Labor promises to reopen Greensborough TAFE if elected

OPPOSITION Leader Daniel Andrews has promised to reopen Greensborough TAFE if Labor wins the state election.

Dan Andrews made an announcement about Labor's promised tech schools and the re-opening of NMIT at Greensborough. Vickii Ward, Daniel Andrews and Colin Brooks

OPPOSITION Leader Daniel Andrews has promised to reopen Greensborough TAFE if Labor wins the state election.

Mr Andrews said the campus, which had accommodated about 1000 students at its peak, would help reduce Victoria’s youth unemployment rate of 14.7 per cent — the highest on the Australian mainland.

He said he wanted to see NMIT, now called Melbourne Polytechnic, manage the TAFE but Labor would look at other providers if needed.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE GREENSBOROUGH TAFE REOPENED? TELL US BELOW

Mr Andrews said the commitment included $10 million for upgrading the campus, to be taken from Labor’s $320 million TAFE rescue fund.

“I am not prepared to see our TAFE organisations die,” Mr Andrews said.

“We start the process of reopening this TAFE on day one … we would like to have it reopened as soon as possible; if it can be done by 2015 it will be.”

Mr Andrews also announced that apprentices would benefit from a 50 per cent car registration discount if they could prove they needed a car for their work.

“I am not prepared to see our TAFE organisations die,” — Daniel Andrews, Opposition Leader

Nillumbik Mayor Cr Helen Coleman said the council was not happy when the TAFE closed as it was the only tertiary education campus in the municipality.

Greensborough NMIT closed in 2013, with management saying the decision was due to a decline in enrolments.

NMIT lost $31.7 million in 2013 and received a $19 million State Government grant earlier this year before changing its name.

Melbourne Polytechnic interim chief executive Ron Gauci said estimates showed $10 million would keep the Greensborough campus running for just two years.

Mr Gauci said demographic information showed the campus was not sustainable.

He said Greensborough would have to attract between four and five times the number of students it had at the time of its closure to be viable.

“We have made a decision not to reopen on strong commercial grounds and we are unsure of the implications of Mr Andrews’ policy,” Mr Gauci said.

Higher Education and Skills Minister Nick Wakeling said it was not the government’s role to suggest Melbourne Polytechnic should take on a reopened campus.

“TAFES have boards and CEOs to make decisions about operations,” Mr Wakeling said

“Governments do not tell hospitals what staff they employ and what operations to run and what beds to open; that’s for the hospital board.

“Governments should not be in the business of telling institutes what facilities they use.”