Premier Jay Weatherill says up to 1300 TAFE students could now be caught in the crisis, as public sector union threatens action

HUNDREDS more students could be caught up in the widening TAFE debacle than was first revealed, as Premier Jay Weatherill says as many as 1300 could now be affected.

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HUNDREDS more students could be caught up in the TAFE debacle than was first revealed, as Premier Jay Weatherill says as many as 1300 may now be affected.

When the Australian Skills Quality Authority on Monday announced the suspension of enrolments in 14 courses, Higher Education and Skills Minister Susan Close said 800 students could be forced to undergo retraining or testing.

Mr Weatherill said it was now understood that around 1300 could have question marks over their qualifications and the State Government was “working through the issues” to settle on the exact number.

TAFE SA director of governance and research Roslyn Agate told The Advertiser the organisation first feared impacts for 1660 students, with estimates fluctuating as TAFE worked through the implications of ASQA’s findings.

“TAFE SA identified 1660 potentially affected students,” she told The Advertiser.

“This number has been reduced by 315 following the determination ... that electro-technology is now compliant.

Education Minister Susan Close and Premier Jay Weatherill.

“The maximum number is therefore 1345 potentially affected students.”

She said TAFE SA’s original remediation plan, before ASQA’s latest findings and course suspensions, had anticipated about 800.

“We are now working with ASQA on the final remediation required,” she said.

The numbers would spike again if further audits planned by the national watchdog led to the suspension of enrolments in other courses. Dr Close has said it is “highly likely” there are quality problems with more than just the 16 courses sampled in ASQA’s report released on Monday.

In a further headache for the Government, the Public Service Association has flagged an industrial dispute with TAFE SA over the crisis, as it calls for the halt of a major internal restructure at the training organisation which is underway. The PSA says it is highly likely there will need to be a further and dramatic overhaul of TAFE SA when findings of inquiries launched this week are finally delivered.

The PSA has submitted a notice of industrial dispute with the SA Employment Tribunal and written to Dr Close asking for “intervention” to stop the current restructure.

In a bulletin to members, the union urged members not to participate in any discussions or meetings about restructures.

Mr Weatherill said Dr Close had his full support as minister.

“She’s dealing with a difficult situation assertively and assiduously and she’ll work through every single one of these issues and ensure the students are protected and she’ll get TAFE back on track,” Mr Weatherill said. SA ministers would not front a Senate inquiry into the crisis, due to report just before the state election, because it was “a stitch-up for political purposes,” he said.

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