Careers Australia, one of the biggest vocational education providers, has gone into voluntary administration with 1000 staff stood down and classes cancelled for 15,000 students.

David McEvoy and Martin Ford of PPB Advisory, appointed administrators, are doing an emergency assessment of the business, which runs 14 campuses across Australia.

"We do not currently have sufficient funds available to meet payroll and other costs which would allow us to continue trading the group on a business as usual basis," the administrators say in a letter to staff.