1. Your personal and course details

You can check all of your account details and student records by logging into our Learner Portal using the login details sent to you upon enrolment. All students are requested to provide additional demographic information via the profile section of the Learner Portal after enrolling.

Although you are certainly not obliged to answer these questions, the information is also requested by the Department of Education and Training (DET) to assist the federal and state governments in Vocational Education and Training (VET) research.

To view the courses in which you are currently enrolled simply view your Learner Portal. Within your Learner Portal, you will be able to see all your course information, including the units, assessments and schedule for your course.

2. Enrolment period

A. Your enrolment period commences from your date of enrolment, i.e., the date that you initially paid for your course. Generally, Certificate IV-level courses have a 12-month enrolment period, and Diploma-level courses have an 18-month enrolment period unless otherwise specified on your course page*. There is an option to defer or pause your studies. Students may apply to defer their enrolment by up to three months by completing our deferment application form. Supporting documentation will be required and a deferral is granted at Plenty Training’s discretion. If a deferral is granted, students will not have access to their Learner Portal during the time of deferral. Students may apply to extend their enrolment on a month-by-month basis of up to six-months, for which extra fees apply. However, approval of any enrolment extension is solely at our discretion and course progress will be taken into consideration when granting an extension. Extensions must be requested and finalised within 30 days of the course expiry date, or re-enrolment fees will be applicable. An approved extension time will start from the original expiry date.

B. If you require longer time to complete your studies, beyond the allowable six-month extension time frame from the original expiry date, a new full course enrolment of six or 12 months for Certificate IV or 18 months for Diploma courses will apply, with full course fees due and payable. Any money paid at the time of original enrolment will not be applied to the new course enrolment, although we may offer you a returning-student discount. Any previously completed units may be applied to the new course enrolment providing they are deemed equivalent at the time of the new enrolment.

C. Students who wish to upgrade their enrolment to a different pathway may do so within the first three-months of their enrolment by paying the difference in course fee, but the original enrolment start date will remain the same. Students who wish to upgrade their course pathway after three months may use a portion of their paid fees towards a new course enrolment.

* Exceptions to this may occur if the qualification has been superseded, or where teach-out periods may apply as set by the training regulator and the training package.

3. Privacy Notice

Why we collect your personal information

As a registered training organisation (RTO) we collect your personal information so we can process and manage your enrolment in a vocational education and training (VET) course with us.

How we use your personal information

We use your personal information to enable us to deliver VET courses to you, and otherwise, as needed, to comply with our obligations as an RTO.

How we disclose your personal information

We are required by law (under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth) (NVETR Act)) to disclose the personal information we collect about you to the National VET Data Collection kept by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER). The NCVER is responsible for collecting, managing, analysing and communicating research and statistics about the Australian VET sector.

We are also authorised by law (under the NVETR Act) to disclose your personal information to the relevant state or territory training authority.

How the NCVER and other bodies handle your personal information

The NCVER will collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with the law, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and the NVETR Act. Your personal information may be used and disclosed by NCVER for purposes that include populating authenticated VET transcripts; administration of VET; facilitation of statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage; and understanding the VET market.

The NCVER is authorised to disclose information to the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), Commonwealth authorities, State and Territory authorities (other than registered training organisations) that deal with matters relating to VET and VET regulators for the purposes of those bodies, including to enable:

• administration of VET, including program administration, regulation, monitoring and evaluation
• facilitation of statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage
• understanding how the VET market operates, for policy, workforce planning and consumer information.

The NCVER may also disclose personal information to persons engaged by NCVER to conduct research on NCVER’s behalf.

The NCVER does not intend to disclose your personal information to any overseas recipients.

For more information about how the NCVER will handle your personal information please refer to the NCVER’s Privacy Policy at www.ncver.edu.au/privacy.

If you would like to seek access to or correct your information, in the first instance, please contact Plenty Training using the contact details listed below.

DESE is authorised by law, including the Privacy Act and the NVETR Act, to collect, use and disclose your personal information to fulfil specified functions and activities. For more information about how the DESE will handle your personal information, please refer to the DESE VET Privacy Notice at https://www.dese.gov.au/national-vet-data/vet-privacy-notice.

Surveys

You may receive a student survey which may be run by a government department or an NCVER employee, agent, third-party contractor or another authorised agency. Please note you may opt-out of the survey at the time of being contacted.

Contact information

At any time, you may contact Plenty Training to:

• request access to your personal information
• correct your personal information
• make a complaint about how your personal information has been handled
• ask a question about this Privacy Notice

Phone calls and recordings

All phone calls are recorded for quality and auditing purposes. If an individual does not wish to be recorded this can be requested at the commencement of the call.

