❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses concerns about the impact of centralised TAFE corporate services on regional colleges, focusing on resource allocation and service quality. The Minister aims for improved services and efficiency, acknowledging potential impacts on regional staff.
AnsweredQoN 390Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Given that corporate services staff in regional technical and further education colleges undertake a broader range of duties than their metropolitan counterparts - (1) Will the minister acknowledge that any move to centralised TAFE corporate services will severely disadvantage regional TAFE colleges? (2) If the minister refuses to acknowledge this and proceeds with his centralisation plan, will he offer additional resources to the regional TAFE colleges to compensate for the impact of his plan? (3) Will the minister guarantee that, as a result of the move to shared services, all regional TAFE colleges will have the same, if not a better, range of services through the centralised system? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
(1) Will the minister acknowledge that any move to centralised TAFE corporate services will severely disadvantage regional TAFE colleges? (2) If the minister refuses to acknowledge this and proceeds with his centralisation plan, will he offer additional resources to the regional TAFE colleges to compensate for the impact of his plan? (3) Will the minister guarantee that, as a result of the move to shared services, all regional TAFE colleges will have the same, if not a better, range of services through the centralised system? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
(2) If the minister refuses to acknowledge this and proceeds with his centralisation plan, will he offer additional resources to the regional TAFE colleges to compensate for the impact of his plan? (3) Will the minister guarantee that, as a result of the move to shared services, all regional TAFE colleges will have the same, if not a better, range of services through the centralised system? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
(3) Will the minister guarantee that, as a result of the move to shared services, all regional TAFE colleges will have the same, if not a better, range of services through the centralised system? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
(1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
(1) Will the minister acknowledge that any move to centralised TAFE corporate services will severely disadvantage regional TAFE colleges? (2) If the minister refuses to acknowledge this and proceeds with his centralisation plan, will he offer additional resources to the regional TAFE colleges to compensate for the impact of his plan? (3) Will the minister guarantee that, as a result of the move to shared services, all regional TAFE colleges will have the same, if not a better, range of services through the centralised system? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
(2) If the minister refuses to acknowledge this and proceeds with his centralisation plan, will he offer additional resources to the regional TAFE colleges to compensate for the impact of his plan? (3) Will the minister guarantee that, as a result of the move to shared services, all regional TAFE colleges will have the same, if not a better, range of services through the centralised system? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
(3) Will the minister guarantee that, as a result of the move to shared services, all regional TAFE colleges will have the same, if not a better, range of services through the centralised system? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
(1)-(3) Clearly the answer is yes to the last part of the question, because that is the whole intent of the policy. As I said previously, I acknowledge that the last Government had some wins as a result of setting up 12 independent colleges. They became more responsive to industry, but they ended up being over-bureaucratic and competing with one another, with no net outcome in many cases. When we came into government we said that we wanted a more collaborative approach; we wished to standardise things. Instead of each TAFE heralding its own name, they are calling themselves TAFE, whether they be C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE or any other. We are not trying to push the fact that they are independent. Although they operate independently and they try to service their local communities, they work collaboratively. C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE is in an area with inland aquaculture, so it can work with other colleges that are dealing with it. We want to see services shared across colleges. In the limited time I have I cannot go into detail, but we have sought to ensure that we standardise such things as software development and human resources for which there are to be shared services. Some aspects of that end up being centralised, but I am keen that it not become centralised to the extent of dictating to the colleges. The colleges must manage that process and achieve efficiencies, and those efficiencies are to be used to improve and extend service delivery and training. The report by the member for Riverton indicated that in some colleges a high percentage of total staff was involved in behind-the-scenes work. We will attempt to put more people into service delivery - at the front of classrooms, lecturing and instructing in the workplace, adding to the library resources that give directly to students - and move people away from behind-the-scenes areas and administrative functions. I realise that in some smaller regional colleges that may mean a reduction in the number of administrative staff. I am sensitive to that, because I know the impact it will have. I cannot give the member an undertaking that there will not be a small impact, but we are attempting to minimise it. The positive impact will be an increase in the services that are available, the student contact hours and the range of programs, because that is what we wish to do. I acknowledge that the previous Government was very efficient in achieving quite marked increases in student contact hours, without requiring a big increase in resources. We are trying to take that further. We cannot continue to squeeze and squeeze, but we are looking at achieving greater efficiencies in administration and then putting the resources we save back into the delivery of training in our colleges.
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