Commonwealth Newsroom | 12 December 2012
Commonwealth minister for skills Chris Evans has met with New South Wales TAFE teachers who are facing the sack as a result of the O’Farrell State Government’s cuts to TAFE. More than 800 jobs will be axed as a result of the NSW government’s decision to cut TAFE funding, slash jobs and increase student fees.
On top of these staff cuts, NSW TAFE students face fee increases in 2013. Evans said the loss of TAFE teachers and increased fees across the state will mean reduced access to skills and training for people in NSW.
At the very time we need to grow Australia’s skills base, the NSW Liberal State Government is implementing policies that could see a reduction in training opportunities, including for those living in regional areas. It is short sighted of the NSW Government to undermine TAFEs at a time when the State’s economy needs more skilled workers.
Evans pointed to similar processes of retrenchment in Victoria and Queensland as “simply a dress rehearsal for what Tony Abbott is planning for the tertiary education sector.”
