Gosford students face an uncertain future following the closure of the Gosford branch of the private vocational college Evocca.
Ms Suzanne Ross from Evocca College said the Gosford campus closed on Thursday, March 17 and impacted on 29 students and three full-time staff members. “We’ve communicated with all students and staff on Thursday last week (March 17) and we are working with students now to work out their transition arrangements,” Ms Ross said. “Students have the choice of transitioning to Wyong campus or our distance learning model, and if they choose the distance learning model, they are still able to go into Wyong campus and participate in face to face learning and support,” she said.
Ms Ross said the Gosford campus offered business management and leadership courses. “We did have three staff employed at Gosford and unfortunately they have been made redundant as part of our restructure,” she said. According to Ms Ross, students can be confi dent that the Evocca Wyong and Newcastle campuses will continue to operate into the future. “As the Baird Government oversees the demolition of TAFE in NSW, training giant Evocca College has finally announced the closure of seven campuses in NSW after months of speculation,” said member for Gosford, Ms Kathy Smith. “Students at Gosford are now being shown the door,” Ms Smith said.
“Students at the Gosford campus have the added burden of being in the Central Coast region where youth unemployment has jumped to 16.5 per cent,” she said. Ms Smith said last month’s failure of Aspire College and now Evocca’s cut backs and closures are proof “the state Government should lower course fees for students, provide more support and teaching staff and stop cutting courses. “Who’s left to pick up the pieces when these private colleges fail?” Ms Smith said. “The collapse of another private college is further proof that the state Government needs to stop the destruction of TAFE. “Students shouldn’t be living with the fear that they could be left high and dry at any moment.”
According to Smart and Skilled, within the NSW Department of Industry, Evocca does not receive any NSW Government funding but has been funded under the Federal Government VET Fee Help loan scheme. The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) sent the following statement in response to questions about what help the Federal Government was offering students affected by the closure of Evocca’s Gosford campus: “ASQA is aware of Evocca’s recent announcement regarding the closure of some of their campuses, however, ASQA is unable to respond to these questions.
” Federal member for Robertson, Ms Lucy Wicks MP said: “I am disappointed to hear that Evocca College will be closing its Wyong and Gosford campuses. “I have spoken to the minister for vocational education and skills, Sen Scott Ryan and he has confi rmed that Evocca College will assist its students at closed campuses to relocate to continuing campuses so that they can remain in study and training. “I encourage any student who has ongoing concerns regarding the course offering to contact my offi ce and I will take it to the minister, or to contact the Department of Education and Training’s national training complaints hotline on 133873.” NSW shadow minister for the Central Coast, who also has responsibility for the shadow skills portfolio, Mr David Harris MP, said the federal VET Fee Help scheme was “an issue I have been worried about for a long time and it demonstrates that the vocational education system is very broken.
“You’ve got the situation where the Federal Government runs Vet Fee Help and the state runs Smart and Skilled and there is a lot of confusion,” Mr Harris said. He said the Federal scheme, under which Evocca had been funded was “diabolical”, as the government had funded $4 billion in loans for little return. As a consequence of the scheme getting out of hand, according to Mr Harris, the Federal Government then cracked down on some private operators who had been offering free iPads and other incentives for signing up students.
“The Federal Government realised the scheme was spiralling out of control so it put a freeze on the amount of VET Fee Help put into the system and some private operators had to change their business models because they suddenly lost income.” According to Mr Harris, the VET Fee Help program involved students taking out a loan for the cost of the course that they don’t have to start paying back until their annual income reaches $54,000. Student have to pay back the money even if they do not graduate. Evocca has provided a telephone number for students to call with enquiries: 1800 386 222.
Media release, Mar 21, 2016 Kathy Smith, member for Gosford Interview, Mar 22, 2016 David Harris, shadow minister for the Central Coast Interview, Mar 22, 2016 Suzanne Ross, Evocca College Media statement, Mar 22, 2016 Tim Sowden, offi ce of Lucy Wicks Jackie Pearson, journalist