BRAUER College careers advisor Ian Jackson has seen first-hand the damage done to the TAFE system by state government funding cuts that have dramatically increased course fees.
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Mr Jackson told an Australian Education Union (AEU) community meeting last night that prior to the funding cuts he would have about 50-60 students wanting to do a Vocational Education and Training (VET) course at TAFE as part of their school studies for a Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL).
Since the funding cuts led South West TAFE to impose fees of about $1000 for VET courses such as hairdressing and child care, that number has dropped to about 15.
Mr Jackson’s story was one of many told at the community meeting about the damage done to the TAFE system after what the AEU claims has been the loss of $1.2 billion of state funding during the past four years.
AEU Victorian president Meredith Peace told the 25 people at the meeting that 157 staff positions at South West TAFE had been cut since the state government’s reforms that open the training system up to private providers.
Among the 52 courses South West TAFE had been forced to cut were those in hospitality, business, recreation, retail and graphic art.
Ms Peace said TAFE enrolments throughout the Barwon South West region had fallen by 19 per cent following the funding cuts.
She said concern was also rising about the quality of training being provided by many private providers.
Some employers were complaining the private qualifications were not giving people adequate skills.
Last night’s Warrnam-bool community meeting was one of a number the AEU has held throughout the state to make TAFE funding an issue in this month’s state election.
The AEU has gained pledges from local candidates Roy Reekie (Labor), Thomas Campbell (Greens) and Michael McCluskey (independent) that they will work towards reversing the TAFE funding cuts imposed by the Coalition.
