Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy Key Details
Critical Consent Information Tied to your Enrolment

• Collection of Personal Information - Privacy Act

  1.1 Most personal information is provided to ACCM College by students enrolling in a course with the College, by an “Electronic/On-line Enrolment Form. Personal information is also collected when a student or client completes a survey, questionnaire or application form, and when prospective students and clients make enquiries about our services.

  1.2 Generally, you are not obligated to provide any information requested by ACCM College that you do not wish to provide, except where it is needed by ACCM College to facilitate your enrolment and other compliance obligations.

  a) If you choose to apply to enrol into an accredited course with ACCM College then you must provide the personal and statistical information requested on the Enrolment Form. If you do not provide this information accurately, including your official name and matching data such as your date of birth, your enrolment cannot proceed and any enrolment fees will be refunded, less the Administration Fee.

  b) You must also provide ACCM College with your Unique Student Identifier which matches your official name and your date of birth. If a matching USI is not provided, you cannot be issued a Statement of Attainment or Testamur, and your enrolment may be cancelled with any applicable fee refund being subject to the Administration Fee.

  c) If you are applying to enrol into a non-accredited course, you will need to provide your official name and other suitable matching data such as your date of birth.  If you are unable to provide this information, your application to enrol cannot proceed and your course fees will be refunded, less the Administration Fee.

  d) Sufficient information/documentation referred to above is needed to verify your identify satisfactorily. This is because, as a provider of nationally recognised qualifications, ACCM College has obligations to determine your identity, eligibility to any funded courses and obtain appropriate contact details to enable the provision of our student support services, and in respect to non-accredited courses to issue a Statement of Participation.

  1.3 In respect of the Website, information may also be automatically collected through the use of a 'cookie'.

  Cookies are used on the Website to remember your login details, to track web traffic on an aggregate basis and to keep session information to assist your use of the Website, such as your last search (however this information is disposed of every time you close your web browser).

  ACCM College may use the information contained in Cookies to make assumptions about you and to provide you with focused course information that ACCM College believes may be of interest to you.

  Cookies and tracking may also be placed on our website at the request of training authorities for the purposes of tracking if people come to the ACCM website as a result of visiting their website or viewing their marketing activities.

  You may configure your browser so that you are notified before a Cookie is downloaded or so that your browser does not accept Cookies. However, Cookies allow you to take full advantage of the Website and we recommend that you leave them turned on.

  1.4 Where information is needed to facilitate your employment or school related enrolment  eg a traineeship or employer funded program or school based traineeship, ACCM College will request this information from your employer. Group Training Company. host employer or apprenticeship centre or school. You consent to those parties providing ACCM College with that information.

• Use and Disclosure of Personal Information - Privacy Act

  2.1 ACCM College may use information collected from you to:

  (a) Provide you with information about suitable and similar courses.

  (b) Personalise and customise your experience on the Website and Webclass.

  (c) Communicate with you in order to support your enrolment and business relationship or respond to any queries you may have. 

  (d) Give you the opportunity, from time to time, to receive information about ACCM College news, events, promotions, competitions or services such as emails or 'e-newsletters'. You will of course be able to unsubscribe from such communications.

  (e) Facilitate the administration of your student records, including confirming and sharing information with government agencies (eg for funded and unfunded programs), employers (for employer programs), Australian apprenticeship network providers (for traineeship programs) and also verifying authenticity of any qualifications purported to be issued by ACCM College.

  (f) Facilitate the provision of information to government agencies to assist them in determining the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns for funded training programs.

  2.2 ACCM College does not sell either student or client information to third parties.

  2.3 Student and prospective student information will not be provided to anyone unless ACCM College has permission from the student, or is specifically allowed or required to provide the information by law.

  In providing your consent to this Privacy Policy at Enrolment you are agreeing to the provision of your personal information and sensitive personal information to the following parties where required:

  • Commonwealth and State Departments of Education (State Training Authorities)
  • Employers where the student is a Trainee or the employer has paid for their course
  • Apprenticeship Centres where the student is a Trainee
  • ASQA the National RTO Registering Body
  • The National Centre for Vocational Research (NCVER)
  • Student Identifiers Registrar - The Unique Student Identifier Registry (USI)
  • Third party providers such as ANZ and Ezidebit to process credit card and direct debit information
  • Collections agents in the event of outstanding payments;
  • A Tuition Assurance Scheme
  • Authorised surveying agencies as appointed or undertaken by any of these bodies
  • Where we have no current contact details with a student or are getting no response and make efforts to trace their contact details by other reasonable means
  • Where the student has approved it eg an authorisation to release details included in an Enrolment Form that authorises access
  • Where the disclosure is reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law or of a law imposing a pecuniary penalty, or for the protection of the public revenue
  • Where we believe on reasonable grounds that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of the student or of another person.

