Victoria’s Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall has slammed his federal counterpart Senator Chris Evans for playing politics with the state’s training system.
Mr Hall said Senator Evans’ claims, made on last week’s 7.30 Report, that Victoria’s training regulatory body, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), was not doing enough to crack down on dodgy training providers were deliberately misleading and part of a concerted attack by Senator Evans on the state’s training system.
Mr Hall said in the past 12 months, the VRQA had cancelled the registration of 75 registered training organisations, compared to the national body, the Australian Skills Quality Authority, which, according to its own website, had only deregistered 12 providers – just three in Victoria.
Mr Hall said Senator Evans’ claims that the VRQA undertook “tick and flick” assessments of providers were also false with the authority undertaking site inspections of all organisations seeking registration as a training provider, providers renewing their registration, following the first year of operation and as part of any high risk investigations.
“Contrary to Senator Evans’ claims, around 80 per cent of all registered training organisations receiving State Government funding to deliver training to Victorians are regulated by the national authority.
“We know for a fact the overwhelming majority of the state’s training providers, including not-for-profit, industry training groups, TAFEs and private providers deliver high quality training that meets the needs of apprentices, business and industry.”
Visit www.premier.vic.gov.au for more news
Anyone with quality concerns about a Victorian training provider can contact the VRQA on 03 9637 2806.