Australian authorities should be more pro-active about ensuring international training providers do not breach quality standards and met industry needs, a motor trades association said on Wednesday.

Motor Trade Association of South Australia executive director John Chapman said he has been concerned for the international students who paid "tens of thousands of dollars" for courses the local industry does not need.

"I think state and federal authorities have conducted their own investigations only from complaints from students," Chapman told Australian Associated Press.

"I think it (checking on training courses) needs a much more proactive approach."

The industry wanted students who were trained on and off the job over a number of years via schemes such as apprenticeships, Chapman said.

Institutionalized training in a classroom that was compressed into a short time, was not meeting local industry requirements, according to Chapman.

"We want the end of institutionalized training, full stop."

The Adelaide Pacific International College (APIC) could be shut down after audits found the college, which offers courses including "automotive", allegedly failed to meet 12 of 14 training standards.

The APIC breaches were reported by the state government on Tuesday after being uncovered in an audit conducted by the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology in cooperation with the commonwealth government and the college.

The state government gave the college 28 days notice to respond to a notice to have its registration canceled.