A COLLEGE with a campus in Frankston has been criticised over its marketing practices in a Senate inquiry into the funding and management of vocational education and training (VET) providers and by an education sector regulator. The Senate inquiry report released this month named Evocca College as one of several registered training organisations (RTOs) across Australia to face accusations of targeting vulnerable students with little or no chance of completing courses to boost enrolment numbers and hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of profits. Evocca denied the allegations in submissions to the inquiry. The inquiry found evidence of “rampant abuse”…
Day: October 27, 2015
MEMBERS of a Somers yoga class are hoping to convince Environment Minister and Flinders MP Greg Hunt to overturn his decision to approve a massive coal mine in central Queensland. On Monday they joined the list of groups and organisations that have used Mr Hunt’s office as a focus for their protests against the federal government and, in particular, its environmental policies. Last week it was protesters dressed as angels climbing onto the roof of the office and before that deliveries of bags of coal. In May, police arrested leaders of a group of Christians occupying Mr Hunt’s offices in protest at…
THE search is on again for the next Miss Western Port. The pageant is open to young women aged 15-28 in the Western Port area wanting to gain self-confidence and become actively involved in the community to make a difference to the lives of others. At this stage there are six contesting the 2016 crown – and all have sponsors from local businesses. Preliminary judging will be held in January and the winner will be crowned on the main stage at the Western Port Festival, Saturday 20 February. Candidates are judged on their community involvement, confidence, poise and grace. This…
THE former Annie Sage centre in Blacks Camp Rd, Somerville, will be refurbished as the new home of Somerville Community House. This follows a $270,000 grant from the state government’s Interface Growth Fund. The mayor Cr Bev Colomb said the Mornington Peninsula Shire was thrilled to receive funding for the project that will help create a real community hub for the town. “Mornington Peninsula Shire Council appreciates the state government’s funding support,” she said. “The Interface Growth Fund is supporting real contributions to communities of interface councils – councils like the Mornington Peninsula that are just on the outside of…
FIVE fire brigades, Sorrento SES and Ambulance Victoria paramedics combined for the complex rescue of a stranded paraglider at Flinders on Sunday last week. Rescue services were called to the cliff face at Flinders Golf Course about 5.20pm after a man in his early 50s became entangled in a dead tree. He was initially supported by other paragliders near the popular jumping-off point before Flinders CFA members arrived. They were followed by fireys from Shoreham, Rosebud and Dandenong brigades, including the latter’s “high angle rescue team”, and the SES and paramedics. It took almost three hours to stabilise the man…