Fortress Learning

Under new management…that explains a lot – In my first 6 months, Fortress was so easy to work with where every staff seemed like they were in it with me but this year things have gotten harder and it’s just less smooth…a few different trainers who don’t seem really to know what there doing, things taking longer…staff seem less confident, not so sure about what there doing, getting passed… Read more

around a bit. They only told me a few months after it had happened but the business was sold in January and that explained everything. That’s a big difference…they used to talk to us and tell us what was going on or if anything was coming up that would affect us. There still really nice and try to be helpful but it’s just different and not in a better way. I was referred to fortress and used to refer others, but have stopped because some colleagues have been disappointed - I know one went to another RTO to finish and made a complaint to asqa but don’t know what that was about - and that puts me ina bad spot at work so I guess I just don’t know what’s going to happen at Fortress but it is changing.

Good quality of training, and very supportive! – I've completed my TAE50116 Diploma in Vocational Education & Training at Fortress Learning. They got clear processes and the Fortress Learning team, especially the trainers (Emma, Bryan), are very supportive! Starting with the Personal Development Plan (PDP), they will help you map how to complete the course within the schedule, and identify… Read more

units that you can do RPL with (recognition of prior learning). I've done RPL on few units, and they got robust processes, with very clear guidance on what documents may be used as evidence.

Assessments are well-written, and the provided resources in their Learning Management System (LMS) are clear and organized - I love the videos! Whenever I got questions, I just send out an email and I can expect a response shortly after. The submission of assessments is quick and easy using their LMS, and the assessments are marked just within a few days, sometimes even the day right after.

Just seeing how their process works (from PDP to scheduling, to submission and marking of assessments), the way the assessments are written, the support provided to the students, and the feedback that they provide - is already a learning for me.

The Best!! – I would like to acknowledge the Fortress team for the way it is structured. My extraordinary gratitude is for Emma, Odezo, Bryan; people I have communicated so far with, I am sure others must be terrific as well. I have qualified five degrees/Certs & have studying experience in a variety of institutes internationally. Perhaps, Fortress is… Read more

excellent! I would like to recommend/suggest as many as possible people who are looking forward to certs/diplomas to pursue studies from this institute as I have realized it is one of the best. Fortress Learning is the best in particular: · The way resources are being set up (online/dashboard) · The appointments and assistance over call and emails · The assignment checking time frame. Overall, work ethics was phenomenal. Additionally, I was surprised by the way I received a welcome postcard in the mailbox and the first call when I signed up to have a pulse-check of how things are? How am I coping? Etc. Also, the emails Fortress sends out ongoingly to check on the assistance (if any) required by the students. The little ideas and gestures of guardianship show how the organization supports the learners’ requirements. Feels like being a part of the team where people truly feel affection for each other and support each other which is much needed in this complex COVID situation. Thank you for all that you do for your learner

Very supportive, friendly and professional – I cant recommend Fortress learning enough . The support of the staff was excellent . Very quick responses to my queries with easy to follow advice. Emma was a very supportive teacher who went the extra mile to make sure I was clear on instruction. I loved the topic and enjoyed the course immensely.

Cannot praise the service enough! – After a slightly difficult start(trouble logging on to parts) the service I received was absolutely wonderful! The speed of replies to submissions or others inquiries was not something I had experienced elsewhere. I cannot praise my teachers enough. They were very helpful with a reluctant online learner, and Deb's phone call made the world of difference. I will be doing my next level of courses with them.

Engaging, supportive and professional – The staff at Fortress Learning are brilliant! Always engaging, supportive and regularly checking in with some guidance when it was required. This will be the RTO is use for any of my future TAE requirements. I cannot recommend enough.

Overly Complex RPL Process, Waste of Money, Lack of Accountability and Customer Care – I studied with Fortress previously and had an OK experience. I passed a Cert. IV TAE back in 2014 and then completed a single unit (for compliance purposes) in 2019. I wouldn't call their materials or the way they have things setup "amazing" or "class leading" in any way, shape or form. For assessment, you're expected to complete lengthy early… Read more

2000's style word documents. It's an extremely dated way of presenting learning material and it's a grind to have to get through. Even though [name removed] apparently has a PhD, said documents are rife with spelling and grammatical errors and there's even a section where they ask you to highlight these for them.

When it was time to consider an RPL upgrade to the Diploma TAE I looked into Fortress as unfortunately, there are so many shonky providers in this space (Inspire Education is one...) and I figured, "better the devil you know..."

I completed the RPL application and was accepted. I paid my money ($2400 upfront payment) and started looking through the initial requirements. As a first port of call, you're expected to upload your position description and CV. This seemed positive -- I figured they would be considering my individual circumstances when it came time to submit the required evidence for RPL. Fact: this is a requirement from ASQA with respect to RPL, or recognition of prior learning.

