THE NSW TAFE institute has come under heavy fire in recent months, and there aren’t too many clear answers about when the barrage will end.
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While they weather the storm, it should be stressed that without our community supporting our Inverell TAFE, and its staff and teachers, we might lose one of our most important local assets, especially for our young people.
TAFE is competing in an entirely different world these days. Gone are those golden times when a resident might like to try a course, or surf around different qualifications until they find the vocation that fits just right.
The past several years have seen slashed government funding, and TAFE has taken it on the chin.
Facing a slimmer budget, the institute has sacrificed many of programs.
Then to meet industry demands, government targets and an ever-decreasing state budget, the State Training Services’ new Smart and Skilled reforms consolidated all those requirements into a tidy bundle.
It was rolled out to all training providers in January.
For the first time, TAFE began competing for students against the private sector training providers, all towing the same line, but with a flexibility of clientele, finance and location.
Today, an Inverell student can choose a Perth-based provider, or Inverell TAFE if it offers the certificate they desire.
At the same time Smart and Skilled hit the charts, TAFE NSW introduced a new computer system to manage students.
From nearly the moment it was switched on, trouble began.
The system has been a reported mess, with NSW TAFE staff and students in a state of confusion. It seemed to be in the words of one TAFE employee, “sabotage”.
Keeping all this in mind, consider this: regional communities need our TAFE campuses. These small schools in our towns offer many benefits.
They give young people a chance at employment. They keep people off dangerous roads after long days or nights travelling to other towns.
If Inverell district residents are concerned about the direction TAFE is heading, speak out. Contact the main TAFE New England office, contact our local members.
Speak your mind about what you want. Because if we lose our Inverell campus, it likely won’t come back.
