There is growing uncertainty about how and when the New South Wales Government's reforms to the TAFE sector will be delivered.

From next year, TAFE will compete for students and funding with private providers, as part of the State Government's "smart and skilled" reforms.

But the Government is yet to call for applications from organisations to deliver the training or set the fees for courses.

Claire Field, the chief executive of the Australian Council for Private Education Training, says providers pride themselves on their flexibility.

"But it is not optimal and what we have seen in other states - and what NSW has tried to avoid but is leaving it really short on time - is that level of uncertainty and the lack of time for providers to provide sensibly," she said.

TAFE students left in limbo

Keith Hunt worked as a machinist for Boeing for 22 years but is now brushing up on his fitting and machining skills at Chullora TAFE in south-western Sydney .

He says the wait to find out what courses will be offered and where they will be held is nerve-wracking.

"I am out of a job at the moment - I have been made redundant - and so what course do I do and how much is it going to cost me?" he said.

Wayne Morris, 45, works in the manufacturing industry but is about to be made redundant.

He is halfway through a diploma in mechanical engineering at Chullora TAFE but is now unsure what the future holds.

"I had a plan in place for the next 12 months and this was a big part of it," he said.

"I may have to go to Ultimo to complete it and that is going to be very, very difficult. I live out in the west and going to Ultimo is really going to put a strain on that."

TAFE institutes have been forced to cut their costs since the State Government's announcement in 2012 that it was cutting funding by $80 million, slashing 800 jobs and lifting fees.

Higher prices have pushed down enrolments and teachers are having to reapply for their jobs.

Andrew Key, a fitting and machining teacher at Chullora TAFE, is one of 10 teachers vying for three jobs.

"There is no doubt the reforms are needed ... we acknowledge that - that's not a problem. But our concern is we are not looking forward," he said.

"The reductions are too severe. Studies have shown they are expecting a growth in 2016/17 in engineering trades. The Government has also acknowledged it is a skills shortage area."

Fears young people will 'fall through the cracks' without TAFE

The NSW Teachers Federation says HSC courses at TAFE are also being cut and are only now offered at Randwick and Wollongong.

Geoff Turnbull, the HSC head teacher at Randwick TAFE and the vice-president of the federation, says he is writing references for his staff who are having to reapply for fewer positions.

"Every day I am encountering the anxiety and the stress that my teachers are experiencing," he said.

Mr Turnbull says there will always be a need in TAFE for what is known as "second-chance education".

"The HSC caters for those young people who for a variety of reasons are disengaged from school and if they do not have TAFE to go to they will fall through the cracks," he said.

He says he is encouraged by comments by Education Minister Adrian Piccoli that "access" courses will continue to be funded but "at this stage we do not know the level to which those courses will be funded".

A spokesman for Mr Piccoli says the Government is considering the final recommendations of the final IPART report into pricing for vocational education and training under the smart and skilled reforms, and will make a response within the next two months.

Mr Turnbull says students could end up paying more for HSC courses but hopes that is not the case as "many of our students are homeless, come from disadvantaged, dysfunctional backgrounds ... and wouldn't be able to pay".

Unions raise concerns over 'rushed training'

Unions are concerned about the quality of training as well as the cost.

NSW Teachers Federation assistant general secretary Maxine Sharkey says there are safety concerns around making trade courses shorter.

"Some people may think it is outrageous but look at what happened with the pink batts situation. That was a rushed training job that had very dire consequences," she said.

"When you start cutting corners to cut costs and cut delivery time, you cannot predict what the outcome will be."

Greens MP John Kaye is so concerned about the smart and skilled reforms that he has introduced a bill into the NSW Upper House to stop them and reverse the funding cuts.

"We are really concerned that TAFE is going to collapse next year. The bill stops the so-called reforms going ahead. It does not offer the solution for TAFE - it just stops TAFE being pushed off the precipice," he said.

Labor has backed the bill but it still needs the support of the Shooters Party or the Christian Democrats to pass the Upper House. Even if it does it is unlikely to get through the Legislative Assembly when the Coalition has a majority.