Higher Education and Skills Minister Susan Close confirms TAFE has been given more time to fix 14 suspect courses

TAFE has been given an extension until March to clean up its act over dodgy courses, after first being ordered by the national watchdog to have it all fixed by next month.

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TAFE has been given an extension until March to clean up its act over dodgy courses, after first being ordered by the national watchdog to have it all fixed by next month.

The Australian Skills Quality Authority a fortnight ago placed TAFE on notice that it would suspend enrolment in 14 courses, including qualifications for plumbing, mechanics, cooking, hairdressing and construction unless the agency made appeals before January 23.

Higher Education and Skills Minister Susan Close’s office today confirmed an extension until March 2 had been granted. The State Government says the extension means students can be enrolled in the affected courses ahead of time approaching the new academic year.

Dr Close says those applicants would then be considered “continuing students” by ASQA and TAFE would get more time to respond in detail to with a plan to fix all affected courses.

Higher Education Minister Susan Picture: Calum Robertson

The Government says ASQA has allowed TAFE to continue to enrol students in the new year as there are many people for whom TAFE is the best or only option.

The State Government says it will “provide placements and funding to private providers in order to give students more options” if they do not want to take up TAFE studies.

Opposition education spokesman John Gardner said: “Jay Weatherill and Susan Close can gamble with their own futures but they must not gamble with the futures of SA students”.

“The Weatherill Government must immediately amend the subsidised training list so students can have the choice they deserve, the opportunity to seek training for the career they desire,” he said. “I am also calling on the Weatherill Government to explain why they need an extension when they were warned about their noncompliance in September.”

Dr Close said TAFE was now in the process of reviewing all courses it currently delivered to ensure students, industry and employers can have confidence in training and assessments.

“This includes the review of teaching materials, development of new assessment tools, regular upskilling of trainers and assessors and an enhanced program of internal audit,” she said.

“Continuing students will, where necessary, have any remediation built into their studies next year and should not be adversely affected. Students who enrol and commence in the New Year will undertake study in already remediated courses.”

Students who believe they have successfully completed their qualification are encouraged to apply for a parchment in the usual way. TAFE SA says it will contact students in the affected qualifications who have requested a parchment by the end of this week to finalise any fixes.

TAFE says it has been “in regular communication with all students” over the crisis.

International students will have further communication later this week.

TAFE says every continuing student in the affected courses was telephoned last week and follow up emails and text messages were also sent.

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