The director stated, “Our billing fell behind for the first time in 12 years with Google on 14 September 2022”.
Leading training provider Inspire Education has fallen into liquidation with students left wondering what’s going to happen with their courses.
According to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), a liquidator has officially been appointed to the Brisbane based RTO.
“Notice is given that at a general meeting of the member of the Company held on 12 October 2022, it was resolved that the Company be wound up and that Lee Crosthwaite be appointed liquidators,” the statement said.
Inspire renewed their training registration in January this year and according to the regulator their company is still registered as providing services. Their ABN is also still active.
Representatives from Worrells, the liquidation business now handling the affairs, said the business owes approximately $1.2 million.
“Inspire Education’s creditors are primarily online marketing and advertising businesses owed approximately $1.2m (representing the last three months only), a Philippines-based services company owed approximately $558k, related entities and loans totalling $535k, and a relatively small quantum of ongoing current account trade suppliers,” they said.
Inspire Education has roughly 13,000 students nationwide and had 40 staff who were given their notice to leave and pay entitlements late last week.
Liquidator to the case, Lee Crosthwaite said that “it’s an incredible shame” that this has happened.
“We’ve got a dedicated team to assist the students who are understandably in a distressing position and who largely paid their fees on an upfront basis,” he said.
“Worrells is obtaining all relevant information to assess the company’s liability in respect of course refunds.”
“Avenues are also being explored with other RTOs and the regulator for vocation education and training, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), for any student assistance available and guidance on their studies and course status.”
Attempts to contact Inspire have been unsuccessful, when NewsCop called their office we were met with a voice message.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, our website, phones, and email are unavailable at this time. We will endeavour to provide an update as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience,” the message said.
However we did manage to talk to one of their students.
Maria had been studying a Diploma in Community Services with Inspire Education since April this year and said she found out about the liquidation via a friend of hers who was also in the course.
“I actually received a message on messenger from one of the other students,” she said.
“And they were like ‘hey did you see that email?’ and I said, ‘I didn’t receive anything’.
“So myself personally and a lot of other students have not received anything.
“We just found out from other people.
“I’m furious.”
Maria says she’s incredibly angry because it’s her education that’s been messed around.
“It’s not like I got into a scam to buy shoes online and they got my money, that would be nothing.
“We’re talking about the work that we all put in and the stress because there was no support.
“You can’t find any webinars to attend, I had also booked a call on Friday for the trainer to call me at 3:45 which never happened.”
Going forward, Maria is hoping for a refund and says she doesn’t “care for apologies” because “people don’t mean that”.
“I feel like I was scammed… give people 10 days’ notice prior to let us know that you’re closing,” she said.
“I had two assessments that I had uploaded that didn’t even get marked, so I can’t get the credits for the course.
“It feels like I’ve wasted so much time.”
OMG!!
This liquidation will devastate my wife and don’t know how to tell her.
She is working and was going to complete her two-year Diploma in Childcare course by 13th Nov 2022.
Her subjects are either completed or waiting to be assessed.
What options does she have? Can she get credit for 90 to 95% of completed subjects?
Saw this and was devasted.
I hope they will find another company to pick up the courses so we can complete them.
I’m in the same boat! I had submitted everything and was waiting for my results. I was wondering why they hadn’t replied to my messages in the hub that I sent 10 days ago. I just want to cry. All that time and money wasted. I wish they would tell us what’s going to happen to the students.
Really disappointing news.
I was studying Diploma in Early Childhood Education and was about to submit my last workbook .Struggled a lot to reach up to here with my two small kids and working too.
When I check my USI to view the transcript, they haven’t updated the subjects I completed from last December onwards.Have anyone of you checked your USI?
Nothing on my USI either which means I can’t even enrol at another facility as I can’t prove my work. I was just waiting on a few subjects to be assessed and then I as finished!
Heart breaking news! I know there are plenty of us out there that are feeling as though we have wasted countless hours on our subjects. The money wasted is a major issue yes, but the amount of time and effort put into this course is the worst thing for sure! People who study a Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) would understand the pain of doing the large amount of Role Plays needed in each subject. I submitted around 10 role plays 2 weeks ago which involved getting family members together from all over the East Coast of Australia. These role-plays were between 30-90 minutes long. I cannot imagine re doing these assessments!! I really hope we all receive answers soon as I am beyond stressed about this. I had just organised to get my friends and family to come down the coast (3 hours drive) to record my next role-play and our plans have shifted so much to make this happen. I really hope someone pulls through and lends us a hand !!
After crying most of yesterday, picked myself up today and hoping transcripts will be transferred over. I was awaiting the results for my two last subjects and was even celebrating last weekend being so close to the end. What a slap in the face.
Absolutely devastated !
Cannot imagine re doing and researching again for assessment tasks. The course is done autonomously and all research is ours alone – as students . The hours put in, the nights staying awake , the time invested .All that money and time ! This is unacceptable .Gathering RPL, proving work experience , the energy put into this – all wasted . One year Certificate iv Course.
All my tasks have been done and was ready to hit “submit” next week!
As students we need to be assessed on what we have done and given our CERTIFICATES regardless of their liquidation and the duration of the course . Their irresponsibility is NOT our problem.It should not impact a students /clients education, wallet or future negatively. We as students should not be subject to being disadvantaged over the organisations mishandling of matters.
Devastated .
Sydney, NSW
I am in same situation on the 12/10/22 I submitted my final workbook after 140hrs of unpaid work placement to complete the course and now there’s no one to mark it and I will receive no credits for completed units as every unit needed to be demonstrated in my work placement. I’ve wasted 9 months of my time invested money on myself which could have gone towards my family and sacrificed time with my children to complete these studies for what feels like absolutely nothing! I truly hope someone can help students complete their submitted courses Id be happy to pay another RTO to simply mark my work to get my qulification!
My name is Anthony Bates,
I had paid my fees upfront on 27 September 2022 to start the Certificate IV in TAE on 01 November 2022. Before I paid, I asked Kenneth Madrigal, if this company was at risk of going out of business. Take a look at the response:
Hi, Anthony!
I want to assure you we are a registered training organization recognized by the Australian Skills Quality Authority. Youmay confi rm this by visitingthe national register at https://training.gov.au/Organisation/Details/32067. We were actuallyrecently audited, and we were granted registration until January 2029. We’re not going out of business anytime soon,don’t worry. And we plan to continue even beyond 2029.
They kept promising discounted studies, so I decided to take the course. They probably knew that they were going down the tubes and wanted to suck as much money off of customers before this occurred. This is outright robbery. Even if they pay their staff, they should not have been taking enrolments. I paid 990 AU up-front for these studies, only to be told about the liquidation about two weeks later, with no promise of a refund.
I am in the same situation about to finish my Diploma in early childhood education and care, after being five years in the course and paid so many extensions and spend hours of hard works to complete studies along with super busy family life .Nowdays I am very anxious and rushing to finish my diploma before 27 oct and I have submitted all my work except skills workbook which I am doing right now and will submitt it before due date but I received this unforuntate email that left me helpless and devastated .No answers from INSPIRE that what will happen to our studies whether we will be able to get certicate of completion or not?
This is really heartbreaking. Maybe there were management issues? I feel for those staff that have lost their jobs, their families. No one wants this to happen.
Beware of 360 RTO Solutions as well. Run by the same people.
Thanks John, I was very worried about studying again because of this but I have and choose ACCLM.
Worrells sent an email yesterday 5/11/22 saying that the USI transcripts have been updated. That is a nope and it is still unavailable and I would like to RPL the work I’ve done. This is just unfair to all the students involved. I am so mad. Thoughts people??