TAFE SA crisis inquiry: Training flaws worst uncovered by aviation watchdog CASA

A HIGH level inquiry has been told serious flaws in TAFE SA’s aviation training are the worst ever uncovered by the airline industry watchdog.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority revealed it carried out surveillance on TAFE’s training at Parafield.

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SERIOUS flaws in TAFE SA’s aviation training are among the worst ever uncovered by the industry watchdog, evidence to a high-level inquiry reveals.

New details of the failings which led to TAFE suspending training are laid bare as part of a Senate inquiry despite it being derailed by political point scoring.

But the only recommendation made by the Labor-controlled committee in the final report on the ongoing crisis was to establish a comprehensive review of Australia’s vocational education sector — a policy the Federal Opposition announced last week.

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham accused Labor of producing a “whitewashed report on the TAFE debacle”, which prompted the Coalition and Greens members of the committee to write a dissenting report.

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham

In written evidence to the inquiry, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) revealed it carried out surveillance on TAFE’s training at Parafield, after receiving information from the industry that it had conducted training at locations which were not approved by the watchdog.

“CASA subsequently conducted a surveillance activity on location at the Parafield Campus of TAFE SA, during which 18 serious and nine less serious noncompliances to regulatory requirements were identified,” the written evidence revealed.

In response to whether CASA had encountered similar serious issues with other TAFEs, the response was “no”.

“CASA does observe noncompliance but typically these are in a defined category such as record keeping, and not across a broad range of categories as was the case with TAFE SA,” the CASA evidence stated. In November, TAFE had the suspension lifted and all necessary conditions were removed, which allowed the institution to start operating at full aviation training capability.

The committee report, written by Victorian Labor Senator Gavin Marshall, labelled the inquiry an “unnecessary political exercise and a blatant attempt by the Coalition Government to damage the South Australian Labor Government”. But the report did note that the concerns about TAFE SA were symptomatic of a “broader crisis” in vocational education.

The dissenting report by Coalition and Greens Senators stated it was “disappointing” state and federal Labor “sought to frustrate the operation of this inquiry”. The inquiry was stalled and the only hearing was in Sydney.

Senator Birmingham said many questions still remained unanswered.

SA Education Minister Susan Close said TAFE SA was one of only five nationally accredited providers of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Training in Australia.

“At no time were any safety concerns raised,” she said.