Agribusiness Training was last week ordered to repay $6.24m to the TEC after an investigation found it delivered fewer teaching hours than required by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) on five of its nationally-run programmes.
The business was placed in liquidation on October 21 and Iain Nellies of Insolvency Management said he understood about 1600 students were enrolled nationally but it was not known how many were studying courses found to have not been delivered as required by the NZQA.
TEC chief executive Tim Fowler said last week NZQA was confident student assessments were done correctly and the student qualifications were valid.
Last month the TEC ordered Taratahi to repay $7.5m after discovering it had enrolled tutors as students and enrolled some students full-time when they had completed their courses part-time.
In a statement, Fowler said that while monitoring was a core function of his organisation, providers were expected to meet commitments set out in their investment plan and annual performance indicators.
“We expect effective management to make sure this happens and effective governance oversight from boards.”
But he said the commission had no specific concerns about the agricultural training compliance.
Agribusiness Training was investigated after monitoring revealed concerns while the Taratahi investigation was prompted by allegations tutors were enrolled in low-level courses to make up student numbers.
Deloitte investigated and found discrepancies that in the case of Agribusiness Training involved two programmes, land-based skills and the certificate in horticultural industry practice, which significantly under-delivered in teaching hours.
On its website the company offers training in agriculture, apiculture, horticulture, equine and skills and safety as well as what it calls “short bites” of learning via seminars and vocational training for secondary school pupils.
“We expect effective management to make sure this happens and effective governance oversight from boards.”
Tim Fowler
Tertiary Education Commission
The $6.24m relates to the funding it received from 2009 to 2014 for courses that it under-delivered in teaching hours.
Fowler said being placed in liquidation could affect its ability to recover the funding.
The Companies Office lists Christopher William Fraser and William Garry Fraser, both from Invercargill, as directors of Agribusiness Training Ltd. William Garry Fraser and Helen Mary Fraser are listed as the two shareholders.
Both William and Chris Fraser were approached for comment but people who answered the respective phones said they would not talk to media and refused to pass on messages.
Dunedin-based liquidator Nellies said Agribusiness Training was the parent entity, which was accredited to NZQA and administered the funding for contracted training providers around the country.
