Victoria gets set for new TAFE race

MELBOURNE: Victorian TAFEs are gearing up for a new funding system that fashion leaders say could promise both opportunities and challenges.

Built around the concept of contestability - widening the market to create more providers - the new regime will be implemented by the Victorian Government as of July 1. Initial fee structures will rise from $800 to a maximum of $2000 for a diploma, enabling the government to fund a greater number of places available to students.

RMIT University fashion and textiles head Keith Cowlishaw said the new system would give prospective students greater choice and was likely to increase healthy competition between providers.

Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia (TFIA) head Jo Kellock agreed and stated she hoped increased competition would result in closer interaction between industry and educators.

"The rate of [technological] change is now so fast, most of the new technologies are held with equipment suppliers and their technical people, not necessarily in education, so it's important that a closer relationship is fostered."

Contestability would go some way to bringing Australia in line with international leaders in education, she added.

"Competition normally raises the bar on performance. Our TAFEs and Universities are at a high level but some consider themselves to be equivalent to global educators. I would dispute this. For example we don't have one institution in Australia that has a body scanner to establish accurate data for base sizes and assess fit mapping issues in clothing. All the leading institutions in the US, China, Europe and UK have a body scanner in their fashion departments. In Italy a lot of product development work is carried out in research and development departments at universities. What Australian designer would approach a TAFE or University to help develop a product range?"

However, gains made in terms of competitiveness could be offset by some caveats to the new regime, she said. Contestability's demand-driven nature would be constrained by the resources available at TAFEs, such as teaching staff, rooms and equipment, as well as hours available.

"Moreover, as fashion design is oversubscribed, [contestability] could mean the death of courses in areas around fibre development and production that aren't seen as 'sexy', so industry will have to lift its game in promoting careers in the TCF sector, especially in the technology areas."