The Administrative Review Tribunal has upheld another decision by the Australian Skills Quality Authority to cancel qualifications issued by former training provider Gills College, adding to growing scrutiny of parts of the vocational education and training sector.
The case centred on Omar Bayahow, who had been awarded a Certificate III and Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care through Gills College before ASQA moved to cancel thousands of qualifications linked to the provider.
ASQA revoked Gills College’s registration in November 2024 after investigations found the organisation had issued qualifications and statements of attainment without adequate assessment and, in some cases, without students completing all required training.
More than 3,300 individuals were later affected when ASQA cancelled qualifications and statements of attainment issued by the provider. According to the regulator, all affected students were invited to provide evidence showing they had completed the necessary training or assessment. ASQA said none were able to do so.
Mr Bayahow challenged the cancellation of his qualifications before the Tribunal, arguing ASQA did not have direct evidence relating to his individual circumstances and questioning whether cancelling the qualifications served the public interest.
During proceedings, the Tribunal heard Mr Bayahow was unable to provide documentation relating to his enrolment, communications with the provider, assessment records or payment details. He also said he could not recall details of the training or assessment undertaken.
General Member Darian-Smith found there were reasonable grounds to conclude Gills College had not provided the training or assessment required for the qualifications.
The Tribunal also rejected arguments that the personal impact on Mr Bayahow outweighed broader concerns about public confidence in qualifications issued within the VET system.
In its decision, the Tribunal said the case did not fall into an “exceptional category” that would justify allowing the qualifications to stand despite concerns about how they were obtained.
ASQA chief executive Saxon Rice said the ruling reinforced the regulator’s focus on maintaining standards across the sector, particularly in industries such as early childhood education, aged care and disability support where qualifications are tied to frontline care roles.
Ms Rice urged prospective students to be cautious of providers advertising unusually quick qualification pathways or guarantees of success through Recognition of Prior Learning arrangements.
She said students should question marketing claims promising qualifications within days, no classes, no assessment requirements or guaranteed migration outcomes.
Consumer advocates and training sector observers have previously raised concerns about aggressive marketing practices used by some providers and brokers targeting international students and workers seeking migration pathways.
Recognition of Prior Learning, commonly known as RPL, is a legitimate process that allows existing skills and work experience to count towards formal qualifications. However, regulators have warned some providers have used the model improperly by issuing qualifications without sufficient evidence of competency.
ASQA said it had cancelled the registration of 15 training providers since late 2024 and, as of March 2026, had revoked more than 43,000 qualifications and statements of attainment across several sectors.
Gills College also operated under the names Elite College Australia and Sterling Business College.
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