally monitored and validated.
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The monitoring and validation will cost members money but ACET says any reluctance about paying higher costs should be offset by the need to protect the reputation of quality providers.
According to ACPET chief executive Rod Camm
Some may complain that we are just making it harder, but it isn’t about making it harder, it is about protecting member’s integrity. If we lose our reputation we lose everything.
Our industry is not going to bury its head in the sand and pretend there isn’t a problem with a small minority of providers. We will not sit idly by while the behaviours of a few tarnish the reputation of many.
Vocation Limited, the ASX-listed company at the centre of a storm over rorting of state government subsidies, is an ACPET member.
Camm said ACPET may take on the role of monitoring and validating the adherence to the new framework and code. He said he is hoping to put out a draft of the new framework this week and have it all in place by the end of the year.
ACPET already runs a service for members in which it provides a compliance that costs $3000-$5000. Camm said the monitoring idea would build on that service.
Camm said the aim is to make ACPET membership a marker of quality in the market for both students and industry. He said it was akin to resurrecting a “Quality Endorsed Training Organisation” moniker as promoted by the former Australian National Training Authority that was folded into the department of education in 2005.
The move was endorsed at an industry summit last week including representatives from ACPET, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Careers Australia, English Australia, Group Training Australia, the International Education Association of Australia, JMC Academy, Navitas, Study Group, the Vocational Education and Training Advisory Board and and Restaurant and Catering Australia.
See
ACPET National Monday Update – edition 578, 3 November 2014