Training Institute Closure

Training Institute to Close

Date: 28 September, 2009

Lynn Glover, Director, Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) today announced that St. George Enterprises (known as the St George Institute Australia) had surrendered its licence to teach international students and will close on the 30 September 2009.

Ms Glover said St George's closure resulted from quality standards issues identified during the Rapid Audit Program (RAP) being implemented by the VRQA.

The RAP is part of the Victorian Government's commitment to ensure local and international students have access to the best educational infrastructure, support and programs available.

Ms Glover said that 129 international students were affected by the closure, but that all students would be offered a placement in suitable alternative course to enable them to complete their studies at no extra cost. The VRQA is working with the Australian Council of Private Education and Training (ACPET) and Commonwealth government agencies to implement the placements as soon as possible.

"Our main task at the moment is to ensure the students continue their education," Ms Glover said. "But our focus remains on ensuring all providers meet their commitment to provide quality education and training in Victoria for all students."

Victoria's Rapid Audit Program is the most rigorous in the vocational education and training sector in Australia. "All course providers must meet the standards that are expected from them. We continually reinforce this in all our ongoing consultation and regulatory information program," Ms Glover said.

"However, it must be noted that the majority of education and training providers in Victoria operate at the highest standard."

St. George Institute Australia was established in 1998 in Melbourne as a vocational college delivering Certificate and Diploma course in management, multimedia and graphic arts. The VRQA carried out an audit on the Institute in August and has been in discussions with them this month to ensure they met their regulatory requirements in the delivery of their training programs.

All international students are covered by a comprehensive consumer protection framework administered by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Students at St George are covered by the Tuition Assurance Scheme arrangements which ensure affected students are offered placement in an alternative course at no extra cost.

The VRQA is Victoria's education and training regulator. It regulates all providers of education and training in Victoria and maintains a register of all providers and their accredited courses and qualifications. Every provider, course and qualification on the register must meet the required quality standards.


For further information:

Lynn Glover, Director, VRQA

Telephone 9651 3201 or 0418 623 713


SOURCE: Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA)