Here in Wollongong, Dapto TAFE sits on a magnificent 1.4 hectare site and has twenty-two full time staff. What it lacks - is students ! Five years ago it was a busy hub with an enrolment of 658 learning a trade, but the numbers dwindled and today not a single student walks through the gates at the commencement of each learning day.
Dapto TAFE joins similar underperforming units at Chullora, Epping and Belrose slated for sale or conversion to other purposes which will most likely return $63 million to the public purse, and this at a time when the unemployed are crying out for qualifications to land them a job.
Amazingly, we have constant warnings that Australia lacks qualified tradesmen to fill gaps in carpentry, plumbing, electrical and other aspects of the building trade. Construction is often delayed because sufficient bricklayers can not be found and those with this skill have pushed their rates to dizzy heights. In today's world, tradesmen are earning more than some people with degrees - and yet we have empty TAFE facilities about to go under the auctioneers hammer.
It seems that the planning people got a lot of things wrong. TAFE is just a fancy new name for what used to be called "Technical Colleges ". Those were the days when kids left school and either went to university - or learned a trade by being apprenticed. In return for very low wages their employer taught them their trade and this learning process was both checked and extended by their attendance at night classes at the Technical College - which issued a formal certificate of graduation at the conclusion of their apprenticeship period.
Somewhere along the way, attitudes changed. A school of thought emerged that quality of life was more important than earning a living and all sorts of exotic courses began to cram the TAFE offerings, to the exclusion of trades. Young hopefuls began to enrol in basket weaving, Brazilian waxing and Hula Hooping, few of which offered career opportunities.
That seems to be the sad experience of Dapto TAFE. Presently, it offers just two courses. Certificate 2 Work training in Forestry skills, and Certificate 2 in Community Services. Neither of these have attracted a single enrolment.
It doesn't take a brain like Albert Einstein to figure out what is wrong - and how to fix it. There are other TAFE's in surrounding Wollongong suburbs that are going gangbusters with students - because they teach the subjects that deliver jobs. Even the less mentally gifted should be able to see why Dapto TAFE is missing out on student numbers.
It would be a tragedy if this TAFE went out of existence simply because of bad planning. Somewhere there are people earning very good money who have the task of making decisions that could turn this around - and deliver qualifications that would make a dent in the unemployment figures.
If nothing else, the need for more bricklayers is critical to the housing boom - and they are wanted in all areas of Australia. If this TAFE specialised in training bricklayers it would do more than earn it's keep - and provide a public service.
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