Tea Tree Gully and Parafield TAFE campuses to close by end of June 2019 as fresh course audit looms

THE Tea Tree Gully and Parafield TAFE campuses will be shut down by the end of June next year, as the embattled public trainer braces for another course quality audit.

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THE Tea Tree Gully and Parafield Airport TAFE campuses will be shut down by the end of June next year, as the embattled public trainer braces for another course quality audit.

The other five campuses the State Government has in its sights — Port Adelaide, Urrbrae, Roxby Downs, Coober Pedy and Wudinna — won’t last much longer, closing sometime in 2019/20.

Targeting Port Adelaide has baffled the local council, which can’t understand why a campus so close to the defence and shipbuilding precinct could not be kept viable as training needs ramp up in the area.

The Tea Tree Gully TAFE campus at Modbury will close in the middle of 2019. Picture: TAIT SCHMAAL.

The Parafield closure throws into doubt the future of aviation maintenance training, which was the initial source of the scandal over TAFE SA course quality last year.

It may be shifted to the Regency campus, in one of the decisions a new board will have to make early next year.

The Australian Skills Quality Authority, which found problems with all 16 courses it audited last year, affecting more than 1300 students and throwing TAFE SA into crisis, will again swoop on the institution from September 17.

It will scrutinise areas including business, beauty and retail services, fabrication trade engineering, early childhood education and fitness, as well as nursing, dental nursing, veterinary nursing and companion animal services.

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Auditors will also check on implementation of changes after previous audits in hairdressing, visual merchandising, automotive refinishing and individual support.

The State Government says the campuses being closed are underused and Tea Tree Gully was a ghost town when The Advertiser visited yesterday.

Despite the Port Adelaide campus not currently running courses directly related to defence, Port Adelaide Enfield boss Mark Withers said the council was “disappointed with the (closure) decision, particularly with the future defence contracts predicted to be offering jobs requiring specialised skills and vocational training”.

A damning review of TAFE SA’s capability, commissioned by the former Labor state government and released this week, found poor leadership, lack of strategy, cost cutting in the face of funding uncertainty and overcentralisation.

It included a survey of 500 staff that found 60 per cent thought the organisation’s focus was cost reduction, while only 13 per cent said education.

SA Education Minister John Gardner has told Parliament a new funding model would be introduced next year and course fees reviewed.

“TAFE SA will operate with a clear understanding of its cost structure to ensure viability and prevent budget shortfalls and reliance on government,” he said.

“As the public provider, TAFE SA will set the benchmark for quality.”

But Australian Education Union state president Howard Spreadbury said the campus closures — part of $33 million in TAFE “efficiencies” — and the State Government’s description of an extra $109 million as a bailout package “makes it clear that the Marshall Government wants to walk away from TAFE in the longer term”.

Federal Labor TAFE spokesman Doug Cameron said campus closures would disproportionately affect working class families.

THE TAFE SA CAMPUSES AFFECTED

Tea Tree Gully

Students last semester: 226

Closing: By end of 2018/19

Courses offered

Award course areas: Accounting and Bookkeeping, Business and Administration, Digital Literacy, Financial Services, Floristry, Government, IT Support, Networking and Security, Website Development.

Short course area: Business and Administration.

Port Adelaide

Students last semester: 430

Closing: By end of 2019/20

Courses offered

Award course areas: Business and Administration, Complementary Health, Financial Services, Government, Mental Health and Drug Education, Nursing and Pathology, Wellbeing.

Short courses: Business and Administration, Digital Literacy, Literacy and Numeracy, Nursing and Pathology, Wellbeing, Work Health and Safety, Workplace Training.

International course area: Health and Lifestyle.

Urrbrae

Students last semester: 412

Closing: By end of 2019/20

Courses offered

Award course areas: Conservation and Land Management, Horticulture.

Short course areas: Agriculture, Conservation and Land Management, Literacy and Numeracy, Wine and Viticulture.

International course area: Primary Industries and Science.

Parafield

Students last semester: 15

Closing: By end of 2018/19

Courses offered

Award course areas: Aviation Maintenance.

Roxby Downs

Students last semester: 42

Closing: By end of 2019/20

Courses offered

Short course area: First Aid.

Coober Pedy

Students last semester: 14

Closing: By end of 2019/20

Courses offered

Short course area: First Aid.

Wudinna

Students last semester: 119

(109 in a one-off safety course)

Closing: By end of 2019/20

Courses offered

Short course area: First Aid.

Source: TAFE SA website