Computer Power Institute

Stay away – The training company back in the day was a great company till they sold it off now this is one the wost RTO

SCAM!!! – This RTO is about daylight robbery, I work full-time in the IT industry, and was after upgrading my certifications. I signed up for the diploma of network engineering it offered all the certs i was after and so seemed like the logical solution, and it was self paced. This was a big selling point because i work full time and have a family. Long… Read more

story short, they offer their version of the certs and then you do the actual course and sit the exams.

I was 6 months into the course and i was up to date with the schedule, within that time i was advised that is was best to complete their versions first, and i did just that.

Well around that time i had the rug pulled from under me was told that latrobe university was merging with them.

i was given the following options.

- Finish within a year (which means full-time my goal was part time 2 years)

- If it takes longer the debt goes up.

- Join in one of the university courses bachelor of computing, it is a cheaper option you can do it part-time also.

So i did that thinking i need to get something out of this since i now have a HECS debt. Well the first course i had to do was computer basics identify hardware, learn how to use ms word, ms excel. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

there was no exemption given based on the fact i was an IT professional or the courses i did for 6 months.

So i withdrew and for absolutely nothing to show except wasting my time, i now sit with a $10,000 debt with the ATO.

Which i now i have to take up with the department of fair trading, ethically speaking this is so wrong. I hope more people take this route they should not get away with this.

Excellent learning experience – I started studying the Diploma of Software Development (with VET help) back in late 2014 (online), I was signed up as a part time student as I was studying around full-time employment. It was a lot of work to get through but ALL of the learning material was well laid out and the assessments were inline with the learning material. While the course… Read more

was challenging it was never impossible. The support was excellent and timely.

During my time as a student there was a new contract signed with La Trobe university. I was notified about the changes and had to finish my Diploma 6 months earlier than first outlined. As I was informed in 2017, I was able to increase my time allocated to study, to offset this change and have completed all modules on time. Overall the changes had minimal impact on the outcome as nothing really changed on a day to day basis.

It is now mid 2018 and I have completed the diploma 1 month ahead of schedule. Extremely happy with the course content, assistance, support and staff.

All about Themselves – I was studying IT Diploma from Holmesglen Institute of Tafe which CPI had contract with for several years for online studies. I started the Diploma in about July 2015 and only had only a few subjects to go to complete the Diploma. Suddenly when i come back to study in 2017 they said they signed new contract in stealth mode with La trobe… Read more

University for online studies however although Instructors(cpi instructors are not trained teachers, just former students) had mentioned rumors of contract change in early 2017 so i thought nothing of the rumors as CPI Admin would just deny the rumors when I asked them and claimed each time i asked it would not effect my studies which it ultimately did. They did not send me an official statement in writing to VET students telling me they where changing contracts until December 2017 even the though they had effectively changed contract in about July 2017.

They kept any of their students in 2017 in the dark until the last possible moment knowing full well they were pulling the rug from under them. They are nothing but interested in looking after their own survival as an enterprise if they want to shaft students they will so be careful of this or dodgy RTO they all about themselves and have no sincere interest in any one that signs up with them.

A great learning experience with skilled and knowledgeable instructors – I studied a diploma in Software Development at CPI. Learning a lot of areas in programming I wasn't able to learn on my own. The instructors are friendly and knowledgeable in their fields. I'm very happy with what I know today, compared to when I first began the studies.

Terrible experience – There was absolutely no support, no value for time and no respect. Institute should encourage students to learn rather than rushing them to finish the unit and enroll for the next one. Very bad experience!!!

my experience in computer power institute – under the learning form this is not for me, they are not going to teach you anything but if you have trouble about the learning the contents they will tell you what it is for you to understand. some of work based assessment are not very challenging and not put in right context or education value. But they may improve that in the future. So BE… Read more

WARNED go tafe or university other than this. tafe and university provide you better opportunity to learn because they have people to teach you.

If you’re committed this is the place to be – Firstly, expect that a distance Diploma will be difficult, secondly there is a lot of content you will be required to read, it’s not going to be easy, and you will have to do a lot of research yourself. I think this is also part of the whole learning experience, and I’m glad it’s structured this way; as it pushes you as an individual student… Read more

to learn. In the real world you cannot rely on help lines, you are expected to have the knowledge to competently fulfil your role.

Cutting it short, I could go on for quite a bit, so to avoid TL:DR let me provide the highlights both good and bad:

Cons:

The course study material can at times be ambiguous, and difficult to decipher.

Student services at the parent institute (Didasco) can be frustrating, as they treated me with distain and arrogance.

Pros:

The Instructors at CPI are great, friendly, and really quick to call back once you have submitted a help request via the (smart) system, they will remote in if you need hands on assistance, and give you as much time as you need.

