❓ Mr. Logan questions the Minister regarding TAFE fee hikes, enrolment declines, course reductions, and job losses due to government reforms. The Minister assures no lecturers will lose their jobs and students can continue current courses, defending the fee increases as targeted towards priority skills areas.
AnsweredQoN 68Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAFE
COLLEGES
68. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development:
I refer to the government's third review, which has
taken seven years, and the 510 per cent fee hikes, the 11 000 fewer enrolments
and the reduced choice of courses that have happened due to the minister's
mismanagement of training.
(1) How can
students be guaranteed that these new changes will not result in further fee
increases, as has happened so far under the minister's management?
(2) Can the
minister guarantee that students will still be able to access their current
courses at their current locations?
(3) Can she
guarantee that no TAFE lecturer or tutor will be part of the 230 employees who
will be sacked as part of this reform?
COLLEGES
68. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development:
I refer to the government's third review, which has
taken seven years, and the 510 per cent fee hikes, the 11 000 fewer enrolments
and the reduced choice of courses that have happened due to the minister's
mismanagement of training.
(1) How can
students be guaranteed that these new changes will not result in further fee
increases, as has happened so far under the minister's management?
(2) Can the
minister guarantee that students will still be able to access their current
courses at their current locations?
(3) Can she
guarantee that no TAFE lecturer or tutor will be part of the 230 employees who
will be sacked as part of this reform?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(3)
I will answer the last part of the member's question first. To be very
clear, regarding the 230 positions that will go as a result of collapsing this
administrative structure, first, we have a high attrition rate in a lot of our
regional colleges in particular. Some of those positions will be realised by
attrition. We will offer opportunities for redeployment as a first priority.
There will be offers of voluntary redundancy. We will handle the transition of
those employees properly and with the appropriate level of dignity afforded to
people who have a strong commitment to our training sector.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
am getting to it, member for Cockburn. No lecturers amongst those —
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie, I call you to order
for the second time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
To make it abundantly clear to everyone in the house —
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Member, perhaps if you closed your mouth and opened your ears, you could hear
my answer. No lecturers will lose their job.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie, I have given you a lot
of latitude. You cannot just shout out at will here. I want to hear the
minister through the Chair. A quick answer, thank you.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
No lecturing positions form part of those 230 positions. The purpose of these
changes and one of the recommendations of the review—I recommend that
all members acquaint themselves with a copy of the review—was better
collaboration between the colleges. Our purpose in doing this is to have better
collaboration between all the colleges so that we can offer a broader suite of
courses to students. Member for Cockburn, yes, students will still be able to
access the courses they are enrolled in at the locations they are in on 11 April
when this collapsed structure comes into play. That will not change. We
increased fees but we targeted —
Ms S.F. McGurk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order
for the first time. Minister, you have got 30 seconds to wind this up.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
As I have said ad nauseam in this place, we targeted the highest level of
subsidisation to our priority skills areas that we know lead to employment or
further education. I make no apology for that. We need people to undertake
training that is relevant to business and that leads to jobs. That is our
purpose and I will not be diverted from my purpose around delivering training
outcomes for Western Australians because the opposition objects to collapsing
administrative structures.
(1)–(3)
I will answer the last part of the member's question first. To be very
clear, regarding the 230 positions that will go as a result of collapsing this
administrative structure, first, we have a high attrition rate in a lot of our
regional colleges in particular. Some of those positions will be realised by
attrition. We will offer opportunities for redeployment as a first priority.
There will be offers of voluntary redundancy. We will handle the transition of
those employees properly and with the appropriate level of dignity afforded to
people who have a strong commitment to our training sector.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
am getting to it, member for Cockburn. No lecturers amongst those —
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie, I call you to order
for the second time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
To make it abundantly clear to everyone in the house —
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Member, perhaps if you closed your mouth and opened your ears, you could hear
my answer. No lecturers will lose their job.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie, I have given you a lot
of latitude. You cannot just shout out at will here. I want to hear the
minister through the Chair. A quick answer, thank you.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
No lecturing positions form part of those 230 positions. The purpose of these
changes and one of the recommendations of the review—I recommend that
all members acquaint themselves with a copy of the review—was better
collaboration between the colleges. Our purpose in doing this is to have better
collaboration between all the colleges so that we can offer a broader suite of
courses to students. Member for Cockburn, yes, students will still be able to
access the courses they are enrolled in at the locations they are in on 11 April
when this collapsed structure comes into play. That will not change. We
increased fees but we targeted —
Ms S.F. McGurk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order
for the first time. Minister, you have got 30 seconds to wind this up.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
As I have said ad nauseam in this place, we targeted the highest level of
subsidisation to our priority skills areas that we know lead to employment or
further education. I make no apology for that. We need people to undertake
training that is relevant to business and that leads to jobs. That is our
purpose and I will not be diverted from my purpose around delivering training
outcomes for Western Australians because the opposition objects to collapsing
administrative structures.
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