BackOn 30 June 2021, the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman (the Office) published a Code of Practice (the Code) for Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector education providers.
The Code gives guidance to providers approved to offer VET student loans about how to effectively resolve complaints and, wherever possible, prevent them being escalated to the Office. The Code contains 10 better practice principles to target issues the Office observes in complaints about education providers’ handling of complaints about VET student loans. It also includes practical guidance about how providers can apply each principle, and useful tips to help providers and students resolve complaints.
The Office designed and developed the Code in consultation with a range of stakeholders including education providers, peak bodies, government agencies and students.
When the Code was published, the Office invited education providers to register as signatories to demonstrate a public commitment to being a ‘best practice provider’. Since the Office published the Code, more than 70 education providers – accounting for almost 40 per cent of the current VET student loan approved course providers – registered as signatories. In addition to encouraging better practice within individual providers, the Office considers the high rate of sign up to the Code will also drive greater public confidence in the broader VET student loans program.
The Code and list of signatories are available on the Office’s website.
Source: Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman, Australia
