Get Qualified Australia Pty Ltd, known as ‘Get Qualified Australia’ or ‘GQA’ was, up until recently, a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) company that assisted job seekers in turning their on-the-job experience into a qualification in industries ranging from the automotive industry to business and beauty. It described itself as ‘Australia’s leading Skills Recognition & Recognition of Prior Learning Specialist’.
THE STORY SO FAR
Late last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) successfully obtained an asset freezing order (pending further legal action by the ACCC) in the Federal Court of Australia against Get Qualified Australia, GQA’s sole director and shareholder, Adam Wadi, and Mr Wadi’s spouse, Lama Al-Natour. The ACCC then filed substantive legal proceedings against Get Qualified Australia and Mr Wadi, alleging:
- misleading or deceptive conduct in contravention of the Australian Consumer Law 2010 (ACL);
- false or misleading representations in contravention of the ACL;
- unconscionable conduct in contravention of the ACL;
- contravention of the unsolicited consumer agreement division of the ACL;
- unfair contract terms under the ACL.
Specifically in respect of Mr Wadi, the ACCC alleged that he ‘aided, abetted, counselled or procured and was directly and indirectly knowingly concerned in each of GQA’s contraventions of the ACL’.
GQA has now declared that it is unable to pay its debts and is now in liquidation. It has left thousands of students who were in the middle of obtaining their qualifications after having paid fees to GQA, as well as many students who were already claiming refunds from GQA. A creditors’ report revealed that the company owed over $1.5 million to creditors including Facebook and Google AdWords. Blair Pleash of insolvency firm Hall Chadwick has been appointed as the liquidator for GQA and has said that it was “not looking good” for customers and creditors as the company itself did not have a large amount of finances in their bank. The creditors report revealed that GQA has only $1,600 in cash in its bank account and an apparently overstated $210,012 in plant and equipment. It has been reported that, up until shortly before Mr Pleash’s appointment as liquidator, GQA staff members were still contacting clients advising that they had established a whole new service team and requesting the payment of fees.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector. They regulate courses and training providers to ensure nationally approved quality standards are met. GQA is not itself a registered training organization (RTO), In March, the cancellation of RTOs owned or operated by GQA and Mr Wadi by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) was confirmed by the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Those cancelled RTOs were Get Qualified Australia Adelaide, Get Qualified Australia Canberra and Get Qualified Australia Brisbane.
The ACCC claims that GQA call centre sales staff were motivated by their sales targets. It was alleged that consumers were advised and assured that they were eligible for qualifications by sales representatives who had no idea whether or not the consumer was eligible or not.
Numerous consumers were signed up, charged fees ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars and then GQA never communicated with them again and their much sought after qualification was never acquired. Staff members of GQA pressured consumers for upfront payments before they could reveal any information regarding how they could go about gaining their qualification.
The ACCC also alleges that the company itself had a “money back guarantee” in where consumers were promised their money back if they didn’t receive their qualification but the company almost always declined refund requested when consumers did not receive their qualification.
Recently, the Federal Court heard the ACCC’s claim, in which it seeks orders for consumer refunds, monetary penalties, declarations, injunctions, orders for corrective publication, the implementation of a trade practices compliance program, and legal costs. However the likelihood of this occurring is low as GQA is now in liquidation. The ACCC also seeks orders against Mr Wadi disqualifying him from managing corporations.
Alongside the legal action being taken against GQA by the ACCC, Qualify Me! has also taken legal action against GQA for trademark infringement and misleading and deceptive conduct.
THE RESULTS
As a result of the legal case the ACCC has brought against GQA and GQA’s collapse into liquidation, we have received a large number of student enquiries requesting support in achieving their desired qualifications. We are very concerned for students who have already paid for qualification services and prepared all or a substantial part of the required evidence, yet are now faced with having to pay for the full RPL process again.
The Qualify Me! Team have finalised a tailored model of their RPL & Skills Recognition programs that is designed to allow ex-GQA clients to continue their RPL process with Qualify Me!, saving them both time and money compared with the alternative of having to start from scratch and pay again in full. There are still some challenges in such a model, for example our evidence collection criteria is aligned closely with industry and performance criteria as per the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) standards and may therefore differ to what was requested of them prior.
Students who have been impacted should try the Qualify Me! Free Skills Assessment to get started on our program. Unfortunately, we may not be able to service all students as we have become aware that a number of students previously on GQA's books do not meet our RPL Program entry criteria. Students who do not qualify for our RPL program, have the option to undertake suitable nationally accredited vocational courses.
Our management team empathise with the number of students involved and would like to do our part for the industry. To date, we have already established a dedicated student support team to cater for the high demand of applicants coming across. This student support team is there to only work with those students who have been affected by GQA and with this comes several benefits, some of which include quick one-on-one service, supporting you when needed and ensuring faster processing time. Students impacted by GQA’s liquidation have been offered discounts, in some cases below cost, as a step forward in fulfilling our corporate social responsibility.