  ACCM College will maintain records of the provision of any such information.

  2.4 ACCM College will ensure that a party provided the personal information has in place equivalent privacy policies and procedures that will prevent unauthorised use or disclosure of information and they will not use or disclose the information for a purpose other than the purpose for which the information was given to that party. 

  2.5 All employer information obtained will be treated as “commercial in confidence” whether so marked or not. This means it will not be revealed to others without the employer’s permission.

  2.6 To protect the integrity of nationally recognised qualifications ACCM College will confirm the authenticity of any ACCM College Qualification Testamurs and Statements of Attainment purported to be issued by ACCM College without the permission of the student named on that qualification.

  2.7 The timing of phone and other interactions with students and clients will be stored, along with brief notes on the discussion points. Recording of the content of such interactions may however only be conducted for training purposes, and only with the express permission of the person being recorded.

• Access to your Personal Information - Privacy Act

  3.1 ACCM College will confirm to students and clients the Enrolment data and personal information that it has collected. Any errors will be corrected once notified.

  3.2 Students may access all their records at any time by simply logging on to Webclass. For information not available on Webclass they can simply ask for copies of what they require. Fees (at cost recovery for time involved based on current published fee rate) may apply.

  3.3 If you request that ACCM College stop using your information and stop contacting you, ACCM College will comply with that request, except where you are a student enrolled under a government funded course, and such contact is a contract requirement; or where in the view of the ACCM College that this contact is necessary to progress course completion.

• Data Security, Records and Staff Training - The Privacy Act

  4.1 ACCM College protects the personal information which it holds from misuse, loss or unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by various means including firewalls, virus protection, strong password access, and secure servers.

  4.2 ACCM College On-line Enrolment uses TLS v1.2 (RSA Public Key 2048 Bits) software which encrypts information you input when you enrol on-line and the Payment Page uses encryption of credit card transactions.

  4.3 ACCM College will maintain procedural documents setting out:

  • The nature of the records of personal information kept
  • The purpose for which each type of record is kept
  • The classes of individuals about whom records are kept
  • The period for which each type of record is kept
  • The persons who are entitled to have access to personal information contained in the records and the conditions under which they are entitled to have that access
  • The steps that should be taken by persons wishing to obtain access to that information.

   

  4.4 The College will ensure that its staff are suitably trained in relation to Privacy laws and the College obligations, Policy and procedures.

   4.5 Any hard copy records that are no longer required are shredded in-house or securely destroyed using a reputable document security destruction facility.

• GreenID Verification and Consent to use the Document Verification Services (DVS)

  Privacy Policy – Use of the Document Verification Service (DVS)

   

  How We Use the Document Verification Service (DVS)

  We use the Australian Government’s Document Verification Service (DVS), accessed through an approved Gateway Service Provider, to verify the authenticity of identity documents you provide to us.

  We use the DVS solely to:

  • confirm whether the information on your identity document matches the records held by the relevant government agency (known as a “match/no match” check), and
  • help ensure that identity fraud is prevented and that you are who you claim to be when accessing our services.

  We do not:

  • access government databases directly,
  • receive or store any government-held source records, or
  • use your identification information for marketing, profiling, or any unrelated purpose.

  We only receive a simple verification response (e.g., match, no match, or unable to verify) from our Gateway Service Provider, GreenID

   

  Our Legal Obligations When Collecting Identification Information

  When we collect identification information for the purpose of DVS verification, we do so in accordance with:

  • the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs),
  • the Identity Verification Services Act 2023,
  • the DVS Framework and any conditions set by the Framework Administrator (Attorney-General’s Department), and
  • our contractual obligations with our Gateway Service Provider., GreenID

  Under these obligations, we must:

  • collect only the minimum identification information needed for verification;
  • obtain your consent before using the DVS;
  • ensure the secure transmission, handling, and storage of your information;
  • ensure information is not used for any secondary or unrelated purpose;
  • retain identification information only as required by law or operational necessity; and
  • notify the DVS Framework Administrator of certain privacy or security breaches

   

  Your Rights in Relation to the Collection of Identification Information

  You have the following rights when we collect identification information for DVS verification:

  • Right to be informed – You are entitled to know why we are collecting your identification information, how it will be used, and with whom it will be shared.
  • Right to provide or withhold consent – You may choose whether to consent to DVS verification.
  • Right to access your personal information – You may request access to the identification information we hold about you.
  • Right to request correction – You may ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information we hold.
  • Right to complain – You may make a complaint about how we handle your identification information.