I did the networking Diploma, and although all aspects of the study were valuable, I think the CCNA module was worth its weight in gold, it has enabled me to competently answer job interview questions in regard to: variable length sub netting, vlans, OSPF v2&3, EIGRP, static routing, etc etc

If you are looking for practical networking skills to get you a job this is the course.

Good Training – I feel I should right a quick review of my study time at CPI to let others know what i received. As a distance student i found the structure of the course, video tutorials and learning material to be really good When i requested assistance i got help within 15 minutes. The people i dealt with on phone where never rude. Overall i found it to… Read more

be great.

My previous experience with online training courses through the Vet Fee Help scheme has been really bad with one other college i won't name.

Great Instructors! – I would rate this a 5 if I was basing the rating solely on the Instructors! They are great! Had a great time studying over there, the course was just based on pdf files which made the learning process a bit dry compared to the hundreds of youtube tutorials, khan academy videos, and udemy courses available out there; That being said, having a… Read more

studying frame from start to finish and instructor support along the way was a massive plus to have a progressive understanding of the skills required by professionals in that field.

Watching a bunch of youtube videos is great but it won't help you know what you need to know and it won't provide you with projects to practice those skills; when being stuck on a project it's also great to have an instructor able give you custom support and explanations!

Mind Over Matter – From my close friendship with a friend who had the horrors with CPI and my inspection of the matters raised here and my observations from my own attempts at making the course material work properly, these are my thoughts. The business model at CPI seems to be mind over matter; they don't mind and you don't matter. A large amount of their… Read more

courseware is amateurish, slipshod, poorly executed and without any person to person instruction. It seems that the majority of instructors have never done the exercises themselves because they beg ignorance when informed that their electronic simulations and requirements crash, lockup, or simply don't respond. The product is manifestly not of merchantable fitness. By the time they were forced by circumstances to leave the course, it seemed that they had not learned anything that he/she did not already know. It seems that many times they had to send corrections to the instructors at CPI. Caveat emptor! (let the buyer beware).

By far the most awesome education provider – You guys are absolutely awesome! The experience Ive had at Computer Power has been by far way more awesome than another education institution (eg: Tafe). I was so happy to see no filler in the course and i was amazed that the amount i had learned at the time in 2 weeks at Computer Power, was equal to 6 Months at tafe. For anyone wants to get… Read more

into IT, I highly recommend they start at Computer Power as their first choice. The learning at Tafe is good, but it is no where to the point of Computer Power. Computer Power completely steam rolls Tafe and all University's.

I love how Computer Power just gives you the content to study and allows you to move at your pace. For me watching a video or having to listen to someone talk up the front, for me can produce very poor results. Its very easy to zone out or not remember half of what my lecturer has said even when paying attention. As my learning produces so much more awesome results if i can just sit and read the material my self.

Customer service and getting help through SMART was by a very long way far better than anything i have ever experienced anywhere else. I found it annoying the time that when i was learning CCNA at Tafe, that the lectures teaching the class had no idea how to use packet tracer. So when we needed help, we couldn't get it. Thanks goodness i ended at Computer Power, where the teachers here actually know what their doing.

There was one time I put in a request through SMART, where only after 4 hours after putting in a request, did i get my answer. But that only happened to me once and Computer Power was having a few technical difficulties at the time. But other than that i cant think of any other negatives.

Overall Computer Power has been my best learning experience i have ever had. I shall say it again. Anyone who wants to get into IT, just get into Computer Power as your first choice. The $20,000 debt is well spent.

Truly terrible – While on my venture to find a job in the IT industry, I had a phone call from someone from Acquire Learning(?), that introduced me to Computer Power - the gig was do the course, pay your $250 enrollment fee, pay the rest later (HECS), and we'll get you your dream job. Well, I have to get through the thing first, don't I? The content was terrible.… Read more

You were thrown books to read, minimal activities to test your knowledge and the "trainers" just sat at the front desk doing god knows what.

The census date is the same date for EVERY UNIT(!!!!!), so effectively if you get 5 units in and think this isn't for me, well, you're screwed as you've signed the contract and now owe the ATO $20,000+. Have fun with that!

When I wanted to withdraw, within an hour I had a PRE-FILLED withdrawal form sent to me, was told to sign it and email back. I thought this was ridiculous, not once did they try and work things out... Just sent me the pre-filled form. Management clearly don't care about their students.

I must say, though, SOME of the trainers were nice... BUT, when I had troubles, the people I had to call had no clue what I was talking about or what was wrong, it took weeks to get a response and NO ONE had a clue how to fix it - in fact, it was never rectified and this is when I decided that this guys are a bunch of clowns and withdrew.