Learner Portal Access

Students must not supply anyone else with access to their Learner Portal login details. If an enrolment is paid for by a third-party such as the student’s employer, the payer can be provided with updates on the student’s progression.

4. Confidentiality and privacy

Your privacy is respected and your personal information collected by us is protected by the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988. Your data will be used to enable us to provide you with the products you have requested, to inform you of other products you may be interested in, to assist with research and development of our product lines, to comply with regulatory requirements and reporting, and to maintain and develop our business systems and infrastructure. By downloading content such as information packs and entering your details on the website you agree to receive marketing and promotional materials such as emails and SMS relevant to your enquiry. You may review and modify your contact information at any time, including your correspondence preferences (in line with our terms and conditions), by emailing [email protected]. For general enquiries about our privacy policy, to be removed, or for any other website-related information, please contact us via plentytraining.edu.au/contact-us.

It is a condition of enrolment with us that you give us permission to respond to any third party (such as other RTOs) requesting confirmation of the authenticity of any certification (testamurs or Statements of Attainment) that we have issued to you. From October 2021, Plenty Training’s PDF and paper testamurs (i.e., the certificate that we issue you upon successful course completion) contain a QRCODE that allows independent parties to easily verify the authenticity of your certification online.  This includes verification of your name, the units you were awarded, the certificate number and date of issue.

Plenty Training may use third-party advertising tools (including Google marketing and similar advertising).  This means that information related to your web browsing behaviour may be collected while visiting our site, which later can be used by third-party vendors, including Google, for the purpose of showing Plenty Training advertising on sites across the Internet which have been approved in the display network.  You have the option to opt-out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting the Google advertising opt-out page.  Alternatively, you can opt-out of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.

Google Adwords Conversion Tracking: Plenty Training may utilise Google Adwords Conversion tracking to help us collect general usage statistics on how many site visitors have clicked on our Google ads and made an enquiry or purchase with us.  This may be tracked using cookies which do not contain any personal identifiable information and expire within 30 days.  For more information or to opt-out of this service, please refer to Google Advertising Policies and Principles.

Facebook advertising: Plenty Training utilises the Facebook lead ad platform where individuals are able to provide their personal details (such as email and phone number) if they are interested in one of our courses. By providing your details via this platform you are accepting our terms and conditions, and also provide Plenty Training with consent to send you promotional materials relevant to your enquiry. You can unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time.

Plenty Training lists its courses on education marketplace websites (example: www.training.com.au). By downloading content such as an information pack relating to a Plenty Training course and entering your details on our dedicated listing page you agree to receive marketing and promotional materials such as emails, SMS and phone calls.

Plenty Training may send you marketing information from time to time about alternative training courses that may interest you. By providing us with your details during an enquiry or enrolment into a Plenty Training course, you agree to receive these marketing and promotional materials.

5. Fees and charges

All fees and charges are fully disclosed at time of purchase and are available on each course page and on our miscellaneous fee page.

A. Payments: Payments may be made by credit card (MasterCard or Visa), via zipMoney payment plan, or by direct deposit. A student is not considered enrolled in a course and therefore not eligible for the issue of an award until the required fee is paid. Paper copies of certificates or statements of attainment are also available for a small administrative fee.  All fees and charges are in Australian dollars. Available payment methods are outlined below:

• Credit card (Mastercard or Visa): Credit card payments are available by phone or via our online enrolment process. If paying via credit card merchant fees are also payable (see section 17 for details).
• Direct deposit: Payments can be made by depositing funds into Plenty Training’s nominated bank account. The student’s invoice number and surname should be used as the payment reference.

Account name: Plenty Training
BSB number: 034 037
Account number: 302550

• zipMoney: Interest-free repayment plans are available via zipMoney. Information on these plans can be found at https://www.plentytraining.edu.au/zip-money-lifes-bigger-buys-over-1000. Students should read the full terms and conditions on this page and on https://zip.co/ before making a decision around whether this payment option is suitable for them.
• EzyPay payment plans: Low upfront payments via weekly instalments are available via Ezypay. Information on these plans can be found at https://www.plentytraining.edu.au/payment-plans/ . Students should read the full terms and conditions on this page and on https://www.ezypay.com/terms-policies before making a decision around whether this payment option is suitable for them.

