The college agrees to cut a total of 20 teaching positions from four courses, including plumbing, carpentry, glazing and painting, an amount equivalent to about 30 per cent of their total teachers. Greens MP John Kaye is opposed to TAFE funding cuts. Credit:Brockwell Perks BDP "There is a need to operate a business model [with a] focus on generating revenue through commercial opportunities," it reads. "Maximising class numbers will need to be implemented to ensure programs remain". About 73,000 students enroll at the institute each year, according to its annual report. It has nine colleges across western Sydney. TAFE managers also agree to reduce the number of classes held in each of the teaching areas.

A TAFE spokesman said the changes had not been finalised but they also reflected student demand for studying construction and the low rate at which students complete the subjects. NSW Greens MP Dr John Kaye said if the policy was implemented it would impact on the institute's ability to produce talent. "In the middle of a construction boom, the building trades sections in a growth area of Sydney are set to lose almost one third of their teachers," said Greens MLC Dr John Kaye. "[Government policy] is savaging the ability of TAFE to deliver quality skills". Both the state government and the building industry have warned repeatedly that NSW needs an injection of skilled construction labour to meet a massive increase in demand for construction across the state. Home approvals in NSW last financial year were the highest on record.



The building trades sections in a growth area of Sydney are set to lose almost one third of their teachers Greens MLC Dr John Kaye. The Housing Industry Association has said that turning to skilled foreign labour on 457 visas may be the only way to fill the gap. NSW Skills Minister John Barilaro​ has repeatedly promised to promote the state's "core trades". Last year 10,000 fewer apprentices and trainees completed their training in NSW than a year earlier. But the government says it must also work to change the images of the trades among younger students who do not view vocational training as prestigious.



The government has promised to provide $50 million in trade scholarships for TAFE students in this term of government.



"Staff, industry and community feedback will be taken into consideration as part of the consultation process [on the future of these courses]," a TAFE spokesman said. "Consultation is ongoing and no final decisions have been made."