The Electrical Trades Union has strongly endorsed the Federal Government’s crackdown on dodgy training colleges that are ripping off international students.
New laws will enable the Government to close down training organisations that offer unauthorised courses and facilitate international students to work illegally with dodgy operators facing fines of up to $939,000. Colleges that are dormant for 12 months will also have their registrations cancelled. The laws also allow the minister to block applications and require training organisations to have operated for more than two years before expanding course offerings.
ETU National Secretary, Michael Wright, said the reforms were a critical step to ensuring the integrity of vocational education.
“Only a minority of training organisations are dodgy, but they are trashing Australia’s reputation and exploiting often vulnerable international students,” Wright said.
“Misusing student visas to funnel migrants into workplace exploitation is completely unconscionable. This set of reforms is strong and overdue.
“The bald truth is that profit-making businesses have no place in training. We need operators who want to solve the skills shortage, not make a quick buck.”
“Organisations that are doing the right thing are sick of watching shonks get away with rip off schemes. Minister O’Connor and the Federal Government have done the right thing by moving decisively.”