Leaked Cabinet document reveals TAFE SA jobs on the line, Opposition says

A leaked Cabinet document shows plans to slash jobs from TAFE SA over the next two years, the state opposition says.

A leaked Cabinet document reveals 178 TAFE SA jobs are on the line due to a $275 million funding shortfall in the upcoming state budget, the state opposition says.

The document, supplied to The Advertiser by Labor, reveals the agency is facing “significant budget pressures” over the next four years.

But Treasurer Rob Lucas said the figure is a claim made by TAFE SA, and will not necessarily be agreed upon by treasury.

He added that the agency has had “expenditure blowouts” and hasn’t been able to generate as much revenue as expected.

The three-page document outlines the mounting “critical/unavoidable budget pressures” forecast between the 2021-22 and 2024-25 budgets.

Opposition education spokesman Blair Boyer. Picture: Morgan Sette

Opposition education spokesman Blair Boyer said a row included in the table projected 162 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles would be cut in 2021-22, and a further 16 would go in 2022-23.

“John Gardner, as the Minister responsible for TAFE, has taken this to a Cabinet meeting and it includes modelling to sack 178 staff,” he said.

“I think absolutely there is a very clear link now between the rumoured 39 courses to be cut, which come on top of the 20 cut last year and all the staff who teach those courses, who will no longer have a job once they’re cut.

“There is no doubt they are part of this leaked 178 staff figure, which we have now seen thanks to this Liberal government leaking against itself.”

Mr Lucas said the document was a submission that came from TAFE SA, and “has gone nowhere near Cabinet”.

“During budget discussions we get hundreds of requests from agencies in relation to budget pressures,” he said.

“This is a submission from the agency. It doesn’t reveal any decision made by the government.”

South Australian Treasurer Rob Lucas. Picture: Emma Brasier

He said treasury would not necessarily agree on the amount of the funding shortfall, but added that TAFE SA has not been able to meet set revenue targets.

“They’ve had expenditure blowouts and they haven’t been able to generate as much revenue as they were meant to generate,” he said.

Mr Boyer said the agency had not been able to generate the funds because its most popular and profitable courses had been cut.

TAFE SA last year announced it would scrap 20 courses from metro campuses in 2021, including all subsidised childcare, aged care and disability offerings.

The Advertiser sought a response from TAFE SA, which referred comment to the Treasurer.

The state budget will be delivered by Mr Lucas on June 22.