Here is a list of Qualifications we can help with:
Make the switch! Let Qualify Me, Qualify You!
Sieders : Dave "Sideways" Sieders, the undisputed fast-man of the Australian V8 Ute Series - fuelled by Hog's Breath Cafe, will sport new backing as the Championship comes down to the wire at his hometown track at Homebush Olympic Park this weekend, 5-7th December 2014.Sieders:
Having recorded 17 pole positions in just under five years, more than any other driver in the Series history, the 30 year old from Western Sydney was a natural choice for trade and skills recognition provider Qualify Me! as he chases a maiden title, with 140 points remaining and 61 points to the lead.
"It's really exciting to bring a new brand into motorsport, especially one that doesn't have a direct link to the automotive industry," said Sieders, "we've been on pole twice at Homebush, including last year, but with backing from a business like Qualify Me! I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little extra pressure to qualify at the front this time around".
"It's great to see a business with such enthusiasm behind everything it does, and they've already worked this new partnership into their regular operations and marketing, which I know some people have already heard on the radio."
Specialising in trade qualifications and skills recognition, Sydney-based Qualify Me! has offices throughout the world and offers over 500 different certificates and diplomas that incorporate all trades, business, finance, accounting, hospitality, aged care, child care and logistics, with the process often completed in a four week period.
"Working with a lot of tradies, the V8 Utes was a natural fit for us to involve ourselves with the interests of our own demographics, and when we were given the option on the top qualifying driver in the Series, it made the decision very easy," said Qualify Me! CEO, Wagdi Andrawis.
"It's something new for us, but we've already worked it into our advertising campaigns, we have had Dave record some new radio ads, and we're giving away a few prizes tied to the race team."
Having finished in the top three of the Series for the past four seasons, Sieders' will need more than a bit of luck to go his way to move up from second position and take out his maiden V8 Ute Championship.
"There is a fair amount of points to Kris, but there's enough points there to get the job done," said Sieders, "Homebush is one of those tracks where a mistake can be very costly, and with the quick turnaround between some of the sessions, anything is a possibility, so we'll push right to the end".
The Australian V8 ute Racing Series will hit the streets of the Homebush Olympic precinct for two practice sessions on Friday, with qualifying and race one on Saturday at 9.30am and midday, and the final two races of the year on Sunday at 9.30am and 2.15pm.
Races one and three will be broadcast as live on 7Mate at 12.30pm on Saturday and midday Sunday.
"We've had a shot at winning the Championship every year in the Utes, and you get a little boost knowing you have a lot of family and friends trackside to spur you on, it's a great way to finish the year."
- ends -
ARMOR ALL DRIVERS LEADERBOARD - TOP 5
P. DRIVER (CAR #) MAKE POINT
1 Kris Walton (#68) FG FORD UTE 850
2 David Sieders (#8) FG FORD UTE 789
3 Jesse Dixon (#49) VE HOLDEN SS 745
4 Rhys McNally (#26) VE HOLDEN SS 713
5 Ryal Harris (#1) FG FORD UTE 702
AUSTRALIAN V8 UTE RACING TOP POLE WINNERS DRIVER POLES
1 Dave Sieders 17
2 Grant Johnson 13
3 Warren Luff 9
4 Ryal Harris 7
5 Marcus Zukanovic 7
6 Jack Elsegood 6
7 Gary Baxter 5
7 tied at .... 3Sieders
Why do builders and other trades (commonly arborists performing North Brisbane Tree Lopping and independent building inspectors performing Building and Pest Inspections Perth WA) lend out their builders licence to their mates? Frankly, we wouldn't have a clue. But it's not good or safe practice at all!
I hear so many stories day in and day out of registered builders lending their building licence to mates for a whopping $20,000 or $50,000 per site. Obviously this is not healthy for the licensed builder, let alone the unregistered builder. It's important to note that whilst most builders entrusted by their mate with something as valuable as a builders licence are actually apt and know what they are doing, there is still too much on the line for both parties.
Licence lending does come back to bite registered builders who engage in this practice. If the mate you are entrusting is not experienced, you can find that the project your licence is attached to has been under quoted, failed to be completed, not built to the Building Codes of Australia and the like. Your 'mate' might even disappear, and you find yourself up against a business lawyer who then advises the aspiring home owner to go after the registered builder with the home owners warranty policy. That will generally end up with the licenced builder fixing up the mess or risk being sued. If the insurer jumps in, then the insurer (of the home warranty cover) claw back monies the real builder.
If you are a builder with a builders licence, don't lend your your licence. Instead, if you have a mate you can trust, hire them full time during the duration of the project. Oversee every stage inspection and rock up to the site often. You'll be going yourself a favour and your mate a favour as he will gain the right experience required for a building licence too.
If you have experience as a builder but have not picked up your ticket for whatever reason, it be high time you stop playing the 'mate' and did something about it. If you know your stuff, call us today, and we will be sure to help make sure you are Qualified FAST!: 1800 765 295.
