Another reason why the gutting of TAFE was a disaster

The previous state government tried to destroy TAFE in Victoria and deprive thousands of young Victorians of the training and skills they need to find employment post secondary school. 

Instead they promoted shonky private training providers at the expense of a system that needed reform but which was still an essential resource especially in rural Victoria. 

Vocation is one of many private providers to be exposed.

this story featured on ABC online:

Private training college Vocation has been forced to recall more than 1,000 of its qualifications including hundreds in child care and aged care after Victorian regulators found the courses were sub-standard.

Almost 200 students who completed a Certificate III in Child Care, 250 students who completed a Certificate III in Aged Care, and 383 students with a double qualification of business studies will have to hand back their qualifications and inform their employers.

A total of 832 students, who all studied with Vocation in Melbourne between January until June last year, are affected.

This latest audit by the Victorian Registration and Qualification Authority (VRQA) follows an investigation last year which found about 6,000 students had studied sub-standard courses.

More than 3,500 qualifications were recalled, and Vocation was forced to repay $19.6 million in state government funding.

The Victorian Education Department said it was still in discussions with Vocation about the return of government funding for "qualifications recalled in April 2015" but the ABC understands the bill could be as high as $2.5 million.

A spokesman for the Victorian Department of Education and Training said eight early childhood services and four aged care homes had indicated they employ staff affected by the recall of qualifications.

"The Department is supporting students who wish to continue working in [these] sectors by arranging for skills assessments to help identify what further training they will need to regain their qualification," the spokesperson said.

The Australian Education Union Deputy federal secretary Pat Forward said Vocation had lost its right to receive any further Victorian government funding.

"The evidence is there of problems within that company and I think it's a question that has to be thrown back onto the regulator," Mr Forward said.

"Can [the department] with any confidence hold their hands on their hearts and say students who enrol in Vocation are going to get the quality of delivery and service they require?"