Unfortunately, I got busy (as I run my own RTO) and wasn't able to get back into things until some months later.

When I made a start on the actual RPL documentation, I became alarmed at the number of redundant questions the RPL applicant was expected to answer. If you're not aware, RPL is where you provide evidence that meets the standards of a given unit. It's a way of acknowledging that some people already possess said skills and knowledge. What you typically do with an RPL is assess on a case-by-case basis and weigh up the evidence provided against the unit of competency.

Unfortunately, [name removed] has structured his RPL so that the applicant is asked to provide evidence and then answer further questions that are more than likely "already answered" (i.e., embedded) in the evidence provided. It is arbitrary hoop jumping at its finest.

As a simple example, Question A, #4 of the RPL unit TAEASS501 -- "How did you document the outcomes of your assessments?"

Now, if any of the Fortress "trainers" bothered to read the documents already submitted, they would know I run my own RTO. Running an RTO means that you have successfully passed audits. Passing audits means having a range of policy and procedures in place that align with ASQA rules relating to recording student outcomes. It also requires you use AVETMISS compliant software to record the outcomes of assessment results. This is but one example of the redundant questioning going on that you are expected to answer in "1-2 paragraphs." This makes for a tedious and overly complex RPL process that is not considering the individual needs, work history or achievements of the candidate as per ASQA rules.

As someone who designs online learning myself (and who has passed multiple audits) it was painfully obvious that [name removed] Diploma RPL program had been setup to pass audits *first and foremost* and is a "student focused experience" a very, very distant second. It's also clear that [name removed] has designed it this way so as to reduce the effort and time for his trainers to spend working collegially through an RPL application with a candidate. In other words, they are ignoring the ASQA rules about RPL and adopting a one size fits all methodology. This goes against ASQA guidelines for RPL and I plan on raising this in a formal ASQA complaint.

I'll also add that [name removed] has clearly ignored his own instructions from the Cert. IV TAE program wherein he continually remarks how important it is to tailor training to the needs of the candidate and consider their individual circumstances. This was never done. I was never consulted, and it appears that what was submitted (CV and position description) wasn't even reviewed.

Lastly, I'll agree with the other reviewer who referred to [name removed] as a "narcissist." I spoke with him on the phone and he's very dismissive if you offer critique. I raised the above issue (how the RPL was structured) and it was obvious he couldn't care less. You could literally feel the shoulders shrugging and the eyebrows being raised through the phone.

However, during said call, [name removed] admitted that his Diploma RPL was setup this way as they kept missing things when undertaking assessment. So, in other words, Fortress are not spending the necessary time to properly work with candidates.

I have since made a formal complaint with Fortress. Since no RPL was assessed, I have requested an 80 percent refund. [name removed] conveniently hand-balled the complaint to someone on his payroll to "investigate." He advised it might take 60 days to resolve.

When I expressed my intention to resolve things amicably, [name removed] replied that I might want to look into the Office of Fair Trading as my complaint is to do with fees. Clearly, that was an inflammatory response on his part. He seems to have no empathy re the money or time wasted by a returning client.

As two other reviewers have said, don't buy into the clearly fake reviews on this RTO. Obviously, some folks are happy however, there is such a thing as genuine critique. [name removed] would do well to listen to these reviews and consider such points of view moving forward. It will only make his business a stronger one if he does.

UPDATE -- After the "investigation" was conducted (approx. 2 weeks) I was sent a document where Fortress essentially asserted they had done nothing wrong and put the blame on me. FYI, there was never a phone call made to discuss the matter as part of the "investigation." It was an investigation in name only.

A thorough response was made to the documentation with accompanying quotes from ASQA re RPL process. A reply was then received from Fortress saying they stood by the findings of their "investigation" but that they were feeling generous, and here is your refund in full. LOL. What does that tell you?

Poor quality, waste of money, a lot of fake reviews – Interesting how many glowing positive reviews are here that all are written just how several fortress staff members write. I didn't have a great experience with them, their material is poor quality, they expect you to provide so much content and material yourself and they expect to provide you little in the way of help or training and have your… Read more

succeed.

You do ask for help and instead of teaching you, they offer you answers and try to sell you more time.

It's a dodgy scheme.

Don't believe the fake reviews – Fortress love to brag, they even have a section on their website bragging about how they've been challenged in court by people unsatisfied with them and never lost (think about it why would a company be proud of pissing off their customers?). They even have a section about why Fortress might not be for you where they use it to put down anyone who… Read more

questions their excellence as not wanting to work hard or be challenged.

Here is the problem though - their idea of a challenge is documents that feature out of date broken content, their teaching doesn't actually teach it's just a bunch of youtube videos with questionnaires that aren't even marked to make it look like they've taught something. The coursework itself is even stored on another website (is this confusing enough yet, why can't it all be in one place) and is marked by a lot of people that can't even speak English, do not be surprised if your work gets returned to you with notes they forgot to google translate to English from Filipino and that's even if they have read yours.

