RICK HEATON
Rick Heaton through Abacus Training and Owner Building Solutions has been a provider of quality vocational courses for in excess of 12 years.
Owner Building Solutions is as a Registered Training Organisation.
The principals have been involved in training and courseware production for more than 30 years in total.
The Owner Builder Online Course Director, Rick Heaton, is a licensed builder, licensed plumber, and licensed drainer with many years experience in the building and construction industries.
He has experience in design and has developed several project management tools and safety systems, specifically for owner builders.
As a company, we continue to improve our products to best serve you the owner builder.
Our courses will help you to:
* Understand your responsibilities as an owner builder
* Provide you with the best opportunity to save thousand of dollars building or renovating your own home
* Access all the information you require during the construction of your home
* Use the tools we provide to keep your project on time and on budget
* Avoid the pitfalls that can be associated with building your own home
* Avoid or resolve conflicts that could arise during the building of you home
Following we outline our company policies and procedures, these have been put in place to ensure you, as our client are treated fairly and that you always have access to Abacus staff via email or phone to discuss your needs as an Abacus student.
We do not stop supporting you once you have completed your course either.
As an Abacus Training student, you become part of our owner builder community, we host regular webinars, blogs, discussion forums and produce newsletters to keep you up to date with the latest in owner builder activities.
We look forward to helping you throughout your journey as an owner builder building.
You really can build your own house.
Best Regards
Rick Heaton
Course Director -
Abacus Training
Australian Owner Builder Courses Online
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS OUR PRIVACY POLICY
PRIVACY POLICY
This Privacy Policy explains in general terms how Abacus Training protects the privacy of your personal information under the National Privacy Principles.
It will apply to any personal information you provide to us in the course of your dealings with us.
This Privacy Statement will also apply to any information about you that is provided to us by someone else such as another Registered Training Organisation.
This Privacy Statement does not apply to employee records, which are generally exempt from the legislation.
What information do we collect?
The types of personal information that we collect from you will depend on the circumstances of collection and on the type of service you request from us.
For example, we may collect details such as your name, address, credit/debit card number and expiry date, billing address, telephone numbers.
As we are required by law to obtain your consent to the collection of "sensitive information" we will assume that you have consented to the collection of all information which is provided to us for use in accordance with this Statement, unless you tell us otherwise.
How we collect information ?
We may collect personal information about you when you deal with us over the telephone, send us correspondence (whether by letter, fax or e-mail), visit our web site or when you have contact with us in person.
As well as collecting information directly from you, there may be occasions when we collect information about you from a third party.
For example: Another Registered Training Organisation
How we use your personal information ?
We generally collect your personal information for the following purposes:
* to process your purchases of products or services from APEX Training;
* to prepare training plans, or produce qualifications and statements of attainment in respect to completed courses
* to maintain student records as required by law, and;
* to conduct marketing activities and market research.
Some of the personal information we collect will be essential for us to be able to accurately identify who is using the service.
Other types of personal information we collect will help us to profile who is using our services and what their interests are.
Disclosure of personal information to third parties:
We may disclose your personal information to third parties, for example, to our contractors to whom we contract out certain services, for the purpose for which the information was collected or for related purposes, for example, to complete a transaction on your behalf or provide you with a service or product that you requested.
We may also disclose your personal information to various law enforcement agencies and governments around the world for security, customs and immigration purposes. (primarily in respect to international students)
Other than the above, we will not disclose your personal information without your consent unless disclosure is either necessary to prevent a threat to life or health, authorised or required by law, reasonably necessary to enforce the law or necessary to investigate a suspected unlawful activity.
Access to and correction of information we hold about you:
We will, on request, provide you with access to the information we hold about you, including for the purpose of correcting or updating that information, unless there is an exception under the National Privacy Principles.
Resolving your concerns:
If you wish to gain access to your personal information, have a complaint about a breach of your privacy or you have any query on how your personal information is collected or used please forward your request, complaint or query to the address below. We will respond to your query or complaint as soon as possible.
Abacus Training
57 Pascoe Road Ormeau, QLD, Australia, 4208
Changes to this Privacy Statement
We may amend this Privacy Statement as our business requirements or the law changes.
Any changes to this Privacy Statement will be updated on this web site, so please visit periodically to ensure that you have our most current privacy statement.
QUALITY
Abacus Training has been established to provide quality support and training to persons undertaking courses offered under its scope of registration.
The provision of quality training and support is the mainstay of our business and client satisfaction is paramount.
Abacus Training remains aware of its responsibilities to its clients, directors, staff, stakeholders and all interested parties and will continually strive to improve its performance and profile within the training sector and the community at large.
Training is to be delivered in a cost effective manner, and improvements to our management and training delivery will be achieved through controlled and scientific programs and open consultation and collaboration with our clients, staff and stakeholders.
