I am writing in response to Simon Ramsay's letter about the TAFE cuts (August 3) - and everything else he has said or written on this subject.
The thing I don't get is that either he is deliberately trying to mislead the public about the "TAFE blowout" or he is completely misinformed.
Either way, he has blown his credibility.
A report I read, quotes the government's own Victorian Training Market Quarterly Report Q1 2012.
This shows that the market share of private RTOs went up from 14 to 46 per cent, while the share of public TAFEs went down from 70 to 45 per cent between 2008 and 30 March, 2012 ie even before the budget was handed down.
I actually believe that the government had no idea of the ramifications for regional communities like Ballarat, of the decision made in the budget to slash funding to TAFEs.
The loss of pathways courses in areas like retail, business and hospitality is going to have a serious impact.
Add to this, the cuts to VCAL will mean the loss of the pathway through school for many kids who have previously received training at TAFE and subsequent employment.
We all know that Ballarat already has very high youth unemployment.
Private RTOs, which exist to make money, are not going to pick these courses (and the other 40 odd courses cut at SMB) up because they have been defunded to the point of being completely untenable.
Mr Ramsay's attack on Brett Edgington was completely unjustified.
He accused Brett of "whipping up hysteria through Trades Hall merely as political opportunism..."
I have heard Brett on the TAFE cuts and he is completely genuine in his views about the impact of the cuts.
DEB SHERARD
Newington
