Jobs lost, training in limbo

Several hundred people planning to undertake agricultural training courses in Gippsland this year are in limbo after a decision by the major training organisation serving the region to withdraw its programs.

And one of the Gippsland based staff claimed the jobs of as many 12 trainers are likely to go.

The upheaval is centred on decisions by two key bodies – Dairy Australia and the Shepparton headquartered GOTAFE, the Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, that has been the principal provider of agricultural training in Gippsland and throughout Victoria.

In mid-December GOTAFE advised some of its key stakeholders that Dairy Australia’s decision to end its National Centre for Dairy Education brand and move to “a combined education and extension framework DairyLearn” had led to it (GOTAFE) refocussing its strategy on the communities and industries within north-east Victoria.

That means closure of its campuses in centres such as Warragul and Leongatha.

A member of GOTAFE’s staff in Gippsland who spoke on the condition of anonymity following written instructions from management that “staff are to provide no comment if approached directly by any media outlets”, said the impact was much wider than the dairy industry.

GOTAFE has run courses across a wide range of agricultural industries for VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning) students in years 11 and 12, certificate level and diploma courses and short courses for farmers on a wide range of topics including workplace safety.

The staff member said GOTAFE’s decision had come without warning.

“Many students are only halfway through their courses; they are ringing staff to try to find out what is happening”.

John Versteden of Longwarry, chair of DA’s Dairy Industry People Development Council, said the industry was talking with possible new training providers and was aiming to resolve the situation in the next week or two.

When it announced a transition to the DairyLearn national training network last November, Dairy Australia said the changes would not affect existing programs that were already running well but would help improve poorly performing areas or bring in new programs where they were needed.

It said the “new model would link preferred training providers in all dairy regions with industry approved resources and tools”.

Although GOTAFE has linked its new “strategic focus” to DA’s changed training delivery model, Mr Versteden said he believed another factor at play was a push by the State Government to have registered training organisations concentrate on their own (local) areas.

He said GOTAFE had previously delivered all of the dairy industry’s training courses using DA owned teaching materials that “enabled the industry to have some quality control”.

Mr Versteden said he also believed GOTAFE had an obligation to ensure all current students can complete their courses.

DA’s November announcement quoted Mr Versteden as saying DairyLearn would “attract the best available operators offering the best value for levy payers”.

“It’s about opening up to market forces, to some extent, but still with industry oversight,” he stated.

The withdrawal of GOTAFE from Gippsland will also impact on the Baw Baw Skills Centre operated by the West Gippsland Trade Training Alliance, a partnership between nine state and private secondary schools in Baw Baw shire.

GOTAFE has leased significant accommodation at the Skills Centre in Wills St for its Warragul campus.