VET Marriage Celebrant Education for Child and Forced Marriage

Hello Visitor,

We aim to keep Federal MPs and Senators informed of our Celebrant industry.

CoCA congratulates the Department for the steps taken to increase the penalties for forced, servile and sham marriages from four years to seven years and for continuing to highlight issues in this area.

Topic: Vocational Education and Training (VET) Review provides educational opportunities for Child and Forced Marriage concerns

The latest training review of independent celebrants' training recommends

1. a strengthened and improved Certificate IV in Celebrancy
2. the need for a higher level Diploma or Advanced Diploma in Celebrancy
3. three specific marriage units - one on marriage law, one on planning marriage ceremonies and one on conducting and reviewing personalised marriage ceremonies.

CoCA recommends that the one VET unit on marriage law become mandatory training for all marriage celebrants whether religious or civil.

Currently only Subdivision C authorised marriage celebrants are required to have any specific training in marriage law.

This means two thirds of all marriage celebrants, especially those in over 120 different Recognised Religions, are without specific training in Australia's laws in regards to valid marriages in our nation.

Read more about:

• Training in Marriage Law for all marriage celebrants to address Child and Forced Marriage concerns

The Coalition of Celebrant Associations (CoCA) Inc is
the peak body for celebrants in Australia.

CoCA is an association of celebrant associations spanning the nation.

One of CoCA's key roles is to represent Commonwealth marriage celebrants concerns, needs and suggestions to the Attorney-General and the Attorney-General's Department and through its Protocol with the Department to provide advice on the development, implementation and review of the Commonwealth Marriage Celebrant Program.