2017-02-21
Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Training and Skills. I have been contacted by a student at Sage Institute of Education who has been studying for a diploma of education and care, whose course is due to finish on 28 February and who has completed placements outside the institute. As you would know, Minister, the administrator has been appointed for Sage Institute, which runs courses in aged care, education, massage, child care and fitness. My constituent is concerned that if she is unable to complete her course, the fees that she has paid will have been wasted and she will have no qualification to show for the year that she has spent studying. So my question is: what is the government doing to ensure that students enrolled in Sage colleges are able to complete their courses?
Ms TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — I thank the member for her question. Yes, this is another case of problems within the private provider sector. The department was made aware of this situation on 8 February this year. They are currently holding a 2017 vocational education and training funding contract. The decision of Sage Institute to close was taken without prior notice to the department. The department has been advised that the institute intends to cease all training activity — I think as of yesterday — and that the registered training organisation (RTO) may no longer be able to carry on with its business generally.
To minimise the disruption and make sure all students are looked after, the department will write to all the affected government-funded students — and I have asked for a copy of that today — providing information on how we can provide some assistance for those students in transferring to any training provider of their choice. The department will work with the institute to assist students, reminding them of the need to provide students with statements of attainment as well as information on how to transfer to another training provider and complete their studies.
It will be made clear to all government-funded students that their eligibility for government-subsidised places is not going to be impacted by the planned closure of this RTO. Any student who wants to discuss their training options can call the TAFE and Training Line on 131 821 for support, and students can also contact the Australian Skills Quality Authority on studentenquiries@asqa.gov.au or they can call the 1300 701 801 number.
Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) — Thank you, Minister, for that answer. It is very concerning. Would you be able to tell the house how many students you are aware will be caught up? Also, just in follow-up, you mentioned being able to get accreditation for coursework already done et cetera. One of the issues raised by the constituent was — if, as you said, the college stopped as from yesterday — having their work marked that has not already been marked and arrangements for that. Also in follow-up to your answer about writing to the students, it is fine that they can be told to ring this number, but I suppose they need to be reassured that all students will be actually contacted and there will be proactivity from the department to assist them.
The PRESIDENT — Order! I will allow the minister to answer, but I do note that there were essentially three supplementary questions there, and the basis of a supplementary question is actually to have one. The minister might well consider those three elements that you have sought further information on.
Ms TIERNEY (Minister for Training and Skills) — I thank the member for her supplementary. When this was first raised with me the whole modus operandi of the department and the ministerial office was completely about, 'Well, what is going to happen to the students? How can we make sure that they are communicated with, and indeed how can we deal with particular issues such as unmarked work?'. What I could ask you to do is provide me with the actual concerns, the specifics, so that we can actually get to the heart of what the issues are and advocate on behalf of the student in relation to that. But we did secure, as I said in my substantive answer, agreement from Sage that they will do what they can to make it a smooth transition into whatever a student's choice is. From that, of course, people need clear information in terms of their current status for that transfer to occur, so there is that aspect.
In terms of the actual numbers, I do not have a breakdown in terms of the courses that the students were actually enrolled in, but what I can say is that there are a significant number of Victorians affected by this. I am happy to provide those numbers.