READ ALSO:

The Community Public Sector Union of NSW has been advised of plans to cut 700 TAFE jobs, including up to 470 in rural and regional NSW.

Goulburn Liberal MP Wendy Tuckerman said she had been assured that any roles affected were to reduce duplication and management layers.

'No frontline roles, teaching positions, roles that support students in the classroom or with their studies will be included in these proposed changes; and, furthermore, no student will be disadvantaged by these changes,"

Deputy NSW Labor leader and shadow minister for rural and regional jobs Yasmin Catley said the loss of some 470 jobs across rural and regional NSW would be a "devastating blow" to the towns and communities which those workers call home.

"These communities are doing it tough after the drought, fires, floods and a global pandemic," she said.

"These cuts to TAFE NSW are only going to make an already dire situation worse."

Ms Tuckerman said she was advised that in 2016, TAFE NSW announced a new One TAFE operating model to bring together 10 separate institutes and its digital delivery arm.

"While this reform has resulted in a net reduction of fewer than 50 jobs across the organisation, it is incorrect to assert that there will be 700 front line job losses, with 470 of these coming from regional communities," she said.

"In 2020/21 the NSW Government is investing more than $200 million in capital works projects to deliver new teaching and learning spaces for communities rights across NSW."

Would you like to share your thoughts? Send a letter to the editor.