When you get up to your assignments your thinking coolies now going to learn a bit but that does not occur, the assignments are terrible long and drawn out for no benefit to you or the suckers you have to fake train. I've now spoken to so many people who had to cheat through this course just to pass it because fortress expect that to have a fighting chance of getting through their course, you either work for an RTO and have your supervisor sign you off or that you hire them to supervise you.

When you come back to do your re-accreditation places love this RTO because you can just phone it in and send them a video of you teaching.

Don't give these guys money, you will only regret it, and yes Bryan is a complete narcissist, can't wait for him to do a response video to this claiming he's debunked it or how this is another person who's just angry at how hard he made the course.

Mate here's a hint, instead of pushing that angle maybe go to another RTO and see how it's done instead of stroking your ego, why else do you have so many people writing you positive reviews because how easy you made it to cheat through it, and have a legion of people who hate fortress because you screwed them over and didn't deliver and you need to label them all as haters instead of fixing your game.

These people have excellent customer service... until they've got your money...

Here's a hint, keep your money - I have my paper now and it was not worth it and will not be doing my upgrade or further study with them.

Cert IV in Training and Assessment – For an old fella who prefers learning by doing face to face I still found the course material and the brilliant help from every one in the company helped m reach the Graduation I so needed. I cannot speak to highly of the people who worked with me along the way. Bless you all.

Excellent support and training from Fortress Learning and Deb! – I was well supported when completing my online Cert IV in Training and Assessment with Fortress Learning. Emails were answered promptly and with plenty of help to guide me, and the assignments were marked quickly. The resources and assignment documents were modern, up to date and flexible, with all the required information to complete the units. I highly recommend Fortress Learning, there are plenty of options to suit all learners

Fast track to employment – Having had previous experience in the training field and looking at returning to it with the offer of employment, I researched thoroughly before choosing Fortress. So glad I did. Trainers and staff could not have been more professional or supportive. Deb my trainer was a great cheer leader. Would highly recommend and I am now looking at continuing on with Fortress for a further qualification.

Having tried others, Fortress Learning is better – Having experienced the CertIV Training and Assessment with another provider, I discovered that the pain and frustration with the other was not necessary after starting with Fortress Learning. A friend suggested them, and I am glad I took the advice. Fortress Learning are not about making you jump through hoops for the sake of it. All staff are… Read more

friendly, supportive and approachable. The online materials are clear and effective, and the assessable tasks straightforward. Time to mark and return is minimal (I have heard of other providers taking up to a month to get back to you - what a way to bust any momentum you may have, especially when life gets in the way.)

A very professional and knowledgeable team – The Fortress experience for me was first rate, the accessibility to your trainer, the guidance, support and knowledge are fantastic. I now have two qualifications through them, and I would highly recommend anyone to undertake study with Fortress. Emma and the team are simply a phone call away, and all emails are answered promptly. Courteous and friendly at all times. Show details

Fantastic trainers and easy to navigate online learning platform- would recommend! – Completing my Double Diploma with fortress and their team of trainers was amazing. Completed online, their training platform was easy to use and navigate, in particular their online learning centre and dashboard. Their trainers were available whenever I needed them to provide support. The assessment methods for RPL were also informative and in… Read more

addition to recognising my prior learning, I still learned a lot from reading their learner guides and answering the questions for the RPL units. The course work was well designed and taught me a lot more skills. All in all a great learning experience I would recommend to anyone.

Highly recommendable – The staff and faculty of Fortress were very professional and helpful throughout my studies. I really appreciate the time and effort they gave me in completing my diploma. I particularly like the Small Stuff videos. Very informative and enjoyable to watch.

Fortress Learning - Highly Recommended – My training experience with Fortress Learning was excellent...!! I especially liked the videos that were available on You Tube to assist with the assignments - they outlined what specifically was required and made completing the assignments so much easier. The feedback and follow up from all the staff was very timely and excellent too. If I do decide to undertake further education, I will definitely be contacting Fortress Learning first..!!

This RTO is great – This RTO is by far the best I've studied with. The TAE40116 is not to be underestimated. I honestly found this more challenging than some of my uni subjects in terms of assessment requirements. Make sure you have access to a TAE qualified observer is my advice! The turnaround time for feedback and marking was excellent, the support was wonderful and the team were very understanding when I needed to defer my studies. Thanks Fortress.

Fortress Learning Diploma TDD – I completed the Diploma TDD. The course materials provided were great and gave realistic based scenarios as well as clear instruction. The team are amazing giving support when needed and their experience shines through when assistance was required. I recommend Fortress Learning to my colleagues and anyone requiring there Certificate IV in Training… Read more

and Assessment or Diploma/Dual Diploma VET/TDD. I was referred to Fortress from a colleague who works for an RTO and I was happy I choose them!