  We respond to all access or correction requests in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.

   

  Consequences of Withholding Consent and Alternatives to DVS Verification

   

  Use of GreenID is optional.  It is offered for your convenience and security.

  If you do not wish to use GreenID, you may opt out and request an alternative method of identity verification, such as:

  • Manual submission of your actual ID documents via email
  • In-person presentation of original documents
  • Certified copies via post
  • Other manual verification procedures
  • Alternative documentation or processes, where permitted by law.

  We will advise you of any available alternatives at the time you decline consent.

   

  How to Make Complaints or raise concerns about Our Collection or Use of Identification Information

  If you have concerns about how we collect, use, or disclose your identification information for DVS purposes, you may contact us directly:

  • ACCM College Privacy Officer
  • Email: ceo@accm.edu.au
  • Phone: 02 4225 9881
  • Address: Unit 8, 36-42 Auburn Street, Wollongong NSW 2500

  If you are not satisfied with our response, you may raise your complaint with the following external bodies:

  Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

  For complaints about privacy and the handling of personal information:

  • Website: oaic.gov.au
  • Phone: 1300 363 992

   

  DVS Framework Administrator (Attorney-General’s Department)

  For matters concerning the operation or governance of the Document Verification Service:

  Email: DVS.Manager@ag.gov.au

  We will cooperate with any investigation or inquiry conducted by the OAIC or the DVS Framework Administrator.

   

  Privacy Consent Statement as related to GreenID and the DVS

  During the onboarding process, all students will be asked to verify their ID via our GreenId provider, who will in turn access the Document Verification Service (DVS) managed by the government.

  All students must consent to their information being processed by GreenID prior to proceeding.

  ACCM utilises the “model consent statement” recommended by the DVS Framework Administrator.

  “I confirm that I am authorised to provide the personal details presented and I consent to my information being checked with the document issuer or official record holder via third party systems for the purpose of confirming my identity.”

  The Privacy Statement referenced during the online enrolment process states:

   

  Privacy Statement – Identity Verification via GreenID

  ACCM College is required to verify your identity before providing our services to meet government requirements.

  We are also committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring our compliance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988.

  We have determined using GreenID, an identity verification service provided by GBG (GreenID Pty Ltd), is the most suitable process to confirm your identity securely and efficiently.

   

  What Information Is Required

  To verify your identity, ACCM College must ensure the validity of the following information:

  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Residential address
  • Government-issued ID details (e.g. driver licence, passport, Medicare card)

   

  How Your Information is Used

  Your personal information is collected via GreenID’s secure website application and used solely for the purpose of verifying your identity.

  GreenID will cross-check your information with official records and third-party databases (such as government agencies or credit bureaus) in accordance with Australian privacy laws.

  ACCM College is only provided a verification notification that your details are correct, which allows us to meet our government identify verification requirements.

  At no time does ACCM College see or retain your government ID information in the verification process.

   

  Data Security and Retention

  Your personal information is protected by GreenID’s technical and organisational security measures in compliance with Australian privacy standards.

  GreenID retains personal information only as long as necessary to complete the identity verification process or as required by law.

  GreenID will not sell, rent, or otherwise disclose your personal information to other third parties accept as required by law.

  At no time does ACCM College see or retain your government ID information in the verification process.

   

  Your Right to Decline (Opt Out)

  Use of GreenID is optional.  It is offered for your convenience and security.

  If you do not wish to use GreenID, you may opt out and request an alternative method of identity verification, such as:

  • Manual submission of your actual ID documents via email
  • In-person presentation of original documents
  • Certified copies via post
  • Other manual verification procedures

  To opt out or arrange alternative verification: Click Here

   

  Further Information

  For more on how ACCM College handles your personal information, please refer to our Privacy Policy (https://accm.edu.au/our-college/policies/privacy/).

  For information on GreenID’s privacy practices, visit: https://www.gbgplc.com/en/legal-and-regulatory/privacy-policy/

  By continuing, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as outlined above.