B. Deposits and pre-paid fees: Deposits and pre-paid fees: Our student course deposit amounts are limited to $1,500, and we do not collect more than $1,500 per learner in prepaid fees.  (‘Prepaid fees’ means fees collected before the relevant services are provided.  ‘Relevant services’ include courses where all online or distance learning content is provided at the enrolment instance.) For learning programs or services with a fee in excess of $1,500, the initial $1,500 is payable at enrolment and the specified balance payments shall be made over one-to-two months. For example: if you enrol in a TAE40122 course for $3,990, your payments are $1,500 at enrolment, $1,245 at one month, and a final balance payment of $1,245 at two months.  Fees paid by a third-party (including ZipMoney) such as the student’s employer do not require an initial deposit, with the full course fee being payable upon enrolment.

For individual students, if you pay the initial fee using your credit card, you will receive an invoice for manual payment of your subsequent fees one month after your initial or interim payment. This invoice is due within seven days of receipt and must be paid by you to ensure ongoing access to your course materials. We will not issue you your testamur until the final balance payment has been received. If you fail to remit the balance payment on the due date:

• Your enrolment will be suspended until the balance is remitted. (This means that Plenty Training will not provide further training, assessment or support services to you until the balance is paid.)
• Your enrolment period expiration date remains unaffected by the suspension.

C. GST: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is exempt from most of our products and services under Australian Taxation Office rulings (including Goods and Services Tax Rulings GSTR 2000/27 and GSTR 2003/1).

D. Corporate clients: The booking terms for corporate clients are:

• Once dates are confirmed, a 25% deposit is required to place the corporate booking into our schedule, allocate trainers, order required resources and setup specific online courses. This amount is not refunded if the course or service is cancelled by the corporate client. The remaining 75% balance is required 30 days prior to commencement of the training. Self-paced training or online learning, paid for by a corporate client, must be paid in full prior to the commencement of the course.

E. Discounts:  Promotional discounts are available from time to time but do not apply to purchases using payment plans including the zipMoney or EzyPay facilities.

F. RPL: If you are undertaking any of our qualifications via RPL and you are unable to provide the required evidence for a specific unit in your qualification, you will be permitted to complete an assessment workbook for this unit via a self-paced training option. This one unit will be free of charge. If you have more than one unit in which you are deficient and you wish to complete your qualification, there is a fee payable of $375 per Certificate IV level units and $475 per Diploma level units to complete these units via our self-paced training option.

6. Refunds

A student or client requesting a refund must download, complete and submit our enrolment cancellation and refund application form. The following refund policy applies to all courses and products but is subject to any changes documented in the individual course webpage in which case the policy detailed in the course webpage takes precedence:

A. Refund policy – classes: For face-to-face and iClass+ workshops, a full refund of the course fee will be granted if requested within a seven-day cooling off period from the enrolment date. The seven-day cooling off period is available for these workshops if class sessions DO NOT commence within three weeks of the enrolment date. A 25% admin fee is payable if the class sessions commence within three weeks of the enrolment date. No refunds are available after the seven-day cooling off period. Allow up to four weeks for an approved refund request to be processed.

B. Refund policy – distance and online learning courses: You must read the course page, course brochures and/or student enrolment guides to ensure that you purchase the correct online course suitable to your situation. For online learning no refunds are available as these courses are made available for immediate download.

C. Refund policy – zipMoney purchases: Refunds are subject to the standard refund policy applicable to the pathway the student is enrolled in. Further information can be found in section 6A for classes and 6B for distance learning. Allow up to four weeks for an approved refund request to be processed. Note that refunds are processed directly back to your zipMoney account.

D. Refund policy – EzyPay payment plans: If you wish to cancel your enrolment, no refund of the initial upfront payment is available. Further information can be found in section 6A for classes and 6B for distance learning.

E. Refund policy – RPL kits: We will refund the price of your Plenty Training full RPL enrolment if we are unable to complete the RPL process, subject to the following:

• You must have downloaded, completed and submitted the associated RPL pre-eligibility application, and we must have confirmed your eligibility to undertake the RPL process. You must have truthfully answered all the questions prior to enrolment.
• A refund will be provided only if you are genuinely unable to provide suitable evidence, meaning you have made all reasonable efforts but are still incapable of obtaining or presenting the necessary evidence to complete the RPL process due to circumstances beyond your control.
• Refund claims must be made by following our standard course cancellation and refund policy and be done within six months of the original enrolment date.
• Claims will be refunded in the same manner in which the product was originally purchased. Allow up to four weeks for an approved refund request to be processed.

F. Services not provided: If Plenty Training is unable to fulfil its service agreement with a student, Plenty Training will offer a credit towards another course or product purchase or issue a full refund for any services not provided. The basis for determining “services not provided” is to be based on the units of competency attended by the student and which can be issued in a statement of attainment at the time the service is terminated or the cancellation of scheduled workshops.

