Victoria’s TAFE students are being short-changed by almost 20 per cent, compared to other states and territories, the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services (ROGS) shows.
The new data reveals that Victoria is again the lowest-funded state for vocational education and training (VET), paying just $17.19 per annual hour of VET delivery.
This is $3.67 less per annual hour of VET delivery than the national average of $20.86 and almost $3 behind the second lowest funded state of Queensland at $19.99 per annual hour of VET delivery.
For almost a decade Victorian vocational education and training has been the lowest funded in the country with the only exception being in 2020 where additional funding was provided as part of the pandemic response, which meant that Victoria was the second worst funded.
The Australian Education Union Victorian Branch said Victorian TAFE students and teachers were bearing the brunt of the poor funding and it’s not the case that the state government had ‘saved TAFE’ as they promised to do.
“For more than 10 years, AEU members have been warning the Victorian Labor Government that our TAFEs are chronically underfunded, but the government has not listened,” AEU Deputy President Justin Mullaly said.
“Even the government’s own review, conducted by former federal MP Jenny Macklin, made clear the massive funding shortfall. It’s time for Premier Allan to step up and actually save TAFE.
“There is a shortage of skilled workers across the Victorian economy, but the reality is that Victorian TAFEs are not funded for the actual cost of course delivery, leaving all Victorians at a severe disadvantage.
“This means that TAFEs increase class sizes, cut student learning time from courses, and reduce teacher preparation time.
“This situation also contributes to the current shortage of TAFE teachers and those that remain are under enormous workload stress. Many teachers work excessive and unsustainable workloads, often involving significant unpaid overtime.
“To make matters worse, there’s a glaring $6,600 difference in salary between experienced school and TAFE teachers, and from 1 July 2024 this gap is set to grow to $7,742 or over 7 per cent. There is no justification for the Allan government to value TAFE teachers less than school teachers,” Mr Mullaly said.
TAFE teachers have been negotiating a new pay and conditions agreement since the middle of 2022, having served a log of claims almost two years ago.
AEU Victorian Branch Council last year approved an application for a protected action ballot order in the Fair Work Commission, the first step to taking industrial action.
TAFE teachers are seeking new measures to address unsustainable workloads, more time for preparation to ensure high quality course delivery and a pay rise to reflect the value of their work and to help address the shortage of TAFE teachers.
“You cannot fix the shortage of skilled workers in Victoria without funding the full cost of TAFE delivery and delivering a fair and reasonable pay rise and improved conditions for TAFE teachers,” Mr Mullaly said. (See table here.)
MEDIA CONTACT: Alys Gagnon, 0438 379 977
8 February 2024