• NSW Smart and Skilled Consent to Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

  NSW Smart and Skilled Privacy Consent: 

  By ticking the authorisation box about agreeing to these terms in the Authorisation to Enrol, or by, at any time, verbally or in writing requesting Smart and Skilled subsidised training you agree to the following consent for the use and disclosure of personal information.

  CONSENT TO USE AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

  As part of your enrolment process you will tick a box in the Authorisation to Enrol section that indicates you have read the applicable terms and conditions.

  Your agreement to the following consent statement is mandated by the NSW State government as part of your enrolment process. 

  Your name, address and date of birth will be digitally recorded in your Enrolment Form to show that you have agreed to the applicable terms and conditions.

  Please read the below carefully, as it pertains to how your personal information may be used and disclosed.

  This information has been drawn directly (word for word), from the NSW Operating Guidelines as required by our Smart and Skilled contract.

  Consent to Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

  You understand and agree that, under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Data Provision Requirements) Instrument 2020, The Australian College of Commerce and Management is required to collect personal information (information or an opinion about me), collected from me, my parent or guardian, such as my name, Unique Student Identifier, date of birth, contact details, training outcomes and performance, sensitive personal information (including my ethnicity or health information) and other enrolment and training activity-related information (together Personal Information) and disclose that Personal Information to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER).

  My Personal Information (including the personal information contained on my enrolment form and my training activity data) may be used or disclosed by The Australian College of Commerce and Management for statistical, regulatory and research purposes. The Australian College of Commerce and Management may disclose my personal information for these purposes to third parties, including:

  • School - if I am a secondary student undertaking VET, including a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship;
  • Employer – if I am enrolled in training paid by my employer;
  • Commonwealth and State or Territory government departments and authorised agencies, including the NSW Department of Education (Department);
  • NCVER;
  • Organisations (including the Department) conducting student surveys; and
  • Researchers.

  Personal Information disclosed to NCVER may be used or disclosed for the following purposes:

  • issuing a VET Statement of Attainment or VET Qualification, and populating Authenticated VET Transcripts;
  • facilitating statistics and research relating to education, including surveys;
  • understanding how the VET market operates, for policy, workforce planning and consumer information; and
  • administering VET, including program administration, regulation, monitoring and evaluation.

  I may receive an NCVER student survey which may be administered by an NCVER employee, agent or third party contractor. I may opt out of the survey at the time of being contacted.

  The Department may disclose my Personal Information to other Australian government agencies, including those located in States and Territories outside New South Wales.

  The above government agencies may use my Personal Information for any purpose relating to the exercise of their government functions, including but not limited to the evaluation and assessment of my training, the determination of my eligibility to receive subsidised training or for any Fee Exemptions or Concessions. My Personal Information may also be disclosed to other third parties if required by law.

  I also acknowledge and agree that the Department may contact me by telephone, email or post, during or after I have ceased subsidised training with The Australian College of Commerce and Management  for the purposes of evaluating and assessing my subsidised training.

  I declare that the information I have provided to the best of my knowledge is true and correct.

  I consent to the collection, use and disclosure of my Personal Information in the manner outlined above.

  - End of Consent Statement

  Again, your consent to this will be digitally recorded in the Authority to Enrol section of your ACCM College Enrolment form and will capture your name, address, date of birth and date of agreement.

• Marketing Activities and Use of Your Personal Information

  5.1 ACCM College will undertake direct marketing activities to student, clients and prospective clients using information provided in the enquiry process, enrolment process, web browsing activities or from business referrals.

  5.2 To opt out of direct marketing activities follow the instructions in the direct marketing item or email ACCM College with subject line: "Stop Direct Marketing" and in the email body include name, address and email details.

  5.3 Opting out of direct marketing activities will not stop news items and administrative notices being issued.

• NCVER Privacy Policy

  NCVER and your Personal Information

  It is a requirement that portions of your personal information is provided to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research.

  You can learn more about NCVER here: National Centre for Vocational Education Research

  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 your RTO 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 ACCM 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

   

  Just send your request to: contact@accm.edu.au

   

• Contacting the College Privacy Officer

  6.1 If you have any enquiries regarding this privacy policy or wish to provide feedback, please contact Chris Czarnosz, CEO and Privacy Officer.

  6.2 To make a complaint or raise a formal grievances about breach of this Policy please refer to the Complaints, Grievance and Consumer Protection Policy.