The Australian 15 September 2012
Victoria could sell off as many as 35 TAFE campuses and sites, almost pipping the 38 campus closures recently recommended in Queensland, the leaked Cabinet document on TAFE “transition plans” reveals. The document outlines sales or planned sales of up to 23 TAFE centres and campuses, and partial sales of at least six.
Major sales include Swinburne University’s Prahran and Lilydale campuses and Victoria University’s Flinders Street and Flinders Lane campuses. Chisholm Institute’s Cranbourne, Mornington and Bass Coast campuses, Sunraysia’s Ouyen and Robinvale centres and Bendigo TAFE’s Kerang campus are also earmarked for possible sale.
The cabinet-in-confidence report says at least 250 Victorian TAFE staff have been forced to quit this year among at least 425 teachers and office workers who have already been made redundant, and some 1200 more expected to be jobless by 2013. The redundancy figures significantly underestimate the total job losses as the dual-sector Ballarat, RMIT, Swinburne and Victoria universities haven’t outlined their staff reduction plans.The figures also exclude many part-time staff, contract workers who are not being renewed and vacant positions which are not being filled.
The leaking of Victoria’s transition plans follow Tuesday’s training budget cuts in Queensland and NSW, and last week’s draft report recommending a rationalisation of Queensland TAFEs.
Commonwealth Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans slammed the proposals as “the closing down sale of the century”, and said state premiers are “systematically destroying our world-class training system”:
This fire sale will see students miss out on going to TAFE and see employers unable to access the skilled workers they need. TAFEs are valuable education assets that sit at the heart of our regional communities. The Liberal Premiers are closing facilities that for many communities are the only places local people can get a vocational education or learn a trade.
