The State School Teachers’ Union has accused the State Government of misleading the public over its funding cuts to the TAFE system.
The government today released a statement predicting the biggest growth industries in the state, encouraging enrolments and claiming to have invested $288 million in training facilities.
“What the statement doesn’t mention is that the State Government has spent the last few years ripping the heart out of the TAFE system,” said SSTUWA vice president Samantha Schofield.
“The TAFE system has seen its funding cut by $110 million over the past 3 years, and TAFE institutes have had their budgets cut by $37 million in 2015.”
Miss Schofield said on top of these funding cuts, jobs had been lost and fees had skyrocketed.
“230 jobs have been cut from the TAFE system in 2016, while student fees have increased by up to 600% over two years in some courses.
“This has led to enrolments plummeting by 13,000 over the past two years.
“This government has decimated the TAFE system, particularly over the past three years, and for it to now turn around and claim to be investing in it is extremely misleading.”
Miss Schofield said there was more pain to come, with the budget showing the government planned to further cut the training budget in the next financial year, while TAFE fees were likely to increase even further.
“We have seen this government continuing its attack on the TAFE system at a time when it should actually be investing more in training and education as a way of combatting the downturn in the economy,” she said.
“We need a well trained, highly skilled workforce to face the economic challenges ahead, and instead of investing in our young people, the government is decimating the very system which would equip them with the skills they need.”
