FEES will be five times higher in some courses at Northern Melbourne Institute of Tafe, its chief executive has confirmed.
Dr Andy Giddy said about 50 courses were likely to be scrapped after the state government this month announced $25 million in cuts to NMIT’s programs.
Dr Giddy said the “massive” $100 million budget cuts to skills training statewide, to take effect in January 2013, would increase course fees
between 10 per cent and up to five times more, depending on the course.
Worst-hit were certificates in hospitality, business, customer contact, fitness and business administration. Dr Giddy said these courses could be scrapped, but no decisions had been made yet.
Funding cuts had not hit traditional trade and community service areas, he said.
The institute has begun financial remodelling of all course areas to determine how and where it will cut back services.
Dr Giddy said some courses could be saved if statewide TAFE cuts forced smaller private providers to close, funnelling more students into bigger institutions such as NMIT.
“It has been hard to follow through these past few years, to understand what the intent is,” he said.
“In the long run we need skilled workers to increase productivity.”
International full-fee students, who do not receive government subsidies, will not be affected by the changes.
Dr Giddy said the cuts had caused teachers “great stress”, with job cuts looming.
“We don’t know what we’ll be delivering next year, until we review all our 500 or so courses,” he said.
“We want to continue to deliver to as many areas as we can.
“But to make the numbers add up we’ll have to consider cutting jobs.”
Students who enrol in studies before July 1, 2012, will not face fee increases until January 2013.
