FETAC defends response to Empower inquiry
In February, the accreditation body was contacted by state agency Skillnets to highlight problems with the Kilkenny-based trainer. The issues included a preliminary Skillnets investigation concluding that the trainer was issuing false certifications.
On September 13, FETAC eventually suspended the company from its register of trainers but only posted this information on its website on October 7.
Commenting on the delay in placing the suspension notice on the FETAC website, chief executive Stan McHugh said: “There was a delay and the delay was because you have to go through due process before you can make public statements about anybody.”
He added: “We had to be absolutely clear that we had covered the legal aspects of this.”
When Empower was told about the suspension, it was the college’s responsibility to inform its students, he said.
“If we ask the provider to do something, we expect the provider to do it. If there isn’t communication between them [provider and trainees], then that’s a disastrous situation.”
It has also emerged Empower has claimed that An Garda Síochána is among its clients, as well as several blue chip private sector companies and local government bodies. In a document, What is recognition of Prior Learning, issued last year by the company, the gardaí are included in a list of Empower clients.
Yesterday, the whereabouts of Empower’s husband and wife director team of Stephen Doran and Vivienne Hinton were unknown, although they are believed to be in Cyprus.
Mr McHugh said he expects FETAC to remove the documentation necessary to secure students’ courses with other trainers and assessors for certification from the Empower premises by the end of next week.
However, tutors and staff are likely to be left owed money by Empower.
Students from across the country called the RTÉ Liveline show yesterday to express concerns that they have lost fees paid to the company before and after FETAC had suspended Empower's accreditation.
Gardaí claim to have been investigating Empower since March, but it is unknown where this investigation stands.
