Another private training college has been deregistered.

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has deregistered the Melbourne-based Asia Pacific Training Institute, and restricted courses at another provider, Franklyn Scholar.

The moves came after audits triggered by a string of complaints about the providers. 

The Asia Pacific Training Institute had over 3,000 students on its books in 2015, for which it received $49 million in VET FEE HELP loans.

The college reported a unit pass rate of 40 per cent that year. 
ASQA Chief Commissioner Mark Paterson said the colleges had misused the lucrative scheme.

“An investigation into APTI [Asia Pacific Training Institute] found that it was not compliant with the requirements of the VET Quality Framework in the areas of marketing and student recruitment, student enrolment and the amount of training it provided to learners,” he said.

The regulator has also removed all Diploma-level qualifications and the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification from Franklyn Scholar, which received over $64 million in VET FEE HELP loans for 3300 students in 2015, with a unit pass rate of just 29 per cent that year.

Victoria’s education department looked into Franklyn Scholar in 2015, finding “inappropriate marketing, concerns about the eligibility for funded training and issues around the quality of training (including assessment)”, a department spokesperson said.

The decisions come into effect in early May, but both colleges can seek a review in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

The Asia Pacific Training Institute is the fifth training provider to be deregistered following ASQA audits.