Bega's TAFE teachers remain concerned about the future of the vocational education provider in the region, saying the town's current college is too valuable to be sold.
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At a community forum in February, NSW Teachers Federation post schools organiser Robert Long said Bega residents and teachers "clearly articulated" to the state government the plan to sell the town's TAFE college on Barrack St was a mistake.
He said people at the forum and the federation wrote to NSW Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Dr Geoff Lee requesting he delay the construction of the TAFE multi-trades hub on Auckland St, and consider building a trades centre on Barrack St.
But, Mr Long said, a letter from the minister to the federation earlier this month stated the hub would begin construction in April.
Last week, Bega TAFE NSW Teachers Federation members held a meeting to discuss this response, with Mr Long saying they were "really disappointed".
"They were telling me different ways that money could be spent at the college that would be advantageous to the students," he said.
"The teachers are still campaigning for the Barracks St college not to be sold.
"There's too many valuable educational facilities there to sell it."
For instance, Mr Long said there would not be a library at the Auckland St facility nor space for dealing with individual students' issues, and there would be "a massive reduction in car parking".
Also, the college's language, literacy and numeracy study centre that had been "really important for disengaged youth" and had "turned people's lives around" would not be at the connected learning centre (CLC), he said.
Finally, he said there was a "real concern" over the amount of money that would be spent replicating the college's training restaurant, called The Barracks Restaurant.
"Why are we spending millions of dollars replicating that?" Mr Long said.
On Monday, a spokesperson for TAFE NSW said this latest capital works project brought a total investment by the NSW government to TAFE in Bega to almost $25million.
"The multi-trades hub will deliver modern facilities that will help students get the skills they need for the job they want," the spokesperson said.
"TAFE NSW can confirm it is currently assessing submissions received after the tender period closed.
"Training delivery in Bega is continuing as planned with a wide range of courses offered across both the connected learning centre and the Barrack Street campus."
Last November, Bega MP Andrew Constance was joined by Dr Lee at the Bega CLC to announce the start of construction of stage two of the Bega TAFE project, saying the new multi-trades hub would be built adjoining the CLC on Auckland St.
The $17million facility will allow courses including agriculture, bricklaying, carpentry, electrical and plumbing, and construction was said to start in April 2020.
As Australian Community Media reported in December 2018 the opening of the trades hub will mean the existing campus in Barrack St will close.
Albert McKnight
Journalist at Bega District News.
Journalist at Bega District News.
