No New Year cheer for Illawarra TAFE students
The Illawarra Institute of TAFE is in crisis. Funding for training workers in essential Community Services is being slashed. Workers in nursing, child care, welfare, youth, alcohol and drug addiction, aged care and a range of other health and recreation areas are affected by the cuts which take effect from February, 2003. Peter de Graaff, TAFE Organiser for the NSW Teachers' Federation described the cuts as "deplorable at a time when all the evidence points to increasing demand from the community for these essential services". Mr de Graaff referred to recent research by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) showing a rise in the level of poverty and the number of people seeking welfare assistance. Unemployment is escalating in the region. A budget cut of $300,000 has been applied to Personal Community and Health Service training programs at the Illawarra Institute of TAFE. This will significantly reduce the number of spaces for new students in the New Year. What do the cuts mean to the community? * Training for new aged care workers in Wollongong has been axed after 12 years of successful operation, despite an ageing population and demands from agencies for trained workers. * A 50 percent reduction in the budget for new alcohol and other drug worker training. * Axing of the general Community Services ( Welfare) Diploma course at Shellharbour College (the largest area of population growth in the region). * Loss of night-time courses in Child Studies in Wollongong and Shellharbour. This is the traditional way that existing workers gain qualifications. * A 50 percent reduction in places available for students seeking diploma qualifications in Child Studies at Shellharbour TAFE College; * A major cut in places available for people seeking Assistant in Nursing qualifications, especially in Shellharbour. Student positions have been cut from 100 to 30 places in 2003. The NSW Nurses' Association has expressed "extreme concern" at the cuts for 2003. * Axing of programs at Shellharbour which upgrade skills and qualifications of existing workers in the community services industry. * An inability to respond to the rapid growth in the need for aged care workers on the South Coast despite sustained requests from employers. * Loss of training opportunities in Welfare studies at Goulburn, Queanbeyan and Moruya. Lost places for Nursing at Cooma, Bega and Moruya. Who Can Help? "Families with children completing Year 10 or Year 12 in 2002 and women seeking a return to education and paid work should be very concerned about the reduction of places for courses in 2003. "It's these groups that will be most disadvantaged as a result of the cuts ", said Helen Backhouse, Manager of the Illawarra Forum, the peak body for Community Services in the Illawarra. She urged concerned community members and workers in the sector to contact their local Member of Parliament and the TAFE NSW, Illawarra Institute Director Mr Barry Peddle to voice their opposition. How to help Stopping the cuts means taking action now. Phone, write, email, fax, or visit any of the people/agencies listed to let them know you oppose the cuts. Illawarra TAFE Senior Management: Barry Peddle, Director, 3 Rowland Ave Wollongong, Ph 4222 2904 Ray Tolhurst, Deputy of Studies, Ph 4222 2914 Rex Lobegeier, Director Education Services, Ph 4222 2904 Politicians: David Campbell, Member for Keira, 247 Princes Hwy Corrimal Ph 4285 1588, Fax: 42851858, keira@parliament.nsw.gov.au Marianne Saliba, Member for Illawarra, 60 Princes Hwy Dapto Ph 4261 7171, Fax: 4261 8433 illawarra@parliament.nsw.gov.au Colin Markham, Member for Wollongong, Suite 2, 65 Kembla St Wollongong, Ph 4226 5700, Fax 4226 9963 wollongong@parliament.nsw.gov.au Matt Brown, Member for Kiama, Terralong House, Terralong St Kiama Ph 4232 1082, Fax 4232 3577 kiama@parliament.nsw.gov.au Jennie George, Member for Throsby, 2/187 Princes Hwy Albion Park Ph 4256 6333, Fax 4256 6882 Jennie.GeorgeMP@aph.gov.au Michael Organ, Member for Cunningham, 83 Railway St Corrimal Ph 4283 7300 Michael.OrganMP@aph.gov.au