Palaszczuk Government announces Training Ombudsman appointment

The Palaszczuk Government has announced the appointment of Mr Geoffrey Favell as the Queensland Training Ombudsman.

Training and Skills Minister Yvette D’Ath congratulated Mr Favell on his appointment following a national recruitment drive.

“Earlier this year, our Government established the independent Queensland Training Ombudsman to act as a watchdog for the state’s vocational education and training (VET) sector,” Mrs D’Ath said.

“Mr Favell brings over 30 years’ experience in the VET and industrial relations sectors, and I am confident he will continue to achieve positive outcomes for Queenslanders.

“I’d like to thank Mr Favell for the work he has done as the interim Training Ombudsman since September 2015 and look forward to his continued commitment to the role.”

Mrs D’Ath said the government had committed up to $5 million over three years to establish the Training Ombudsman’s role as part of restoring accountability within the VET sector.

“The Training Ombudsman provides wrap-around support services to support students, apprentices, trainees and employers in addressing issues within the VET sector,” she said.

“The Training Ombudsman also has a key role to play in identifying systemic issues, particularly in relation to the provision and quality of VET in Queensland, evidenced by work already undertaken in regard to the training of electrical apprentices, and a current review into the licensing and quality of security training in this State.”

Mrs D’Ath said as at 30 June 2016, the Training Ombudsman had received over 250 complaints and enquiries from students, apprentices, trainees, employers, registered training organisations and other stakeholders.

“The Training Ombudsman finalised 172 complaints and 47 enquiries in that time,” she said.

“This has allowed students to continue with their studies, apprentices to continue their apprenticeships, and has resulted in fee refunds or waivers for many other students.

“These outcomes show the great work being done by the Training Ombudsman’s office to create a strong and fair VET system in Queensland.”

More information on the Queensland Training Ombudsman is available at http://www.qld.gov.au/education/training/training-ombudsman/

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