VicPol Corporate

Private security trainers

Any person wanting to apply for a Private Security Individual Operator Licence (with the exception of a licence in the activity of trainer) must provide proof they have the required training qualification or a statement of attainment applicable to that licence activity issued by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) licensed by Victoria Police's Licensing and Regulation Division. If not, the training qualification may not be accepted for licensing purposes.

The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) and the Australian Skills and Quality Authority (ASQA) are responsible for registering and regulating local and interstate training organisations operating in Victoria that want to offer vocational education and training (VET) courses and qualifications.

Training organisations must be registered either with the VRQA or ASQA and have the relevant security courses on their scope of registration in order to issue qualifications and statements of attainment under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Licensing requirements

Changes to the Private Security Act 2004 on the 4th July 2011 require that all RTOs wishing to deliver training for security licensing purposes must hold a Private Security Business Licence in the activity of 'trainer'.

All individual trainers engaged by a licensed RTO for security licensing purposes must hold a Private Security Individual Operator Licence in the activity of 'trainer'.

Section 3 of the Act outlines a Private Security Trainer as:

  • a person engaged by a registered education and training organisation to provide or assess private security training, or
  • a registered education and training organisation that provides or assesses private security training

A 'registered education and training organisation' has the same meaning as in the Education and Training Reform Act 2006.

Offences

Offences relevant to a trainer licence for both individuals and businesses has been added to the following section in the Act:

Section 5 of the Act outlines it is an offence for a person to carry on the business of providing the services of other persons to carry on any of the activities outlined below:

  • acting as an investigator
  • acting as a bodyguard
  • acting as a crowd controller
  • acting as a security guard
  • acting as a private security trainer

unless that person is the holder of a private security business licence that authorises that person to carry on the business of providing services of persons to carry on that activity.

For full details relating to all legislative requirements refer to the Private Security Act 2004 and Private Security Regulations.

Reviewed 27 February 2020

Private security trainers