Drop in VET students at odds with National Skills Week message
2 September 2019
Section: News
The continued decline in the number of students enrolled with nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) makes a mockery of the government’s National Skills Week, Australian Education Union Federal TAFE Secretary Maxine Sharkey said.
Management changes and compliance red tape hindering students and teachers
24 August 2019
Section: News
The recent resignation of TAFE Managing Director Dr Caralee McLiesh just nine months after the previous Managing Director moved on has highlighted the problems facing TAFE, its students, teachers and communities.
Government funding can stop TAFE decline
7 August 2019
Section: News
The best way to reverse the fall in enrolments in government-funded vocational education was to restore funding to TAFE and reinstate it as the primary provider of vocational education in Australia, Ms Sharkey said.
Wider focus for TAFE would better prepare students for their working lives
16 July 2019
Section: News
New social policy is desperately needed for the vocational education and training sector says Centre for Future Work associate Pat Forward.
Forum to plot course to bolster TAFE
9 July 2019
Section: News
A national event on the future of TAFE is being planned by the Australian Education Union.
NSW Budget has no plan for TAFE growth
21 June 2019
Section: News
The meagre 3 per cent increase in spending on TAFE in Tuesday’s NSW Budget revealed the Berejiklian Government had no plans for any significant growth in public vocational education, Federation analysis of the documents reveal.
Vocational education policy failure
13 June 2019
Section: News
For many years, Federation has warned all levels of government about the flaws in the private vocational education market.
Here’s to centenary of activism
13 June 2019
Section: News
Councillors, Life Members and guests of the TAFE Teachers Association came together to celebrate 100 years of activism at the TAFE Teachers Association Centenary Anniversary AGM and dinner on 31 May.
Change the rules, change the nation
14 April 2019
Section: News
A strong showing is needed at May Day Change the Rules rallies to indicate to politicians that inequity will be an important issue for voters at the federal election.
A simple moral choice: some children or all children?
11 April 2019
Section: Columns
As a nation, we can decide to give our teachers in public schools the resources they need for the task at hand or we continue to advantage those private schools that are over-funded.
Community concerns for Bega TAFE
9 April 2019
Section: News
Bega TAFE Federation members and the local community are still deeply concerned about plans to further build on the Bega Connected Learning Centre (CLC) site rather than the existing TAFE campus.
Vocational learning opportunities reduced for many under funding model
25 March 2019
Section: News
Data presented to a recent roundtable shows why government funding of the vocational education and training sector is best directed towards TAFE.
TAFE reimagined as a flexible vocational education provider, responsive to local needs
15 March 2019
Section: News
Groups cognisant of the critical role TAFE plays in the strength of local communities discussed concepts to rejuvenate and modernise the public educator provider at a roundtable hosted by Federation this week.
Election: funding breakthrough
11 March 2019
Section: News
Federation helped gain a significant step towards fair funding of public schools after an announcement over the weekend that a Labor state government would fully fund the public system.
2019 campaign priorities
4 March 2019
Section: News
The campaign priorities outlined here are by no means an exhaustive list nor are they necessarily in any particular order. Rather, these are the major issues, determined by members at Federation’s democratic decision-making forums, that we will continue to campaign for in the forthcoming elections, and beyond.
Members fight for the survival of TAFE
2 March 2019
Section: News
Federation members have enlightened regional voters of the dire state of public vocational education — wrought by the contestable-funding policies of the federal and state Coalition governments — in a series of Stop TAFE Cuts campaign events.
You can help save TAFE
27 February 2019
Section: News
Now is the time to tell your local state and federal politicians how much you value TAFE — our present and future students are relying on you.
Safeguard TAFE when you vote
5 February 2019
Section: News
This week Federation is running an “Enrol to vote for TAFE” campaign on TAFE campuses and online as the federal election approaches.
Stop TAFE Cuts campaign kicks off in Tamworth
23 January 2019
Section: News
Hundreds from across Australia visiting the Tamworth Country Music Festival are signing up for the campaign to Stop TAFE Cuts.
TAFE Forum considers flawed policy
12 December 2018
Section: News
Teachers, industry leaders and community members rallied at a TAFE Forum in the Banks electorate hosted by the NSW Teachers Federation in light of falling enrolments in the sector.
Federation: a proud history, a confident future
10 December 2018
Section: Columns
As we end our 100th anniversary year, we can look back proud of our union’s achievements over the decades.