[Greens-Media] Threat of competitive TAFE funding model cuts manufacturing skills in half in Sydney's South West

[John Kaye]

Threat of competitive TAFE funding model cuts manufacturing skills in half
in Sydney's South West

Media release: 30 March 2014

A document obtained by the Greens shows that the South Western Sydney
Institute of TAFE is planning to sack 52 per cent of its teachers in
engineer and automotive manufacturing.

The document cites next year's competitive funding model as likely to
result in "declining market share for the public provider".

('TAFE cuts force axing of engineering, automotive manufacturing programs',
Sun Herald, 30 March, page 21, http://j.mp/sh140330)

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "This is the canary in the coal mine.

"In anticipation of the devastating impacts of next year's competitive
funding model, TAFE in South Western Sydney is dumping more than half of
its teacher workforce in engineering trades.

"The Institute admits that it is acting in anticipation of the same
devastating loss of students that hollowed out TAFE in other states.

"The loss of engineering skills at local TAFE colleges will undermine any
opportunities for recovery in the manufacturing sector in South Western
Sydney.

"The document admits that there is a direct line between the O'Farrell
government's competitive funding model and the staff cuts in engineering
and manufacturing.

"Entitlement markets like 'Smart and Skilled' respond to short term
fluctuations in student demand by shedding staff during the downturns. For
a sectors like manufacturing that are highly cyclical, every time the
international economy goes off the boil, critical staff expertise will be
lost permanently.

"Eventually there will be no accumulated knowledge in TAFE or the private
providers and no ability to train up new students.

"The link between the skilled past and the future is being severed by the
competitive funding model.

"Competitive funding is a one way trip to de-skilling NSW's workforce and
foreclosing on opportunities to rebuild the manufacturing sector when
demand returns.

"The O'Farrell government is pushing ahead with a proposal to strip TAFE of
its core funding and hand the money over to students to make critical
decisions about where to cash in their entitlements.

"For South Western Sydney, that means a loss of future options to rebuild
the manufacturing sector. It means less local investment and more
unemployment.

"Engineering features prominently on the O'Farrell government's targeted
list of skills that are in high demand by employers.

"There is something badly wrong with competition-driven funding when it
destroys training opportunities in disciplines that have been identified as
a focus for industry need and jobs growth," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

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