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VET & TAFE
recruitment sector and bring minimum training experience and a maximum regard for profit.
Too often, providers take government subsidies and offer fast-tracked, sub-standard courses with incentives such as iPads whilst pocketing taxpayer dollars. There have been too many reports of students completing a two-year diploma in 10 weeks and of private providers ticking and flicking student assessments.
Since July 1, 2012, when Skills for All was launched, it has generated nearly 150,000 extra training places— almost 50 per cent above the government’ s target, and three years ahead of schedule— whilst reducing training costs.
This blew the forward estimates out of the water. The Department of State Development spent too much money too quickly and this has been the cause of non-stop bureaucratic meddling with the training market ever since.
Implementation practice between the Department of State Development and TAFE SA is shocking. In the past 20 months or so, courses on the Funded Training List and the subsidy prices have changed eight times. How can TAFE SA, let alone an honest small provider, run a profitable business with such ridiculous commercial practice?
The subsidy price for training has been slashed and the number of courses on the Funded Training List has been so reduced that some students are paying full fee for service.
In addition, a source inside TAFE SA says the 2014 international student figures have continued to slide. In 2010, TAFE SA had 2309 international students, in 2011 it had 2104 students and in 2012, just 1785 students. TAFE SA’ s 2013 annual report did not list international student numbers. In fact, there was no mention of international students at all.
Gago told parliament recently,“ I am not responsible for the day-to-day management of TAFE or staffing or other administrative issues.”
Whilst the state government is quick to criticise the Abbott Government’ s recent budget, it is mute about defending its own massive cuts to skills training whilst slashing jobs in the education sector.
I invite TAFE SA management and staff to reply to this article in the spirit of fairness and balance. ■
Malcolm King is a generational change specialist and an Adelaide writer.
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