TAFE changes bring administration job losses

From April 11, WA’s 70 campuses that are currently administered by 11 colleges, will be merged down to a network of five TAFE colleges.

South Regional TAFE will include existing campuses at Bunbury, Busselton, Collie, Harvey, Manjimup, Margaret River, Albany, Denmark, Katanning and Mount Barker.

It will also assume control of the CY O’Connor campus at Narrogin and the Goldfields Institute campus at Esperance.

The state wide changes will see 230 administrative job losses over the next 12 months with opportunities for redeployment in the public sector and voluntary redundancies being considered.

Deputy Premier and training and workforce development minister Liza Harvey said the changes will have no affect on students enrolled in courses.

“Students currently enrolled will still have access to their training as the current campuses and courses offered remain unchanged,” she said.

“Under the changes there will be greater local community and industry collaboration to ensure students are being trained to meet local industry needs.

“It is merely about taking these backroom admin functions out of the system and freeing up the money to deliver more curriculum hours to out students.”

Department of training and workforce development director general Ruth Shean said these changes will encourage a stronger emphasis on collaboration and sharing of resources across regional and metropolitan colleges, leading to more diverse training opportunities for students.

“Regional colleges will be given the opportunity to access the capabilities of metropolitan colleges to support a broader range of services to regional and remote areas,” she said.

Mrs Shean said acting managing directors would be hired for each college and new governing councils will be formed.

She also said the final location of which campus the corporate functions of South Regional TAFE would be based at was still being determined.