Qualify Me
Despite a tough final outing in front of his home crowd, Dave "Sideways" Sieders backed by Qualify Me! has finished Second Outright in the 2014 Australian V8 Ute Racing Series on the streets of Homebush Olympic Park this weekend, 5-7th December 2014.
After qualifying his Qualify Me! Ford V8 Ute on the second row of the grid, a mid-race punt into the fence had the 30 year-old from Western Sydney stuck in the middle of the pack for the three races, however, his 10th placing for the weekend was still enough to give him his third Series Runner-Up title in four years.
"That's another one that's got away from us," said Sieders, "we are definitely proud about the fact that we've never finished outside of the Top Five since we joined the Series, and have finished the season in second place, three times now, but it's definitely getting quite frustrating".
"We knew we were a long-shot coming into this round, but things started to look like they were going to swing our way at the start of the weekend, but then our luck swung against us, and we weren't able finish the year off how we would have liked."
From the opening sessions, it was clear that Sieders was going to have to battle between last year's Champion, Ryal Harris, and eventual 2014 Champion, Kris Walton, to finish the year off, having finished behind them in Friday's practice sessions and qualifying third fastest, 0.1s off pole, on Saturday morning.
"The car felt good, and we did hold provisional pole for part of the session," said Sieders, "unfortunately, in trying to go faster I was risking torching some tyres, so had to settle for P3 to make sure we had good rubber to race on."
Chasing a mammoth 63 point deficit for the Series win, Sieders needed more than a strong result to pull off the feat, and when Kris Walton stalled on the line in the opening race, Sieders was ready to pounce.
Running in second place as Walton slipped to 13th on the opening lap, Sieders luck ran out on lap five when he was punted into the turn 11 tyre bundle by Ryan Hansford (who was penalised post-race) and fell to finish the race in 15th.
"That just shows which way our luck keeps running," said Sieders, "Walton stalls on the grid, gets hit like we did at Bathurst and still finishes 10th, and we make a few small tweaks after qualifying, have a rocket of a car and look to challenge for a race win before we get put into the wall".
Missing out on the Top 12 inversion for race two sealed Sieders' Championship position, as Walton was moved to start from P3, and Sieders spent the race battling two fierce and fast competitors in George Miedecke and Craig Dontas, eventually finishing in 12th position.
"The Sydney track is a tough place to get past people, and when you've got two strong Holdens like Craig [Dontas] and George [Miedecke] in front of you, who have better drive out of the corners, all you can really do is just position yourself to take advantage of any mistakes."
The final race of 2014 had Sieders starting from position 13 on the grid, and after another race-long battle with Miedecke and Dontas, Sieders finished the race in 12th and taking 10th outright for the round.
"I got caught in a lot of dirty air and the engine got too hot too quick, so I wasn't able to push through like we felt the car was capable of," said Sieders, "the Championship win might have been a long-shot coming into the weekend, but we would have liked to finish the year on the podium for our local round".
The 2015 V8 Ute Series commences at the Clipsal 500 on the Adelaide Parklands Street Circuit from February 26-March 3, marking the category’s 15th appearance at the V8 Supercars season opener.
"We have a bit of work to do before the 2015 season starts, maybe look at what changes we can make and work out how to get this string of bad luck to swing around would be good too."
ARMOR ALL DRIVERS LEADERBOARD
| P. |
DRIVER (CAR #) |
MAKE |
POINTS |
|
1
|
Kris Walton (#68) |
FG FORD UTE |
959
|
|
2
|
David Sieders (#8) |
FG FORD UTE |
881
|
|
3
|
Jesse Dixon (#49) |
VE HOLDEN SS |
839
|
|
4
|
Rhys McNally (#26) |
VE HOLDEN SS |
831
|
|
5
|
Ryal Harris (#1) |
FG FORD UTE |
821
|
Trades Recognition Australia : Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is a skills assessment service provider specialising in assessments for people with trade skills gained overseas or in Australia, for the purpose of migration and skills recognition. Electricians that are not Australian citizens will need to attain a Trade Recognition Certificate from TRA in order to be eligible to join one of our courses and finalise their qualification requirements for a licence.
To be granted an Australian Recognised Trade Certificate (ARTC), you must be able to demonstrate that you:
- are an Australian permanent resident or citizen, hold a New Zealand Passport, or hold a visa that allows you to temporarily reside and work in your trade in Australia
- reside in Australia
- have sufficient English language skills to perform the work of the trade safely in Australia
- have sufficient training and experience to meet the requirements of the Criteria and Guidelines and the Tradespersons' Rights Regulation Act 1946 (the Act).
- have completed the requirements of the Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR) if one has been issued to you
- have undertaken all steps in the assessment process including, where applicable, a technical interview, trade test or other action requested by a LC
- are currently capable of performing the work of your trade in Australia.
Once you have your TRC visit a your local Qualify Me! office and they will put you in the right direction to get qualified fast!
