Empower College

mousehouse

Hey
I feel so sorry for all the people who have lost money as a result of empower going into liquidation. The owners apparently after having lost fetac accreditation on 13th september continued to run courses and take money from people and not the owner has done a runner according to people trying to contact him.

mick kk

r u sure? I heard there were problems over accreditation alright...but there was an advert in a local paper only last week advertising courses for over 2k.

mousehouse

Yep apparently they went into liquidation this morning. Their phonelines have been disconnected and are not contactable, their offices are closed and I know 3 people who have lost cash. 1 of whom who had done a course a few months back has now been told by FETAC that the course may not be valid and that may be a lost course also.

femur61

Was on the RTE news that may be 1000 students effected.

Cabaal

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1012/empower.html

Fraud inquiry into Empower training agency
watch Tuesday, 12 October 2010 19:54

A State approved private training company in Kilkenny has ceased trading and is facing three investigations, including a Garda Fraud Bureau investigation.

Over 1,000 students could be affected, some of whom have paid over €2,000 each for courses.

The offices of Empower in Newtown House on the outskirts of Kilkenny city were closed today, with a notice on the door saying the company has ceased trading.
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Empower has administered hundreds of education courses for the public and private sector across the country.

Efforts to contact its Managing Director Stephen Doran today have so far been unsuccessful.

The company had ten staff and at least 12 tutors and since 2002 is understood to have received more than €1m from State agencies FÁS and Skillnets.

Some tutors say they are owed between €3,500 and €5,000 in unpaid wages.

Students say they do not know where they stand regarding certificates or courses.

RTÉ News has obtained copies of Empower's customer receipts or fees from students from 22 July to September, which shows €244,000 was received in those few months.

A spokesperson for the statutory Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) said 500 students were assessed in August and a further 500-600 are still on courses that were being provided by Empower.

Last month, FETAC suspended Empower's access to the council's certificates pending an investigation.

Empower received FÁS contracts worth €658,498 from 2003 to 2010 but has no current contracts with the State agency.

Founded in 2002, Empower Training achieved FETAC Quality Assurance Registration in 2006 and offered programmes in IT, health, childcare and other areas.

According to FETAC reports from 2009, the trainer deals with up to 800 students per annum from its Kilkenny base and runs courses in several other locations.

Skillnets said it has been investigating Empower since February.

In a statement to RTÉ News this evening, a spokesperson that Skillnets has already concluded a full and thorough internal investigation, which was supplemented by an independent report from external auditors.

The spokesperson said the entire investigation has not concluded yet, as the matter is potentially the subject of legal proceedings.

ottostreet

Is there anyone here who has been personally affected by Empower's closure? If there has, could you please PM me?

road_high

This was discussed on Sue Nunn this morning. Was only half listening tbh, they had the Director of FETAC on, he seemed to get a hard time.

caprilicious

I didn't hear any of the radio programmes about it, though I feel sorry for the Fetac director as its not their fault.

I can however understand that people need to vent their anger at having lost money/time on courses. Seeing as the Empower director didn't have the courtesy to leave any explanation for his customers.

I have a few choice words I'd love to say to him myself & if I dont get the €1300+ I paid back. :mad:

tasj

hi there im new to this so am not sure if im doing it correct :rolleyes:

I'm an empower student (or was that is) and finished my course on the 11 of Sep. I was on to FETAC and they said they will have news on their website on Fri so fingers crossed. I also contacted the guards in Kilkenny today to report that files belonging to me where in the hands of empower and i was asked to send a letter to them voicing my concerns. I would suggest that everybody who was doing a course or is supposed to be doing a course to get in contact with them as they need to know the full extent of whats going on. From the conversation i had its seems that alot of people have already been on to them.
Hopefully something will get sorted but im not to optimistic:(

mousehouse

I know it is not entirely FETACs fault but why did they suspend Empowers accreditation on September 14th but waited until the 7th of October before they made it known to anybody public.

caprilicious

tasj, do you mind me asking what Garda station you reported it to?
I want to report it also, but would prefer maybe deal with a Garda that's familiar with it/that may already have a file open on it.

ottostreet

A meetings been organised in Langtons in Kilkenny for next Thursday night 21st October at 7:30 to talk about Empower. Students, tutors and anyone affected can come along, they are looking to put together an action group!

reeta

caprilicious wrote: »

tasj, do you mind me asking what Garda station you reported it to?
I want to report it also, but would prefer maybe deal with a Garda that's familiar with it/that may already have a file open on it.

The gardai have already opened a fraud file on it. It was on liveline (rte 1 Joe Duffy)yesterday, I'd say he will be covering it again today. The couple who own it are in Cyprus at the moment. Fetac knew they had to suspend them a week before they let anyone else know, and in that week
alone people paid thousands out !!

tasj

caprilicious wrote: »

tasj, do you mind me asking what Garda station you reported it to?
I want to report it also, but would prefer maybe deal with a Garda that's familiar with it/that may already have a file open on it.

i contacted HQ Ph:6660000 and they put me through to kilkenny and they where very aware of the situation and helpful :0)

Ravage1616

Just to make you aware guys if you paid your fee's by credit card you maybe able to get the money back through your credit card company by raising a dispute with them!

JohnMc1

mfitzy wrote: »

This was discussed on Sue Nunn this morning. Was only half listening tbh, they had the Director of FETAC on, he seemed to get a hard time.

I listened to a bit of that. There was a woman on saying she lost 2,500 euros iirc.

I was considering taking a course from them when I saw their booth at MacDonagh Junction. Thank God I didn't take a course.

road_high

JohnMc1 wrote: »

I listened to a bit of that. There was a woman on saying she lost 2,500 euros iirc.

I was considering taking a course from them when I saw their booth at MacDonagh Junction. Thank God I didn't take a course.

I reckon many of these people were even unemployed, which makes it even worse, trying to upskill.

JohnMc1

mfitzy wrote: »

I reckon many of these people were even unemployed, which makes it even worse, trying to upskill.

That is the sad part about this. They were preying on people who were out of work and were looking either get back into their old field or train for a new one.