TRAINING ORGANISATIONS

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (15:30): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education. Can the minister inform the house about any measures being taken to ensure the quality of South Australia's registered training organisations?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:31): As a matter of fact I can, and I thank the honourable member for Mawson for his question. Recent events about a college providing training for international students has highlighted the importance of a strong state and national regulatory system to underpin the quality of training provided by many training providers throughout Australia.

On 11 May I advised the house that the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology (DFEEST), in accordance with the Training and Skills Development Act 2008, carried out a monitoring audit in March 2010 of APIC, which found the college to be critically non-compliant with the Australian Quality Training Framework Standards. In addition, the audit found that the college was non-compliant with 12 of the 14 standards under the commonwealth's national code, which are available online.

On 7 May the delegate of the South Australian Training and Skills Commission, Mr Raymond Garrand, the Chief Executive of DFEEST, served notice on the college of his intention to cancel its registration under the Training and Skills Development Act. The college responded to DFEEST on 4 June, and the department is in the process of considering this detailed response. It is expected to make a final determination shortly. In addition, the commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations suspended the college's registration as a provider to international students.

At this time, while proceedings are continuing in relation to APIC, it is not possible to give precise details to the house of the current audit or previous audits. I have been advised that matters may well be subject to legal proceedings and, in that regard, any detailed comments in this place may prejudice any future legal action. However, I can assure the house that much work has occurred to enhance both the resources and audit processes in South Australia over the last two years. This has been a focus in South Australia, as it has been nationally.

In response to an internal review undertaken in February 2009, the department, in conjunction with the Training and Skills Commission, implemented a number of reforms, including a restructure of the regulatory functions and processes in the agency. This was in recognition of the increasing demands that were arising in the regulation of training providers and the need to maintain high standards of quality. This review included the provision of additional resources within the audit area and changing the audit process to increase the level of industry participation involved in audits, hence giving expert industry views on providers' facilities and their processes.

Reforms and continuous improvement to regulatory processes in South Australia are occurring in an environment where there are important reforms to the regulatory framework in Australia. The most important of these reforms is the position taken by all states and territories and the commonwealth to establish a national regulator of training providers. This is essential given that many colleges operate over several jurisdictions, and it is important that regulatory standards are applied consistently across the country.

All jurisdictions have also agreed to the establishment of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. The new quality agency for higher education is expected to commence in 2011. In addition to this, the audit standards under the Australian Quality Training Framework 2007 that South Australia and all jurisdictions follow have just been substantially revised. At a recent meeting of the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment the AQTF 2010 was endorsed and is now in the process of being implemented.

I am glad that South Australia has taken a leadership role in providing advice in many of these national reforms. Professor Denise Bradley, who chairs the South Australian Training and Skills Commission, has provided strong advice. South Australia has also chaired the development of a national/international student strategy.

I am keen to make certain that we continue to strengthen both South Australia's regulatory framework and also provide a valuable contribution into the development of a national regulator. I am particularly concerned that the current legislative frameworks at both state and national level are adequate to effectively monitor and enforce quality and provide adequate and appropriate protection to students in the unfortunate event of any college closures.

To this end, last month I asked Mr Warren McCann, the former CEO of the Department of Premier and Cabinet under the Olsen and Rann governments and now the Commissioner for Public Employment, to provide me with advice on further improvements to the current regulatory framework, in particular the current legislative framework and further steps that can be taken to avoid situations of critical non-compliance.

These matters will build on previous reforms and will help guide the transition to a national regulator and are aimed at further enhancing South Australia's reputation as a provider of quality further education services.