The advertised "weekly checkup phone calls", well, I got about 1 during the 5 months that I studied with them.

Listen up kids, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!!! Don't jump on the first thing that comes.

Shocking educational service provider – This institution are full of hype and promises and push you to sign you up on HECS for a $20,000+ (!) *diploma* course. If you think that is expensive, it is. Once you cross the census date, effectively locking you into the course, the care drops away as they forever have your money. Learning materials provided are out of date with… Read more

typos/mistakes. Some of the teachers are OK but for the money you are paying the overall quality is low and students are expected to do a lot of "self study". Also, many teachers were students who have completed the diplomas and then given jobs at the school, so not professional, accredited trainers.

The job placement they tout effectively makes it impossible to complete the course unless you are 20, live at home with your folks who cook and clean for you, which is probably who they aim this course at. Also, the types of jobs they place you at you could probably get if you've had even a modicum of experience in IT (ie Level 1 Service Desk type roles)

You can learn what they teach you for free online or cheaper elsewhere. If you have a passion for IT, you can do it without shelling out the money they ask.

If you withdraw from the course, there is a complete lack of concern from management - they really don't care. I hope that this institution gets exposed for what it is. Avoid at all costs. The positive comments on this website have most likely been "encouraged" by the school as a form of advertising (or made up). One of the Dont's of Product Review is "Don't use overly positive or marketing speak writing styles". Think about that, and re-read them. Many are posted on the same date! Take them all with a grain of salt - do your research or you could end up with an expensive $20,000 mistake.

No support if you have troubles in life – I fell behind due to things in my life happening an requested part time. They didn't make me part time straight away but did eventually. I got a call one day telling me I had a week to catch up. Part time is 15 hours a week yet my current module has over 45 hours of study an assignments. I attempted to complete them but my VMWare didn't have the… Read more

required image files uploaded. I contacted them an told them over an over again. Last day it's due they're going to kick me out & they haven't uploaded yet. You cannot study at your own pace or go as you please but one day they just call an set an absurd deadline.

So I failed due to there support only setting me goals but not adding the support I kept a record or all calls & emails they claim to have sent me an I am investigating my options to take them to court. Once that is handled I will change the review.

I wouldn't recommended

Study at your own pace – I have been studying the Diploma of IT (Networking) at CPI since July 2014. The course content is kept up to date, and the instructors and support staff are friendly and very helpful. I study full time at the St.Kilda road campus, but you can study part time and online. The course comes with free IT certification tests. I recommend CPI for anyone wanting to get into an IT career.

Great Course! – This course was well worth doing, not only have I learned to program in many languages but also learned the concepts that go into building software so i can better understand how other software systems have been built. Also it has given me the tools to go out and start my own IT software business if I chose to follow that course of action.

Awesome learning experience – I completed the Diploma in IT Networking, I had started the first 7 months as a full time student on campus which is awesome and very quiet and easy to study. After getting a job they were very supportive and allowed me to transition to part time then to e-campus as it was easier to study from home. The instructors are very good and the staff… Read more

support you all the way through your course. I have no negative things to say and I enjoyed the course and would recommend this to anyone that is wanting to get into this field of IT.

The best IT learning experience – I recently completed a Diploma of Software Development through Computer Power Institute which was a rather satisfying learning experience. The form of study I had selected was the online e-Campus due to not living in Melbourne to be on campus. While going through the course I had discovered that the learning material had in depth detail, of high… Read more

quality, easy enough to understand and mostly up to date. When help was needed the instructors where usually a great help from simple questions to questions involving in depth detail. I would recommend to anyone looking for a Diploma in IT to study at Computer Power Institute.

Another Satisfied Grad – The staffs at Computer Power are very helpful and friendly. I would not have graduate if it wasn't for their help and prompt reply whenever I am stuck with my project. The flexibility option of having to study on or off campus appeals to me as I needed to work to support myself. I enjoy studying at anytime and anywhere in the world knowing the support they have given to me is world class. Another satisfied grad.

A satisfactory learning experience – Short and sweet. No major complaints regarding the structure of the course or its implementation. Would recommend to anyone seeking to enter the field but needs flexibility with study.

Excellent IT Degree provider – I have recently completed a Diploma of I.T. Networking through Computer Power Institute and I found the experience to be extremely enjoyable. The method of learning that I chose was e-Campus due to not living in Melbourne, and the resources that were made available to me were beyond anything that I would have expected. The course material was… Read more

always up-to-date, relevant and easy to understand. The Instructors were always very prompt with returning calls and generally had helpful tips and information on the given query.

