Report shows TAFE funding cut 30 per cent over ten years

A report from Monash University’s Centre for Economics of Education and Training (CEET) shows that government funding per hour in the state’s TAFE sector fell 30 per cent between 1998 and 2008, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Commenting following the release of the report by the Australian Education Union, Dr Kaye said: “NSW Education and Training Minister Verity Firth needs to ensure that funding for TAFE addresses the years of neglect under successive state and federal governments.

“NSW currently ranks second last in recurrent government expenditure per publicly funded annual hour of public vocational education and training. This is a disgrace given NSW’s internal skills crisis is compounded by an exodus of trained workers to the mining boom states of WA and Queensland.

“Minister Firth needs to curb her Federal colleague’s infatuation with throwing cash at for-profit private training colleges and return to delivering quality, vocational education and training.

“The CEET report is backed up by an Australian Education Union survey of over 2,600 TAFE education professionals showing big gaps in resources at the coalface of skills training. “The survey showed three-quarters of TAFE teachers in NSW had to turn away students in the last two years.

“Skills education is core government business. It is not an optional extra. It is the foundation of a solid economy and a successful community.

“Minister Firth needs to pressure her Federal colleagues to deliver increased funding for NSW TAFE,” Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Copies of the reports are available at:

State of our TAFEs survey (PDF, 540kB)

CEET report (PDF, 870kB)