ACCESS and EQUITY
Principles
This Access and Equity Policy is based on the following principles:
• Providing and maintaining training services that reflect fair and reasonable opportunity, and consideration for all students and staff, regardless of race, colour, religion, gender or physical disability, regardless of the prevailing community values.
• Equity for all people through the fair and appropriate allocation of resources and involvement in vocational education and training.
• Equality of outcome within vocational education and training for all people, without discrimination.
• Access for all people to appropriate quality vocational education and training programs and services.
• Increased opportunity for people to participate in vocational education and training and in relevant decision making processes within the vocational education and training system.
CODE of PRACTICE
Training delivery is the primary function of the RTO and the principles of adult learning are understood and a primary function of all relevant staff.
Whilst a Training Package or an accredited course will contain specific information on the required skills and competencies needed to satisfy the issuance of a qualification, they do not demonstrate how training is to be conducted.
The onus of providing appropriate training delivery remains the responsibility of the RTO through its facilitators.
Abacus recognises, students will each display their own unique learning style, and it is important that each facilitator recognises the student learning style and presents course material in an effective manner.
At all times the senior RTO staff are available to:
• assess specific student needs
• allocate or suggest of alternate resource material
• assisting in study methods
• or to discuss any other student concerns
The training delivery provided will be consistent with and ensure the appropriate skills and competencies are achieved and can be demonstrated for the purpose of assessment.
Assessment is the process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whether competency has been achieved.
The purpose of assessment is to confirm that an individual can perform to the standard expected in the workplace, as expressed in the relevant endorsed industry or enterprise competency standards.
Assessments may be carried out in the context of a New Apprenticeship, a VET in Schools program, a nationally accredited course, a self-directed learning program, institutional programs or a recognition process.
Competency based assessment should not be an isolated activity.
In most cases it forms part of a pathway to employment, to a structured learning program or to further training.
It is important that it happens within a context of work performance and learning and that skill gaps identified during the process are seen as opportunities for further development, not failure.
It is also important that evidence collecting is viewed as a process negotiated with the candidate, not a one-off test of knowledge that has been imposed on the candidate.
While there is no fixed approach to competency based assessment, quality assessment processes:
• provide pathways for the candidate
• actively involve the workplace in the assessment process
• make competency meaningful to participants by relating the units of competency to workplace activities, procedures and requirements
• involve the candidate, the assessor and the workplace
• clearly target the evidence that the candidate needs to present
• incorporate clear and efficient methods of evidence collection
• have clear procedures for making the assessment decision
A Training Package assessment system must:
• include efficient record keeping systems
• ensure that the candidate is given clear and constructive advice and feedback.
GRIEVANCE and APPEALS PROCEDURE
Any person with a grievance, or any person who is not satisfied their assessment was valid, reliable, flexible or fair is encouraged to lodge an appeal.
The appeal must be in writing and state the nature of the appeal, the date of the assessment and the assessors name.
The appeal process will in the initial stages be relatively informal and will consists of the appellant and the assessor, in most cases, the grievance should be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties within 10 working days of receipt of the written appeal.
Where satisfaction and or mutual agreement cannot be reached, the appellant has two options:
1. Continue the appeal with additional mediation provided by the Chief Executive Officer
2. Continue the appeal with additional mediation provided by an agreed independent third party who has demonstrated expertise in the appropriate area of assessment.
In both cases above, it will be he endeavour of Abacus Training to have the matter resolved within 30 days of commencement on the appeal process consistent with 1 or 2 above.
Abacus will provide the appellant written confirmation of the appeal decision and where a reassessment is required, the process will be advised.
PAYMENT and REFUND POLICY
All course fees are payable in advance.
All monies received are placed in a separate account and are not accessed until the course starts.
When courses are longer than three days, a proportion of fees paid for that course will remain in that account until the course is 50%completed *, to ensure pro-rata refunds for eligible applicants.
* (50% based on expected course duration)
Computer based courses are deemed to start on the day of payment.
CANCELED COURSES.
Should Abacus Training cancel any course, participants are entitled to a full refund or transfer of funds to a future course.
Medical or Personal Hardship
Applicants who are unable to complete a self-paced computer course and can provide a medical certificate or show extreme personal hardship may be granted a refund.
An applicant’s failure to ensure their computer meets the minimum specification is not grounds for a refund.
REFUND
Deposits will be refunded for training materials and resources that are returned with unopened CD cases.
Where materials have been accessed through an upload of Abacus Training materials, a minimum 50% of the course fee will be retained by Abacus Training.
The cost of packaging and handling will not be refunded.
In some cases a restocking fee of 15% may be applicable.
In all cases payment has been made by cheque, credit card, money order or EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transaction), a $57.00 admin fee will apply.