A “PROPOSAL” to shut TAFE’s childcare centre has not been fully ratified, says an administrator.
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But David Guthrey, the Illawarra Institute’s operations manager (Highlands District) can’t see the recommendation being reversed.
He told the Post the local centre was incurring significant costs and subsidies and a business review had recommended its closure.
Mr Guthrey has rejected claims of “sham consultation” at Tuesday night’s meeting. He stressed that Institute director Dianne Murray still had to sign off on the proposal.
“The invitation was to talk about the proposal and the transitioning but as the meeting went on, people were understandably resistant to that,” he said.
“Consultation with staff is the first step and that has been ongoing because they are the key group. Phase two is for people to give their feedback. That is principally staff but also parents, which is what the meeting was about.”
He promised to pass on feedback to Ms Murray. However parents on Tuesday criticised the non-attendance of key managers who could give them more immediate answers.
As to whether parents’ views would change anything, Mr Guthrey said it was important to remember the centre started 30 years ago as a student support service. But very few staff and students used it and it cost significantly more than TAFE recouped.
“There is nothing to indicate we can close that gap,” he said.
In 2011/12, PricewaterhouseCoopers reviewed all 19 TAFE childcare centres in NSW. Mr Guthey said most recommendations to improve performance were adopted, including increasing fees, within reason, and removing the limit on community placements to compensate for the fact fewer students were using the service.
He attributed this to a change in the student profile and the way TAFE delivered courses, namely online, part-time and through other campuses that had opened at Yass, Moss Vale and Queanbeyan.
Mr Guthrey rejected suggestions it was because TAFE had cut courses and enrolments had dropped.
“Certainly the mix of what we deliver changes from time to time according to student needs and training packages,” he said.
“…No doubt students out there have decided to place their children in other centres. I go back to this – Goulburn has a surplus of childcare places at the moment and in this day and age I don’t think people want us to subsidise community users when the money can be spent on TAFE courses. It is costing us a lot of money.”
As to the future of TAFE in Goulburn, Mr Guthrey said the Institute was a high quality education provider that was “very much here to stay.
“We have been here a long time and have very good facilities and courses,” Mr Guthrey said.
“In saying that, there are always fluctuations in demand. We are demand driven in response to industry requirements.”
Asked how many private providers had entered the Goulburn market under the State Government’s Smart and Skilled reforms, Mr Guthrey said some were online, very active and not restricted to a geographic location.