G. Class transfers: If you are booked into a class and wish to change to another scheduled class the following transfer fees are applicable:

• Transfers requested more than four weeks ahead of class or session commencement incur no fee.
• Full course enrolment Swapping classes within four to one week of the session commencement incur a fee of 50% of the total Workshop price, classes within one week of session commencement are unable to be moved and will need to be rebooked at the full fee.

H. Refund policy – product purchases: There are no refunds available for product purchases. Product fees can be located on the fee schedule page of our website.

7. Our training facilities

A. Parking and public transport:  Details of the training venue, car parking facilities and public transport options will be emailed to you before the start of your training.  All of our training venues have nearby parking facilities.

B. Meals: Tea, coffee and water are usually available during your training, but vary from venue to venue.  Lunch is not provided, however several cafes and restaurants are near each of our training venues.

C. Training safety: We take safety seriously, and at the start of each course your trainer will outline all relevant safety considerations during your training with us.

D. Your feedback:  At the end of your course you will be invited to provide us with feedback on your training experience.  Please let us know everything we did well and – most importantly – what things can be improved.  Student feedback is a major contributor to our continuous improvement processes.

8. Assessments

‘Assessment’ is the process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whether a competency has been achieved. To be assessed as competent, you must provide sufficient evidence which demonstrates that you have the essential knowledge and skills to successfully complete the relevant unit to the required standard.

A. Assessment decisions: Our assessment decisions are based on your completed work as submitted in our assessment workbooks. This work must be:

• Valid: Our assessor must be assured that you have the skills, knowledge and attributes described in unit of competency and associated assessment requirements.
• Sufficient: Our assessor must be assured that the quality, quantity and relevance of your evidence enables a judgement to be made of your competency.
• Authentic: Our assessor must be assured that the presented evidence is your own work.
• Current: Our assessor must be assured that the assessment evidence demonstrates current competency. This requires the assessment evidence to be from the present or the very recent past, i.e., within the past couple of years.

B. Assessment attempts: Unless otherwise specified in the course brochure, three assessment attempts per unit are included in the course fee, after which an additional assessment fee may apply as detailed on our website.

C. Assessment returns: Unless otherwise specified on the course webpage, Certificate IV course assessment initial workbooks must be submitted within 12 months of having enrolled in the course, and Diploma course assessment initial workbooks must be submitted within 18 months of having enrolled in the course. Resubmissions must occur within 14 days of receiving feedback otherwise a course extension fee may be applied.

D. Assessment ownership: Because we are obligated under legislation to retain the evidence used as the basis of our assessment decisions, ownership of all assessment material submitted to us (including assessment workbooks and associated supporting evidence) transfers to us upon receipt of the material.

E. Version control: All assessment workbooks undergo periodic revision and the most recent versions are always available to download from your Learner Portal. You must submit all work using the most current version of the assessment workbooks and, unless otherwise noted, old versions are not accepted except in exceptional cases. However, almost everything you created in a previous version of a workbook will be transferable to the new / replacement workbook.

F. Assessment format: Your assessments will comprise of short-answer questions and completion of project work and practical tasks. Practical tasks must be witnessed by a qualified assessor. If you are attending a face-to-face class your trainer will observe you completing some of these practical tasks in the classroom. If you do not complete a practical assessment task during a face-to-face class your options include:

• Recording the video of you completing the assessment task in your real or simulated workplace, or
• If you have access to a qualified third-party assessor in your workplace, asking them to witness you completing the assessment task. Note: Third-party qualified assessors must also sign a statutory declaration (provided by us) attesting to what they witnessed and detailing their qualifications and experience.

9.  Student support

A. General support:  Student support over the duration of your enrolment occurs via weekly or fortnightly live / interactive study support sessions (refer to your Learner Portal for session dates and times), via our Adobe induction sessions, via our orientation sessions, one-on-one welcome calls, and via telephone and email support.

