“We shouldn’t be closing off opportunities in regional areas,” network chief executive Toni Jenkins said.

South West Institute of TAFE and the Australian Education Union have warned further cuts would hinder the ability to provide a wide variety of skills training courses at reasonable costs.

The institute’s subsidy for enrolled students was cut by almost $700,000 late last year and the government is considering a report on scrapping the higher subsidy differential between TAFE and private sector course providers.

Ms Jenkins said recommendations by the Essential Services Commission were based on a metropolitan market where there were many private course providers.

“In country areas we don’t have those providers,” she said.

“That’s just absolute rubbish to cut these student subsidies for regional TAFEs.

“Every year 12 student has the potential to go into post-compulsory courses.

“In this region there is the potential to fulfil all our skills shortages. We just need to get them into the right courses.”

Ms Jenkins said if TAFE course costs were increased because of lower government funding, it would be another barrier in front of year 12 students considering post-compulsory studies.

“In this region, our young people are not less smart than those in metropolitan areas, it’s just they have less access to affordable courses,” she said.

“There needs to be more funding for more courses and a community culture for training needs to be fostered.”

The network’s figures show the year 12 completion rate in 2010 was 72 per cent — well short of the 2015 national target of 90 per cent. One of its goals is to raise the profile of careers in the agriculture industry to address skills shortages.