NSWTF president, Maurie Mulheron said new research shows the New England TAFE institute has lost more than 30 teaching jobs, under reforms announced by the state government earlier in the year. 

“These job losses are just the latest cuts to local TAFEs and will have a huge impact on what TAFEs will be able to offer their students,” he said.

However, The Examiner was unable to confirm if the 30 positions in quesion were all teaching positions as claimed by the Federation.

Mr Mulheron went on to say the figures do not include teachers on casual and short term contracts.

“Contractual and casual staff positions make up an estimated 70 per cent of TAFE’s teaching workforce,” Mulheron said.

Northern Tablelands Greens candidate, Mercurious Goldstein said it is a disgrace teachers at the Glen Innes campus don’t have job security, especially over the festive season.

“Hundreds of students have also been left not knowing if their courses will be taught next year,” Goldstein said. 

Mr Goldstein also said the NSW Greens, after the election, would introduce a bill to the parliament, which would legislate a mandatory commitment of 80 per cent of the vocational education budget to be allocated to public education.

However, based on past election trends and results, the Greens would need a major boost in polling and the government would need a record swing against it for this proposal to ever see the light of day. 

Mr Goldstein said there was “widespread speculation” there will be more cuts made to TAFE New England’s workforce early in 2015.

Despite this, and unable  to  guarantee that no further teaching staff will be made redundant,  Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said the reforms are aimed at providing students with relevant industry level qualifications. 

“TAFE does not have a monopoly, it is not all doom and gloom as most of the targeted cuts hit administrative costs. These reforms aim to make TAFE more efficient,” Mr Marshall said.