B. Managing individual needs:  During the enrolment process, Plenty Training personnel engage with prospective learners during first point of contact, via the enrolment form and during the enrolment interview.  This multipoint approach ensures that learners entering a training program with Plenty Training will have their individual needs identified, enabling the allocation and arrangement for applicable support services.  Anything requiring specialist support, equipment and training would be outside the services Plenty Training and would be at the expense of the student. Any support needs must be disclosed at enrolment to ensure an honest and correct assessment and subsequent guidance. Support services are available in the following categories:

• Pre-enrolment support to understand rights and obligations, fees and payment arrangements, and the services to be provided
• Recognised difficulties in studying and learning
• Work hours are restrictive which would prevent the student attending training during Monday to Friday
• Financial difficulties that prevent the full payment of fees
• Students with a disability or medical condition

C. Language, Literacy and Numeracy:  Our assessment material contains written documentation and may contain a requirement for numerical calculations.  We recognise that not all people are able to read, write and perform calculations to the same standards. When a Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) issue is identified, an LLN assessment will be provided to you. This may be in the form of verbal or written questioning.  We will endeavour to provide assistance if you are having difficulty with language, literacy or numeracy to accommodate your needs. In the event that your needs exceed the ability of our staff to assist, you will be referred to an external support agency so that you have the opportunity to obtain the skills required to complete the assessment services, however, any external support agency services would be at your cost.  External support agencies will usually be those listed on www.training.gov.au as having scope to deliver the Foundation Skills Training Package qualifications or similar accredited courses.

D. Digital literacy: Students are provided inductions and orientation sessions covering the use of Adobe Connect and aXcelerate as they are the primary platforms used during studies. Students are also provided bonus resources within their Learning Plan to assist with basic digital skills.

E. Your wellbeing: If you feel you are experiencing challenges that are impacting your mental health and wellbeing we encourage you to reach out for assistance.  Some organisations that offer confidential guidance and resources include:

• Beyond Blue information line: Beyond Blue has an information line that offers expert information on depression, how to recognise the signs of depression, how to get help, how to help someone else and how to stay well. Call 1300 224 636.
• Lifeline: Lifeline is a 24-hour telephone service that offers confidential support and advice to help you deal with stress and personal challenges. Call 13 11 14. Text 0477 131114. For more information visit www.lifeline.org.au.
• Black Dog Institute: They are not a crisis centre but integrate research studies, education programs, digital tools and apps, clinical services, and public resources to discover new solutions, foster connections and create real-world change. For more information visit www.blackdoginstitute.org.au.

F. Cost for additional support:  If this support attracts an additional cost to you, we will make this clear during our pre-enrolment interview.  For example, additional costs may be incurred in the following areas:

• External LLN support services;
• Assistive technology; and
• Translator services.

Note: Study support sessions are regularly scheduled and are free.

10. Access and equity

Plenty Training is committed to providing opportunities to all people regardless of their background. To assist in identifying any special learning needs, we ask that all students provide us with information regarding any special learning needs in your enrolment form, prior to the start of your training.  If you do have any learning difficulties you are encouraged to discuss these with your trainer prior to course commencement or during the course induction.  Students requiring special assistance are welcome in our classes but should note that they are responsible for providing any unique specialist support such as the provision of interpreters or additional equipment at their own cost.

11. Cheating

Cheating means to dishonestly present an assessment task or assessment activity as genuinely representing your own understanding of and/or ability in the subject concerned, or presenting a fraudulent document or item as part of the assessment process.  Some examples of cheating are submitting someone else’s work as your own; submitting another author’s work without proper acknowledgement of the author; allowing someone else to submit your work as theirs; or presenting a fraudulent document.  If evidence of cheating is established, you will be contacted and advised of the concerns with your submitted work and you will have an opportunity to respond to any allegations of cheating.  If it is established that you have engaged in cheating you will either be given a formal warning and asked to attend a re-assessment session (for which an additional assessment fee applies) or, if deemed a sufficiently serious breach, your enrolment will be terminated, for which all fees paid are forfeit and non-refundable.

12. Student conduct

In all dealings with staff and fellow students:

• Students must act appropriately. Examples of inappropriate behaviour include threats, insults or abuse; derogatory comments; offensive or obscene language; aggressive behaviour such as yelling; and any activity that disrupts the trainer’s management of the class or disrupts other students’ learning. This may also extend to the use of inappropriate language in emails, messages and voicemails.
  
• Students must not engage in discriminatory conduct. Discrimination is when a student treats another person less favourably than another because of gender, age, race, religion, marital status, disability, nationality, ethnicity, or national origin.
• Students must not engage in harassment.  Harassment is when a student engages in behaviour that is unwelcome or which offends, humiliates or intimidates. Examples of harassment include continued interruptions of a trainer; racist comments or jokes; spreading rumours; comments or jokes about a person’s disability, pregnancy, sexuality, age religion; threats, insults or abuse; or offensive or obscene language.
• Students must not engage in rude or disrespectful communication via email, phone calls and SMS.

Depending on the nature of the infraction, our staff may either (1) give a student a warning for any breach of these standards and any repeat of the breach constitutes grounds for terminating the student’s enrolment, for which all fees paid are forfeited and non-refundable, or (2) if we deem the breach sufficiently serious we may immediately terminate the student’s enrolment.

