TAFE SA gets a clean bill of health as enrolments in ECEC soar

Offers for 2019 TAFE SA courses were published yesterday, following a tumultuous period in 2017 which saw former chairman Peter Vaughn removed from his position following an audit of sixteen courses, in which fourteen courses were suspended for being “substandard” – as reported by the ABC.

A total of 12,144 applications were received for the January round of offers, with 8,133 placement offers being made. Of the applications, early childhood education and care (ECEC) courses were in demand, coming second in popularity only to Nursing and Pathology.

The offers came after TAFE SA received “a clean bill of health” from the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) late in 2018. In November 2018, the Government announced that no sanctions were applied to any of the 16 qualifications audited in ASQA’s final report.

South Australian Education Minister John Gardner said the increase in applications this year shows that the community’s confidence in TAFE SA is being restored.

“The South Australian Government is delivering a fresh start for TAFE, focused on meeting the needs of both South Australians seeking the skills they need to build their careers and the local industry that is seeking a skilled workforce.” Mr Gardner said.

“TAFE SA’s continuous improvement program will ensure the education and training it provides meets the rigorous standards of all regulatory bodies and the expectations of its students, who aspire to graduate into terrific careers at the end of their courses.” he added.