[Greens-Media] TAFE on the brink

[John Kaye]

TAFE on the brink

Media release: 15 May 2013

Greens NSW MP John Kaye told a gathering of TAFE teachers in Glen Innes on
Tuesday afternoon that state and federal government polices were taking
NSW's public provider of skills training to the brink of collapse.

Dr Kaye said: "Cutting 800 staff positions, dumping TAFE into unfair and
biased competition with unscrupulous private providers, and closing down
courses is the beginning of the end.

"The Northern Tablelands has seen courses cut, teachers sacked and entire
campuses at the point of closure.

"Destroying TAFE will damage the ability of the Northern Tablelands to
compete in an increasingly difficult economy.

"Second-chance education, fine arts and business courses have already been
devastated with much more to come as the NSW Nationals and Liberals take
the axe to TAFE.

"The O'Farrell government is trying to hide the consequences for regional
NSW of its $800 million cut to TAFE's budget.

"An educated workforce is essential to creating new jobs and bringing in
investment capital.

"The O'Farrell government's deceptively-named 'Smart and Skilled' training
market will feed the growth of fly-by-night private providers who take
students and money away from TAFE with poor quality shorter-duration
courses.

"TAFE will inevitably lose out in the race for funds and students.

"The Northern Tablelands area is about to be hit with a skills crisis
because the state government is trying to dump its responsibility for
paying for TAFE.

"As the community heads to the polls at the end of next week, the Greens
are asking every voter to think about the future of their region without
TAFE and to vote for the candidates that care about public provision of
vocational education and training," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

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John Kaye
Greens NSW MP
phone: 0407 195 455
web: www.john.nsw.greens.org.au
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