1. Introduction

Shepherds Education ("Shepherds Education", "we", "us" or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information when you visit our website, submit an enquiry, communicate with our team, request information about a course or pathway, or use our education guidance and support services.

Where applicable, we handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

2. Who We Are

Shepherds Education is a third-party education marketing, information and guidance service. We help prospective students understand available education and training pathways, assess initial suitability or eligibility information, communicate with education providers, and progress enquiries and enrolments.

Important: Shepherds Education is not a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) unless expressly stated otherwise. We do not ourselves issue nationally recognised qualifications and we are not a government or occupational licensing authority.

Courses, training, assessments, qualifications and certifications are provided or issued by the relevant education or training provider.

3. Information We May Collect

Depending on your enquiry, we may collect information including:

Name, telephone number, email address and contact information.
Age or date of birth where relevant.
Residential location and state.
Education and qualification history.
Employment and work-experience information.
Course interests and career objectives.
Eligibility-related information.
Residency, citizenship or visa information where relevant.
Documents voluntarily supplied to support an enquiry or application.
Appointment, communication and enquiry history.
Information submitted through our website, forms, advertisements, social media, email, SMS, WhatsApp or other communication channels.
Technical information relating to your use of our website.

4. How We Use Your Information

Your information may be used to:

Respond to your enquiry.
Understand your education and career objectives.
Identify potentially suitable courses and pathways.
Conduct preliminary eligibility or suitability checks.
Arrange appointments and follow-ups.
Assist with applications and enrolments.
Communicate with relevant education providers.
Maintain internal CRM and business records.
Provide customer support.
Improve our website, services and marketing.
Send service and marketing communications where you have provided consent or where otherwise permitted by law.

5. Internal Data & Confidentiality

Personal information collected through our website, forms and communications is maintained as internal business data. Access is limited to authorised team members and service providers where access is reasonably necessary to perform their functions.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

6. Sharing Information With Course Providers

We do not intend to indiscriminately sell or distribute your personal information to unrelated third parties.

When you choose to proceed with a particular education or training pathway, relevant personal information and documents may be shared with the applicable course provider, RTO, college, education institution or organisation involved in your selected pathway.

Information will generally be provided to the relevant course provider after the appropriate preliminary steps have been completed, you have had an opportunity to review the proposed course or pathway, and you have indicated that you wish to proceed.

By asking us to proceed with an application or enrolment, you acknowledge that relevant information may need to be provided to the selected provider so that they can assess eligibility, process your application, communicate with you and complete enrolment.

7. Communication & Marketing Consent

Where you provide consent, you agree that Shepherds Education may contact you regarding your enquiry, appointments, course options, eligibility, applications, enrolment and related education opportunities.

Communication may occur through telephone, SMS, email, WhatsApp, Messenger or other communication channels you provide or use to communicate with us.

You may withdraw your consent to receive marketing communications at any time by using an available unsubscribe option or contacting us.

8. Access & Correction

You may request access to personal information we hold about you or request correction of information that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. Please contact us using the contact information available on our website.

9. Privacy Concerns & Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact Shepherds Education so that we can investigate and respond to your concern.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, business practices, technology or legal obligations change. The latest version will be published on our website.