I would recommend Computer Power Institute to anyone that is looking to gain a Diploma in I.T.. I liked the level of professionalism of the trainers and the resources made available to me throughout the course

Very professional and well constructed program – I'm doing a Diploma of IT Networking online through Computer Power via their e-learing system. I have found this very reliable and the program I am currently completing is very professional and well constructed. I definitely recommend them to anyone looking to gain a qualification in the IT industry or looking to further their skills. Professionalism and reliablility

Great content, support & resources – I'm doing a Diploma of Software Development to back up my experience with qualifications and have found the learning material to be professional, structured so that I can work through them but a good body of content that sharpens my skills. My main dilemma was the $20K price tag being too high in comparison to a TAFE course ( about $13K).… Read more ·  1

But the content is far better, with the addition of the Dreamspark Software (ie Visual Studio Ultimate which is worth several thousand dollars alone) and further material with Microsoft IT & Virtual Academy, job placement assistance and a very responsive and helpful staff and I'm glad I got the better product. Content, Dreamspark, job placement, good staff, responsive to questions Price is high compared to a 3year degree

Excellent training with flexible delivery – The training and support supplied by the Computer Power Institute is excellent. The quality of the training materials is very high as is the quality of their trainers and support staff they are an excellent option for online study. The support staff are very diligent and responsive to student needs. Delivery and support - quick response to any problem encountered with training materials.

Computer Power Institutes Software Development Diploma – I honestly do not have enough positive words or phrases to truly let you know how I feel about the Software Development Diploma. The assistance you get from staff/teachers at the Computer Power Institute being an ecampus student is incredible. The teachers are extremely understanding and have more patience than a saint. It has been so far a very,… Read more

very, very positive experience for me. The Teachers are dedicated to you passing every module in the easiest way possible with the least amount of stress to you. I will be following this diploma with another one and will not go anywhere else to do this. Reliable, self contained, user friendly, easy on the eyes

First class education – I have studied at several different higher learning institutions, and can honestly say that CPI has been the best by far. They are well organised, the learning materials are clear and informative and the service is always prompt. Other distance eduction programs can leave you waiting up to a week for a response, but CPI always call me back within… Read more

the hour, even if I send a message at 8pm!

The staff are always kind and professional. There is really nothing more that I could ask for. Highly recommended. reliable, great service, thorough course materials

Great Environment – I've worked as an IT professional for over 10 years, I came to CPI because I felt I needed a qualification to backup what I already know. The enrollment was quick and smooth, a week later I was up and running working at my own pace. the staff are very friendly, teachers are helpful the setup on campus is professional. The off campus study options offer flexibility, allowing me to fit study in around my full time job. Flexible approach

Very Good Training Organisation – After having a successful career in the Defence Force, I commenced the Diploma in IT Networking with Computer Power Institute to gain further qualifications before I commenced the next chapter in my career. Having the ability to study at home using the e-Campus offered flexibility to my studies and with the assistance of the Computer Power… Read more

Instructors was able to complete my Diploma and gain my vendor certifications. I now seek employment to put my skills I have learnt however I am not on my own and have assistance with the Placement Coordinator to assist myself in gaining employment. Enjoyed the Project Management phase where other students came together in a team to work out a detailed project. Many students had different abilities and with most of us in all different locations around Australia we were able to work together to achieve the task. Although this was not new to me it was a pleasure to help the remainder of the team to achieve the required skills. For people that have no experience in this type of work, this activity will give you plenty of experience and put you in the right steps for what you would expect to happen in many IT companies. I would say the price but compared to other training organisations, the price is very competitive and to overcome this you can receive VET FEE assistance to pay for the course. You receive all vouchers for the vendor certifications so there are no more out of pocket expenses.

Computer Power Review – I have found that computer power is set up very user friendly to ensure that the only thing you are studying are the units and you don't have to learn how to use their system of doing things as its so easy, very approachable people, professional in their manner. Very happy with them. Computer Power helpdesk and administration are very helpful and they get back to you as soon as possible

Great IT Diploma and Job Assistance – I embarked upon a Diploma of Networking late in 2012. The course is online and this gave me great flexibility with my young family. I studied around times that I could afford to study. It has taken me around 14 months and I have just finished. The best part Is that included within this diploma are 8 vendor certifications, and it was these that… Read more

gave me the head start on a job. Computer Power assisted with their IT recruiter and employer connections, and in no time at all I was attending a number of interviews. On Friday, I was offered a Level 1 Help Desk position with a large retail group. I am very excited about this new development in my life, and can totally recommend Computer Power to anyone that wants a head start in their IT career. No fees up front. I only start paying off the VET FEE Loan to the Gov't when my first pay cheque starts. The Instructors and support team are fabulous. I never thought I would ever have a qualification like this, let alone one with eight international certifications.