It’s frustrating for people working at the cutting edge of employment services, to see policies enacted by the SA Government, which will lead to more unemployment and further erode organisational capability.

South Australia is well on the way to outsourcing by stealth, many of its TAFE SA courses to private providers. This is surprising if we remember the national VET-FEE rorts by private training colleges – but most don’t.

Numerous courses are set to be cut in retail, dental health, performing arts, photography, rural operations, project management, counselling and work, health and safety.

Last year cuts were announced to childcare, aged care and disability courses from TAFE SA’s metro campuses, forcing students to study with private training providers.

To be honest, TAFE SA has been a basket case for ten years with rolling CEO’s, board members and bad teaching but this will hardly help a state which consistently ranks lowest on educational outcomes across the credential spectrum. I wrote a story about it five years ago.

AEU state president Lara Golding said at least 39 more courses were set to go, leaving staff and students “confused and anxious” – not to mention pending massive staff cuts.

“Staff are being told in corridors and informal meetings that their courses will no longer be running next semester, but as yet no public announcement has been made,” Golding said.

Golding called on the Premier to be “transparent and honest” and “to explain your long term plans for our trusted public provider of vocational education”.

“At this critical time for the state’s economy we call on you to rebuild with TAFE,” she wrote.