By ALESHA CAPONE
MORE than 700 people have signed an on-going petition calling on the State Government to rethink its decision to slash TAFE funding by $300 million.
Politicians representing the West presented the latest batch of signatures in parliament recently.
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan presented 44 signatures opposed to the TAFE cuts, on top of more than 500 he has already lodged on behalf of his electorate so far this year.
During the past few weeks, Keilor MP Natalie Hutchins also handed in an additional 106 signatures, Footscray MP Marsha Thomson 43 signatures and Melton MP Don Nardella 20 signatures.
Mr Noonan’s petition said up to 1500 jobs could be lost as a result of the government cutbacks, many courses would be dropped and several TAFE campuses would close.
Ms Thomson said she recently attended a TAFE forum in the West which discussed the funding cuts.
“We heard the story of Ivan who is just finishing three years of English as a second language, and as a consequence has gained entry into Melbourne University to do mechanical engineering,” she said.
“He would not have been able to do that if he had not done the course at Victoria University, which prepared him for entry to university.
“Unfortunately that course will not be available to other students from next year because of the horrific cuts to TAFE, a consequence of the Liberal Government’s decision to take $300 million out of TAFE and, as part of that, $40 million out of VU.
“TAFEs provide this important component to students which is important to the West, where there is a disproportionate number of people in need of those kinds of preparatory courses.”
Premier Ted Baillieu has said the TAFE funding cuts were needed after costs blew out under the previous Labor Government.
Mr Baillieu said the government had invested in training areas where Victoria is experiencing a skills shortage.
