Hampton Park Secondary College principal David Finnerty and college council president Shane Keene are helping to facilitate a public meeting to express concerns over budget cuts to TAFE funding. 85750 Picture: Donna Oates
By Bridget Cook
A PUBLIC meeting will be held next week to make local schools’ concerns about budget cuts to TAFE funding loud and clear.
The secondary school Education Coalition, for the outer sub-region of the southern metropolitan region, called the meeting after they met last month to discuss the implications of the recent changes to the funding of TAFE, VET, VCAL and related programs.
As a consequence of the State Government’s cuts, funding has been reduced to 80 per cent of courses across the TAFE sector, with training in hospitality, business, sport, retail and process manufacturing all affected at Chisholm.
Hampton Park Secondary College principal David Finnerty said the group discussed the implications the TAFE funding cuts would have for students’ pathways and sense of well-being.
“While there was general recognition of the quite demanding economic environment currently facing Victoria, there was equally expressed a grave concern as to the potential, long-term impact for our children, of the recently announced drastic reduction to TAFE funding, identified in the Victorian State Budget,” he said.
In the outer south region, 33 per cent of Year 12 completers go on to vocational training.
Mr Finnerty said the reduced number of courses due to budget cuts would markedly limit pathways and opportunities from school to TAFE, university and into positive economic participation.
“Often students from lower socio-economic areas make effective use of these pathways,” he said.
“Fewer courses and site closures will increase student disengagement.
“This will result in poor outcomes for the individual, as well as having long-term negative implications for the state economy.”
Mr Finnerty said they also feared the TAFE funding cuts would affect VET (Vocational Education and Training) provisions in schools.
VET in the VCE or VCAL allows students to include vocational studies within their senior secondary certificate.
“VET provision is compulsory in VCAL to comply with the Industry Specific strand,” Mr Finnerty said.
“Our information is that there will now be reduced access to courses and at significantly higher cost.
“There is significant concern that access to a variety of certificates and an increased pressure on available spaces will further marginalise students who would otherwise benefit from the VCAL option.”
A spokesman for the Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall said rather than cutting funding, the government announced in May’s state budget an extra $1 billion over the next four years for the state’s training system.
“Much of this money will go to better support courses that provide higher level training such as apprenticeships, areas of skills shortages or areas that make an important contribution to the Victorian economy and Victorians’ chances of gaining meaningful employment,” he said.
“The government is increasing subsidies in these important areas, in which TAFEs traditionally have a very strong market share, while reducing subsidies in areas of oversupply or that don’t necessarily lead to positive employment outcomes, such as fitness training and many lifestyle courses.
“Between 2008 and 2011 participation in fitness courses increased by 1955 per cent and retail services courses increased by 2700 per cent.
“These blowouts were unsustainable and were often at the expense of participation in apprenticeships and areas of skills shortages.”
The spokesman said in relation to VET and VCAL, 15 more schools were offering VCAL this year than last year.
“Subsidy levels for school-based apprenticeships have been increased as part of the government’s efforts to refocus training into areas of economic and skills need, while subsidies for many lower level courses and areas of over supply, such as retail sales and business management, have been reduced,” he said.
“Not all VET training provision is provided by TAFEs and with around 600 registered training providers in the market place competing to deliver training, schools, employers and apprentices or trainees will continue to have flexibility to choose a training provider that will offer them a competitive price, and is responsive to their needs.”
The Education Coalition has called the public meeting 23 August at 7pm at River Gum Performing Arts centre, Hampton Park Secondary College.
Key politicians will be invited to attend, hear and respond to the concerns of the school communities.
Mr Finnerty encouraged students, parents, college councillors and all interested community members to attend the meeting.
