The Baillieu-Ryan Government’s decision to cut around $250 million from TAFE and vocational training providers will cause regional student fees to skyrocket and force providers to cut courses, Shadow Minister for Higher Education and Skills, Steve Herbert said today.
Visiting GoTafe in Shepparton today, Mr Herbert said the Baillieu-Ryan Government failed to confirm whether this new multi-million dollar cut to vocational training is on top of the education cuts of $481 million announced in this year’s budget.
“It appears that as a result of these cuts, regional TAFEs will be $500,000 to $700,000 worse off each year and forced to decide how many staff to sack, what facilities to close and what courses they won’t be able to offer any more after finalising their budgets and courses for 2012,” Mr Herbert said.
“The Baillieu-Ryan Government promised no student would be worse off and front line services would not be impacted by education budget cuts, but the evidence tells a different story.
“These cuts have shocked TAFE and training providers and will have a devastating effect on student skills training, particularly apprentices who will be hit with higher fees.
“It is clear the Baillieu-Ryan Government has no commitment to skills education and jobs creation in Shepparton despite calls from industry for more skilled workers.
“The Baillieu-Ryan Government continues to fail in education, with cuts to the Victorian Certificate of Applied Training (VCAL), TAFE and vocational training, apprenticeship subsidies and literacy and numeracy programs.
“Other governments are investing in skilled workers while the Baillieu-Ryan Government is slashing funding that assists students to become better skilled employees.
“The cuts by Higher Education Minister, Peter Hall are a recipe for skyrocketing fees for Shepparton students and there is serious concern about student concessions now being axed.”
Mr Herbert said the Baillieu-Ryan Government’s community consultation as part of the Essential Services Commission review into vocational training was a sham because the Government made funding cuts before the limited consultation started.
“The Government is proposing major reforms to VET fees and funding arrangements, but restricted sector and community consultation to only two weeks,” Mr Herbert said.
“There is grave concern within the education sector that the funding cut and review is more about finding the Baillieu-Ryan Government’s $481 million education funding cuts than it is about quality vocational education and training.
“Rushing through such substantial changes to VET without proper consultation is a recipe for disaster.”