13. Certification

After you have been assessed as ‘Competent’ we will e-mail you a PDF copy of your qualification, record of results and/or statement of attainment. Qualifications, records of results and statements of attainment are issued in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework and all records of results are retained for a period of 30 years.  Requests for paper copies of qualifications or statements of attainment incur an additional small administrative fee as detailed on the website.

14. Complaints procedures

We have a fair and transparent process in place for handling complaints and appeals, and you are welcome to raise concerns with us about our programs.  Our Operations Manager or nominated representative is responsible for investigating the complaints or appeal; making the decision based on the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness (adopted at every stage of the complaint and appeal process); recording the outcome of the decision; and notifying the student of their decision.

A. Informal complaint:  The steps for an informal complaint are:

(1) The student shall communicate directly with our operational representative or submit a Student Resolution Form, i.e. the authorised administration team member, trainer or assessor who will make a decision.

(2) The team member shall ensure that the student is informed of their decision and record the outcome of the complaint verbally and in writing.

(3) Students who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint may then make a formal complaint.

B. Formal complaint:  A formal complaint can only be made after having first attempted resolution through an informal complaint.  The steps for a formal complaint are:

(1) The student shall complete all the details on the Student Resolution Form

Our aim is to work with you to find an amicable and realistic outcome for all concerned. Once we have received your completed Student Resolution Form, it will be addressed within five business days by an authorised Plenty Training staff member, and we will be in touch to clarify any information you have provided if required.

(2)  The Operations Manager will make a decision and record the outcome of the complaint.

(3) The Operations Manager will communicate their decision on the complaint to all parties in writing within five business days of having received the complaint. However, where we consider that more than five business days are required to process and finalise the complaint or appeal, we shall (a) inform you in writing, including reasons why more than five business days are required, and (b) regularly update you on the progress of the matter.

(4) If you are not satisfied with this decision, you may make an appeal as detailed below.

15. Appeals procedure

Our appeals process relates to your right to request a change to decisions that are usually in relation to academic matters.  In the case of an appeal against specific assessment decisions, you should first discuss the decision with your assessor and request re-evaluation. The assessor will hear your appeal, make a fair judgement to the best of their ability as to whether a change is required and then discuss their final decision with you.  If you are still dissatisfied with the assessor’s decision, you have the right to take the appeal to our Academic Manager.  Appeals must be lodged within 20 working days of the date when the decision or finding is informed to the student.  The notice of appeal should be in writing and addressed to [email protected] for referral to the Academic Manager. The Academic Manager is to review the appeal and make a determination in writing within 10 days of receiving the appeal. However, where we consider that more than 10 calendar days are required to process and finalise the complaint or appeal, we shall (a) inform you in writing, including reasons why more than 10 calendar days are required, and (b) regularly update you on the progress of the matter.

If the above complaints and appeals processes fail to resolve your complaint or appeal, you may request us to have the issue reviewed by an appropriate independent arbitrator.  We shall use the services of an independent arbitrator selected from the list of Queensland Law Society (QLS) Approved Arbitrators or other independent arbitration service of our choice.  We will provide you with a quote for the cost of this arbitration and you are responsible for providing us with 50% of the arbitrator’s fee for this service prior to the arbitration commencement.

16. Student records

All students are issued a user name and password upon enrolment. This provides access to our online administrative tools which allow you to update your personal records such as address and telephone number

17. Credit card payments

Our website uses the Westpac Bank and/or PayPal (“third parties”) gateways for the processing of all credit card transactions. When making payments via these facilities your credit card details are directly transacted with these third parties and Plenty Training does not, at any stage, have access to your credit card details.  In your dealings with the third parties, the session or data transfer is conducted using industry-standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. Credit card payments incur a merchant fee of 1.1% which will be payable in addition to the course fee when paying via credit card.

18. Liability

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in our website and in any proposal or marketing material provided by us to you, however, we accept no liability to any person or entity with respect to any inaccuracy, misleading information, loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in the aforesaid material. Changes and additions to the information contained on the Plenty Training site are made frequently.

19. Product liability

No warranties except those implied by law and which cannot be excluded are given by Plenty Training in respect of the materials and products supplied. Where it is lawful to do so, the liability of Plenty Training for a breach of a condition or warranty is limited to either the rectification or replacement of the materials or products or a refund of the purchase price paid for the materials or products (excluding any delivery charges), as determined by Plenty Training in its sole discretion. To the extent permitted by law, Plenty Training will not be liable for any consequential loss or damage suffered as a result of the use of materials or products supplied by Plenty Training.  It is a condition of sale of all products that the customer acknowledges and warrants that it has relied on its own skill and judgment or that of its professional advisers on the suitability of the materials or products for specific purposes and indemnifies Plenty Training from and against any suit, claim, demand or compensation which the customer or others may have against Plenty Systems Pty Ltd in relation to the materials or products provided to the customer and the customer’s use of the products or materials.

