Sydney entrepreneur Adam Brimo offers free vocational training

Sydney entrepreneur Adam Brimo, 29, has launched Openlearning.com to provide free vocational courses to students who cannot afford to pay for their education. It is the solution to the non-completion of government-funded VET courses.

Brimo's company has partnered with Hunter TAFE, which is one of the largest regional vocational education and training provider in the country. There are three Certificate IV qualifications in business currently offered by Hunter TAFE.

The pay when you graduate model allows students to study a course for free. But if they want an accreditation after completing the course, they must pay for it. The success of the model is dependent on peer to peer and community interaction but it promises quality learning. It allows students to find the right course that will satisfy their need. It has a bigger chance that the course will be completed because it is aligned in the interest of the students.

The current price for the Certificate IV in business is $3000 but it only cost $1250 on Brimo's online course. However, the government fee support is not eligible for the program. The education cost is cheaper because it only requires few teachers who will manage a large number of students.

Hunter TAFE plans to run a pilot program for 18 months that will gauge the interest of the students.

"It may not suit more practical qualifications like cookery or welding. But there are components or units of competency in every qualification we offer that would suit this model," Christine Warrington, director of the Hunter TAFE Institute, was quoted by Sydney Morning Herald as saying. "It's got visibility, the learner knows exactly what they're going to be charged if they seek accreditation, and it gives them the opportunity to try before they buy."

Openlearning.com was launched in 2011 where 575,000 students around the world signed up to its free and paid subscription. Practical courses such as welding and cookery are not covered.