Man fined for issuing fake qualifications

A man who issued seven vocational education and training (VET) statements of attainment despite not being authorised to do so has been convicted and fined $3,000 in the ACT Magistrates Court.

In November 2015 Paul Purcell delivered a housekeeping training course as a pre-employment program to jobseekers in Canberra.

On 13 December 2015 Mr Purcell signed seven documents which purported to be VET statements of attainment for the SITHIND001A Develop & Update Hospitality Industry Knowledge and SITXOHS001A Follow Health Safety & Security Procedures units of competency.

Chief Commissioner of the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), Mark Paterson AO, said ASQA conducted an investigation in relation to the issuance of the statements of attainment following a complaint.

“ASQA’s investigation identified that Mr Purcell was not a registered training organisation (RTO) and the statements of attainment were not issued by him on behalf of a registered training organisation,” Mr Paterson said.

“This action is a clear contravention of section 128 of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 which exists to protect students from receiving fraudulent qualifications.”

Mr Purcell was summoned to appear before the court and on 22 September he pleaded guilty to all seven offences and was convicted and fined.

“As the national regulator for VET, ASQA will use the full range of powers available to it to protect leaners and ensure the qualifications they are issued for the nationally-recognised training they undertake are authentic,” Mr Paterson said.