Hunter TAFE director backs state government reform plan

Skills Minister John Barilaro announced last week that TAFE institutes across the state would be run from a single multi-campus facility instead of the current multi-institute model.

The announcement has raised questions about the future of staff at Hunter TAFE, which has campuses across the region – including at Metford, Kurri Kurri and Cessnock.

It has also put a question mark over what educational services will be delivered at the campuses.

But, in a written statement released to the media, Hunter TAFE institute director Christine Warrington backed the raft of changes.

She said students and staff across the region were in a strong position to take advantage of the reforms.

“We will continue to deliver the quality training we are so well known for through our 15 campuses and within industry,” Ms Warrington said. 

“This modernisation will ensure that we will make more learning resources available for students to access when and where they need them.”

Labor has strongly opposed the Coalition government’s reform plan.

Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison told Fairfax Media she believed the changes would particularly impact students with disabilities, who “have already had their support reduced”.

“More teaching will be done online rather than face-to-face,” she said.

“Without the flexibility of a local campus, how will courses be offered that suit our community, our students, our businesses and our industries?”

While it was too early to see what specific changes would take place, Ms Warrington said TAFE would continue to focus on the needs of Hunter communities.

“We are proud to deliver training programs that are responsive to both local and global industry needs,” she said.

“This will be enhanced with the development of a TAFE NSW state-wide collaborative digital training platform that was announced by the minister [last] week.”