CASH collected from any fire sale of TAFE campuses is unlikely to be invested back into education and training, Kororoit MP Marlene Kairouz says.
She said Premier Ted Baillieu failed to guarantee money raised would go back into the TAFE system when asked about the sale of campuses marked for closure in leaked cabinet documents.
“First, the Baillieu government slashed $290 million in funding, forcing TAFEs across Victoria to sell assets, and now in a double blow the Premier has refused to guarantee that TAFEs can keep the money from asset sales so they can continue to operate,” Ms Kairouz said.
This was “disastrous news” for the Victoria University TAFE, struggling after about $40 million was cut from its budget.
The leaked document reveal VU is closing its Newport campus and seeking funding equivalent to the sale to help relocate services from its CBD campus to Footscray.
VU TAFE supporters staged a vocal rally in Footscray Mall last Thursday, demanding the government reverse its TAFE funding cuts.
The Friends of Victoria University rally was spurred by more cuts at VU, with youth guarantee funding dropping from $2.1 million to about $680,000 and at least 13 full-time youth support and education positions being lost.
Friends of VU spokesman Paul Adams said cuts to youth guarantee funding would increase risk of homelessness and lead to many at-risk students dropping out of courses.
Victoria University College will strip the number of student contact hours from 2.2 million this year to 1.5 million next year. “The reduction in teaching hours support for students, many of whom are from a low socio-economic background, will undermine high-quality literacy for those studying at lower levels,” Dr Adams said.
Friends of VU spokesman Dave Kerin said the cuts would impact most heavily on the disadvantaged in the community. “Friends of VU calls on the government, and any party intending to form government in future, to commit to properly funding high-quality youth, migrant and further education programs in the west.”
The comments come in the wake of a LeadWest report that found the cuts would have a particularly hard impact on Melbourne’s west.
Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall said Victoria invested more money than any other state in its training system.
A public meeting will be held from 6.30 tonight at the Maribyrnong Council offices, corner of Hyde and Napier streets, Footscray.
