The latest Federal Budget has left local TAFE teachers baffled.
Despite the Federal budget being full of promises around skills investment, TAFE teachers on the North Coast have expressed their skepticism.
Kathy Nicholson, Teachers Federation TAFE Organiser for the North Coast, said after years of neglect, TAFE teachers had high hopes that this budget would assist them to do their jobs.
“For all the talk of increasing participation in employment and building on foundation skills, there is not much joy, in fact there are no specific references to TAFE in budget information provided so far,” she said. “Currently if TAFE on the North Coast had the funding, it could get young people skilled up for jobs. North Coast has been identified as an area of high unemployment, especially for young people.”
Ms Nicholson said there were numerous people on waiting lists to undertake courses.
“Although the Federal Government accepts that foundation skill development is critical for people to enter the workforce, there is not much joy there either. Last year TAFE teachers at Lismore and Taree lost their work when the Federal government awarded the Language, Literacy and Numeracy funding to private providers.
“If the Federal Government is fair dinkum about skill development on the North Coast, then the job should go to the professionals — TAFE teachers.”