20. Product prices and availability

A. Prices: All prices are in Australian dollars, and all items should be currently available; however as the database is updated frequently, slight discrepancies may occasionally arise between product flyers and website data. ‘Available’ material is defined as items that can be generally supplied within 10 working days.

B. Promotional offers:  We reserve the right to withdraw any complementary promotions or offers which may be available at the time of sale without prior notice.

21. Merchant refunds

Credit card customers please note: a merchant fee of 1.1% is applied to any credit card payments and is applied per transaction. This 1.1% merchant fee is non-refundable should the student be eligible for a refund on their course fees.

22. Intellectual property, plagiarism and copyright infringement

Plenty Training has made a considerable investment in its intellectual property (IP) which includes its learner guides, assessment workbooks, overhead slides, website content, course guides and other material.  As a student or client of Plenty Training you are only authorised to use our IP for your personal reference and you are expressly prohibited from using our IP for any other activity including any commercial use (unless specifically authorised by us in writing).  You agree that your use of our IP without our permission constitutes a breach of contract and plagiarism and/or copyright infringement for which unliquidated damages shall be paid to Plenty Training being an amount not less than the enrolment fee of 50 students into the same course of study as you have entered or purchased (‘copyright infringement fee’).  Plenty Training agrees to provide a reward of one-third of the received copyright infringement fee to the first person providing proof of such plagiarism and/or copyright infringement to Plenty Training.

23. Student authenticity

We are obliged under the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 to ensure the authenticity of our students’ submitted assessment work.  You must agree to the following:

A. Photo identification: You must present a valid form of government-issued photo identification card (such as a driver’s license) for our trainer to review at the commencement of all face-to-face classes; and must include a paper or scanned copy of your government-issued photo identification when submitting any video recording of you undertaking an assessment task remotely.

B. Unique Student Identifier (USI):  The new Unique Student Identifier (USI) program was implemented by the Commonwealth in 2015.  As a nationally-recognised training provider, we may now issue qualifications and statements of attainment only to students who provide us with a valid USI.  Students must obtain their own USI from the government website at www.usi.gov.au and provide it to us.  The sole exception is an overseas student studying offshore and not having an Australian passport or visa.  (However, foreign students in Australia will need a USI, since all foreign students in Australia will have been issued with an Australian visa, which allows them to use their passport as proof of ID when creating their USI.)  It is a condition of enrolment with us that you give us permission to search for and verify your USI on the national register.

C. Self declarations:  All assessment workbooks include a declaration form attesting to the authenticity of your submitted work and evidence, and which must be signed by you electronically or by hand.

D. Third-party verification:  It is a condition of enrolment with us that you give us permission to verify with the issuing RTO the authenticity of all testamurs (i.e., certification) or statements of attainment, and any other documentation, that you provide to us as evidence.

E. Statutory declaration: All students must provide an executed statutory declaration attesting to the authenticity of their submitted work. Plenty Training will not assess any submitted work until a properly executed declaration is received.

24.  Recognition of existing qualifications & skills and knowledge

A. RPL:  All students are entitled to apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL) in a course or qualification in which they are currently enrolled.  You may apply for recognition at any time, but you are encouraged to apply before commencing your training program. This will reduce unnecessary training and may guide you down a more efficient path to competence. If you are currently enrolled in a course and would like to complete one or more units of competency via RPL, your initial application to complete these units via RPL is at no extra cost to you. There will be an added per unit cost for all subsequent applications for RPL that you request to undertake. (RPL charges are detailed in our miscellaneous fees page.)  Recognition may only be awarded for whole units of competency.  If you believe that you are eligible for RPL, please visit our RPL page and submit the relevant RPL kit.

B. Credit for previous study:  You are eligible for credit for study in units of competence that you have previously successfully completed. You will then be exempt from having to repeat this unit.  We accept and provide credit to learners for units of competency and/or modules (unless licensing or regulatory requirements prevent this) where these are evidenced by (1) AQF certification documentation issued by any other RTO or AQF authorised issuing organisation, or (2) authenticated VET transcripts issued by the Registrar.

