Further Peacemakers security qualifications to be cancelled

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has today announced its intention to cancel a further 1,947 security and related qualifications and statements of attainment (SoAs) issued to 1,020 people by Peacemakers Security Pty Ltd (Peacemakers).

ASQA announced in September its intention to cancel 461 qualifications and SoAs issued to 236 individuals by the now-deregistered Peacemakers between March and July 2016.

This latest round of cancellations effects qualifications and SoAs issued between 9 September 2015 and 8 March 2016.

ASQA cancelled Peacemakers’ - which traded as Peacekeeper Security Training Institute - registration as a provider of vocational education and training (VET) in July because of its failure to meet the national training standards, particularly the failure to adequately assess the competence of its students.

The strong regulatory action being taken by ASQA in this matter is based on reliable evidence that Peacemakers did not provide legitimate training and assessment of these individuals and was, in fact, operating a system intent on issuing qualifications and SOA’s without providing training or assessment.

This behaviour is not the typical ‘non-compliance’ detected by ASQA during its regulatory work, where training organisations are actually providing training and assessment but are not fully meeting their regulatory obligations.

The actions of Peacemakers damages the standing of Australia’s vocational education and training system and warrants this strong response by the regulator.

With the assistance of the Queensland Office of Fair Trading, ASQA has written to students who obtained a qualification through Peacemakers between 9 September 2015 and 8 March 2016 advising them of its decision and giving them an opportunity to provide written advice stating why their qualification and/or SoAs should not be cancelled.

Students issued a security or related qualification and/or statement(s) of attainment by Peacemakers during this time should check their emails and/or standard mail for a notice from ASQA. ASQA is also attempting to reach students using SMS where it has the person’s contact details.

The cancellation of the qualifications and/or statements of attainment is not automatic – individuals have the opportunity to submit evidence and information to ASQA as to why their qualifications and/or SoAs should not be cancelled.

However, should ASQA proceed to cancel the qualifications and statements of attainment, individuals who still want to obtain a license to work in the security industry will have to regain their qualification through another training provider.

Any student who received a security or related qualification or SoAs from Peacemakers between March and June this year and has not received a notice – or would like more information - should contact the ASQA Info Line on 1300 701 801 or email qualifications.review@asqa.gov.au.