RESIDENTS and students fear the state government’s TAFE cuts will inflict a lasting blow on Ballarat’s social fabric leaving young people with fewer options.
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The concerns were raised at a public meeting organised to protest against the $300 million cuts to the sector in the recent state budget.
Facing a deficit of $20 million, the funding loss caused the University of Ballarat to forecast staff redundancies and a 30 to 40 per cent reduction in programs. The university, which operates dozens of TAFE courses in Ballarat and western Victoria, has announced up to 60 programs would no longer be offered due to the state government slashing funding in its budget.
The meeting, organised jointly by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the Australian Education Union (AEU) with the Ballarat Trades Hall, saw about 50 people gather.
NTEU Ballarat branch president Jeremy Smith, said the meeting was part of ongoing agitation against the cuts.
“We are hoping to broaden the campaign and are looking for more support from the community,” Mr Smith said.
“We have had a lot of support from the community and support from small businesses and people right across the town.
“But we are hoping with this meeting we will have more active involvement in the actual organisation and the direction of the campaign.”
Mr Smith said the impact of the cuts will be felt across the whole Ballarat community.
“It will affect small businesses in terms of having a skilled workforce as well as employment opportunity for the young,” he said.
“...There will be a terrible dilemma for young people...should I go to Melbourne...or to Geelong to study.
“It is a big decision to make and disadvantages Ballarat.”
Fewer options, he said, could also lead to more people on welfare. “It presents a critical situation when regional centres like Ballarat lose essential public services,” Mr Smith said.
Sam Hambrook, 21, who recently finished a Certificate III in hairdressing from University of Ballarat’s SMB campus was one of the key speakers at the meeting.
Ms Hambrook, who returned to TAFE after dropping out of school at just 14, said being able to study at TAFE had turned her life around.
But without an education, she said, people had fewer options and could even end up on the streets.
“I know a lot of young mums who are going through what I went through,” Ms Hambrook said.
“And they won’t be able to study (if the cuts are not reversed).”
Other speakers included head of the Ballarat university’s TAFE arts department, Paul Lambeth, and Australian Education Union Ballarat branch president and full-time TAFE teacher Julie-Anne Noble. The meeting comes after a series of protests in the city, with the biggest one seeing a turnout of 1000 people in May. A Coalition spokesperson said the current funding arrangements for TAFE were unsustainable.
“(There are) examples of enrolments in fitness classes increasing around 2000 per cent since 2008,” she said.
“And this is often at the expense of participation in apprenticeships and areas of skills shortages and many such courses not leading to any employment due to oversupply.”
The spokesperson said the Victorian Coalition was addressing this by committing an extra $1 billion over four years in skills training, including traditional trade apprenticeships.
Ballarat Trades and Labour Council president Brett Edgington said a committee was formed at the meeting to organise future action against the TAFE cuts.
“The committee will organise the next rally and lobby the state government as well as the Opposition,” Mr Edgington said.
“The committee will also continue to scrutinise the university and monitor the situation.”
There are plans for further protests when the State Parliament’s Lower House sits in Ballarat on September 6 at the University of Ballarat’s Mt Helen campus.
Ballarat Grammar Year 12 student Patrick Shaw said he did not usually go to meetings and protests but was drawn to yesterday’s meet because of his concerns for the education sector.
“I have friends at the University of Ballarat...and I am very disappointed with the cuts,” Mr Shaw said.
neelima.choahan@thecourier.com.au