25. Gift certificates

What better gift than that of education?  Gift certificates are provided digitally and can be purchased over the telephone. Restrictions:  (1) Gift certificates may only be redeemed via telephone; (2) Gift certificates may only be used once and thereafter the certificate becomes void and cancelled; (3) Gift certificates may not be used in conjunction with other certificates or vouchers, nor with any other promotion or discount offered by Plenty Training and its associates from time to time; (4) Gift certificates must be redeemed within 12 months from the issue date recorded on the face of the certificate or, if no date has been recorded, by 31 December in the year of issue; and (5) Gift certificates may not be redeemed directly or indirectly for cash.

26. Consumer Rights

As a consumer, you are protected by Australia’s national consumer law under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Our business supplies services that are guaranteed under the Act, including a guarantee that our services will be: (1) provided with due care and skill; (2) fit for any specified purpose; and (3) provided within a reasonable time (when no time is set).  If you deem our services fail to meet one of these guarantees you have a right to seek a remedy.  No ‘cooling-off’ period applies to our products and services since we do not employ telemarketing or door-to-door sales.  (Note:  A cooling-off period is a safeguard designed to give consumers the opportunity to change their minds about a purchase or agreement they have made. You only have a right to a cooling-off period when you purchase goods or services through telemarketing or door-to-door sales.)  For further information on your rights under this legislation please visit the ACCC website at www.accc.gov.au.

27. Assignment

Plenty Training reserves the right to engage one or more third-party training providers to provide some or all of the training product or service purchased by the student or (in Plenty Training’s absolute determination) to provide the same or a comparable training product or service.  At time of publishing, we do not partner with any third parties for the provision of academic, recruitment or other services on our behalf.

28. Modifications to these terms and conditions

Plenty Training may occasionally modify these terms and conditions as it deems necessary at its sole discretion, and shall promptly inform all enrolled students of any changes impacting their studies.

29. Enrolment cancellation, termination or refusal

Plenty Training reserves the right to:
A. Decline an initial student enrolment or re-enrolment for any reason at its sole discretion.
B. Cancel or terminate the enrolment of any student for any reason not covered within these terms and conditions, in which case a full refund of all fees paid shall be remitted to the student.

30. Force majeure

A. Plenty Training is not responsible for any failure to perform its obligations under this agreement if it is prevented from, or delayed in, performing those obligations as a result of unforeseen circumstances beyond its control, including the delivery of training or other services at published dates and locations (“force majeure”).  An event of force majeure is an event or circumstance which is beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of Plenty Training and which by the exercise of reasonable diligence Plenty Training was unable to prevent, provided that event or circumstance is limited to the following:

(i) Riot, war, invasion, act of foreign enemies, hostilities (whether war be declared or not), acts of terrorism, civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection of military or usurped power, requisition or compulsory acquisition by any governmental or competent authority, or criminal activity by a third party;

(ii) A change in the law rendering performance illegal;

(iii) strikes or industrial disputes at a national level, or strikes or industrial disputes by labour not employed by the affected party, its sub-contractors or its suppliers, and which affect an essential portion of the works, but excluding any industrial dispute which is specific to the performance of the works or this contract;

(iv) ionising radiation or contamination, radioactivity from any nuclear fuel or nuclear waste from the combustion of nuclear fuel, radioactive toxic explosive or other hazardous properties of any explosive assembly or nuclear component;

(v) pressure waves caused by aircraft or other aerial devices travelling at sonic or supersonic speeds;

(vi) earthquake, flood, fire or other physical natural disaster; or

(vii) pestilence, epidemic, sickness, injury or death affecting an officer, employee, subcontractor or supplier of Plenty Training.

B. Where there is an event of force majeure:

(i) Plenty Training will notify you, giving particulars of the event of force majeure and the reasons for the event of force majeure preventing Plenty Training from, or delaying Plenty Training in, performing its obligations under this contract

(ii) Plenty Training will use its reasonable efforts to mitigate the effect of the event of force majeure upon its performance of the contract and to fulfil its obligations under the contract including, at Plenty Training’s sole option, to reschedule the training at the next available opportunity or to provide a comparable product or service in lieu.

C. Upon completion of the event of force majeure, Plenty Training will, as soon as reasonably practicable, recommence the performance of its obligations under this contract. Plenty Training may, at its sole option, provide a revised programme rescheduling the delivery of the services or products to minimise the effects of the prevention or delay caused by the event of force majeure.

D. Plenty Training has no liability for:

(i) any costs, losses, expenses, damages or the payment of any part of the contract price during an event of force majeure; and

(ii) any delay costs in any way incurred due to an event of force majeure.

31. Testamur verifications

Requests for verification of qualifications should be sent to [email protected] and all requests are to include a copy of the qualification for authenticity purposes.