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Jessica Darnbrough
The Diploma course should be challenging and not completed within a matter of days, one stakeholder has said.
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In an open letter, Intellitrain chief executive Paul Eldridge said nothing worthwhile is gained easily, as such, brokers should be spending weeks completing their Diploma, not days.
“On one forum recently, a broker commented that he had paid $700 to attend a one day Diploma upgrade and lamented the fact that he didn't learn anything. With all due respect to that individual, no wonder you didn't learn anything - you didn't attend a course, you just swapped $700 for a piece of paper,” Mr Eldridge said.
“The Diploma should be hard, it should be challenging.
“The industry may need to rethink its approach to formal training. If a broker is told "just go and get the piece of paper", then the qualification is being treated as a commodity.”
Mr Eldridge said the Diploma requirements will vary from RTO to RTO.
“Not all Diplomas are equal,” he said.
“Some RTOs are trying to deliver 10 units of a Diploma upgrade in 2 days, which appears to be more in the interests of reducing delivery costs to the RTO and appeasing those students who simply want the piece of paper rather than focusing on the actual intention of education.”
Mr Eldridge said the Diploma should not be about swapping the minimal amount of cash possible for a piece of paper.
Instead, he said the Diploma course should help brokers diversifying their business to reduce reliance on just home loans; learn how to run a business; and learn how to become a finance coach for their clients.
“These skills should be taught over a period of time with the broker learning how to successfully implement them in their business. Intellitrain has invested nearly $200,000 in development costs for the new Diploma. We do not deliver the whole course in 3 days. Our students complete some units online, some via self-study plus there is a 3 day facilitated workshop,” he said.
“The goal we have for our students is that they learn how to build sustainable businesses and earn more revenue. We won't be the cheapest or fastest option, and our student's will not all sit around and complete assessment tasks together.
“Our students will find that aspects of the program challenge them. When they achieve competency, they will have attained new skills allowing them to earn more money which is what this Diploma program should be about.”