TAE Course – I found that the Trainer was very incorrigible, as well as helpful with information. Emma provided me with assistance when required and there was never a delay in the communication channel. I was able to complete my upgrade without the stress and uncertainty of my ability due to my trainer. I also would like to comment on your staff and how… Read more

friendly and helpful they were when I contacted the office. Your resource material was very helpful and detailed. I would recommend your company to anyone who is looking at completing online courses.

Very good Fortress. I completed my diploma! – Overall I had a very good journey through the Fortress Learning remote delivery mode of education. From the start I had a clear training plan that directed me through a mixture of RPL and learning units. When I did encounter difficulties I had no problems deferring for a short period as well as extending my agreed timeframe by two months. The… Read more

administration team where accurate and prompt in attending to my enquiries and at all times helpful. The Fortress dashboard worked well and it was easy to obtain information and upload evidence. There are many useful templates available to assist students. Now that I have completed my diploma of TAE I can honestly say that it was not easy bit it was very satisfying and I feel happy to have completed the program. Lastly thanks Emma my teacher, for your kind words and patience. I give Fortress Learning a very good overall rating.

Great learning resources and support team – These guys will help you get through the course and guide you to where you need to access the right material to finish quickly. Fortress also linked me up with Verto Skills Checkpoint who paid for half my TAE upgrade!

Amazing course and wonderful staff – I would like to thank you the Fortress Learning team for being very supportive and communicative during my study there. You guys deserve excellent 5 stars. Many thanks once again and I would definitely recommend this to all my friends and family. James P.

They take the fright out of scary. It’s all good from here on – Very helpful, informative, supportive and all round a pleasure to deal with. Thank you Fortress Learning. You have a great team and you should be very proud of the professionalism and knowledge of your employees. Regards Greg Walsh

Highly recommended – Studying the TAE by distance is made much easier with the wonderful and supportive group of trainers and staff at Fortress Learning. Their easy to follow videos and guides are clear and concise and should a question arise, then they are just a phone call away to help clarify any questions or concerns you may have. Highly recommended. Thank you.

Excellent training program (Certificate IV in Training & Assessment) with an excellent Trainer, Mr. Umer Imtiaz – Teaching staff (Mr. Umer Imtiaz) is an excellet person with vast and diverse experience. Always ready to help trainees for their learing tasks. Course / training was moderately difficult, especially if you start after a gap.

Super quick turnaround time – My Cert IV in Training and Assessment was super straightforward. The materials were easy to follow as I chose the self-paced option. The best thing was the quick turnaround time for marking assignments. I don't think I waited more than a week, maybe 4 days at the most. Thank you!

Amazing staff and assessments – I learned TAE40116 from Fortress Learning and it was such an amazing experience. Staff and teachers are really friendly and supportive. Assessments were easy to understand and were well planned. Thank You Fortress

Very high level of standards. Could not fault – Fortress Training have been very professional to work with. I have found that they have exceeded the own performance guarantee every time I dealt with them. The course material was clear and concise. All feedback was concise and aided my training. Very satisfied with the entire experience.

Great content and very good communication! – I couldn't be any happier with the course provided by Fortress. I found the content very easy to understand and the required work was explained clearly so I fully understood the expectations prior to starting any assignments. The staff were very easy to contact and were always willing to help. The turn-around time for email's and assignment… Read more

marking was VERY quick! The course was very thorough and I am confident in my ability to put the skills I have learned from Fortress Learning into practice.

Recommend this RTO – I enjoyed the experience of being enrolled through fortress learning and would recommend your online class to all. The professionalism, quality of resources and timely manner of communication has all been outstanding. I gained further understanding and experience in the industry and have received my graduation certificate already, one week after my course finishing! Thanks again to all of the fortress team.

Highly recommended – I would highly recommend Fortress Learning to others like me who are not confident with online learning. My past experiences with online learning platforms had me confused and frustrated. Fortress learning was completely different. The responses from Fortress staff were always prompt and patient. The information in their content was everything you… Read more

needed to know in both video and text. The two most outstanding helpful aspects for me were the templates and the examples. The templates made me feel organised and allowed me to seek the information in an easy logical manner while the examples answered any questions I may have had. I would definitely go to Fortress learning again.

Studies – Thanks for the help & understanding. It took a little longer as life got in the way, but made it with some help. Website easy to navigate and to use. Thanks again

Thank you – The online materials were extremely helpful in being able to complete the assignments. The forthcoming & very responsive tutors (via email or phone) made the whole learning experience seamless. Thank you.

Without a doubt, the BEST!! – In my experience, you won’t find a more supportive team of staff and highly experienced trainers to guide you through to success! Thank you Bryan, Emma, Maniya, Tammy, Bheng, Odeza