More than 23,000 students across Australia have had their qualifications cancelled after a sweeping crackdown by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) exposed widespread malpractice among private training providers.
New figures released by ASQA reveal that over 25,000 dodgy qualifications—ranging from child care and community services to engineering and IT—have been invalidated after being allegedly fraudulently issued without proper training or assessment.
The federal government has blamed years of underregulation under the previous Coalition government for allowing “shonky” colleges to flourish.
Key providers deregistered and under scrutiny:
• Arizona College (Invention Academy)
• SPES Education
• Nextgen Tech Institute (Australian Learning Academy / Qualify Now)
• Learning Options (Contract Me)
• Luvium (Australia Education & Career College)
• IIET (EDUVET)
• Gills College (Elite College Australia / Sterling Business College)
• DSA Ventures (Australian Academy of Elite Education)
The latest action targets Melbourne-based Arizona College, which had its registration cancelled on 14 June 2025. ASQA found the provider had allegedly issued certificates without ensuring students completed adequate assessments, posing serious safety risks to vulnerable Australians in sectors like aged care, mental health, youth work and disability services.
ASQA said, “Urgent action is required… due to the significant issues identified during the compliance investigation and the potential safety risks to impacted individuals, others in the workplace, and some of the most vulnerable members of the community.”
Three other providers—Sydney-based SPES Education, Learning Options, and Melbourne’s Nextgen Tech Institute—also had their registrations revoked in May 2025. Investigations revealed they, too, allegedly issued diplomas, allegedly with no verifiable training or assessment.
SPES Education allegedly issued fraudulent qualifications in early childhood education, disability support, IT and community services. Nextgen Tech Institute allegedly issued unverified certifications in mechanical trade, commercial vehicle repair, and first aid.
These closures follow ASQA’s cancellation of four critically non-compliant colleges in late 2024: Luvium, IIET, Gills College, and DSA Ventures. Combined, they had allegedly issued certifications to more than 18,750 students, many of whom had used these qualifications to enter regulated industries.
ASQA said only 20% of affected students responded to notices offering them a chance to prove their training was legitimate, and not a single one provided adequate evidence. As a result, more than 21,000 qualifications were cancelled in November and December 2024.
In response to the growing threat of “non-genuine providers and bad-faith operators,” the federal government allocated $37.8 million to improve vocational education integrity, with $33.3 million directed to ASQA to boost compliance enforcement and create an Integrity Unit and tip-off line. Since its October 2024 launch, over 3,200 reports have been lodged, half of which resulted in actionable investigations.
ASQA is continuing to investigate additional training providers and has made clear that it will pursue regulatory action wherever fraudulent or unsafe practices are found. Former students who received fake diplomas have been urged to respond to official notices or risk permanent cancellation of their credentials.
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