The vocational education and training provider was given a grilling by Labor politicians and the NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF) this week, amid revelations the Baird government’s reform of the sector had left students short-changed. 

On Monday, NSWTF organiser Adam Curlis told the Mercury the government’s Smart and Skilled funding “doesn’t cover the cost of teaching students” and, as a result, there wasn’t enough money to purchase the meat required for butchery students to practice on.

TAFE Illawarra’s human services, tourism and hospitality faculty director Jenny Hill said carcasses were regularly purchased for students to work with during block training sessions on campus.

“We purchase the carcasses and the meat products required by the students so that we can run the classes,” Ms Hill said.

She also dismissed the union’s suggestion that students weren’t being supported, saying meat processing had been delivered fully on-the-job in rural and regional areas for about 16 years.

“We recently began to deliver it on-the-job in the northern Illawarra as well, but we still run block release classes ... to teach the students skills that they’re not getting the experience with on the job,” she said. 

Teachers visit butchery students six times a year and “students are provided with all the material they require”, she said. 

Labor’s candidate for Wollongong, Paul Scully, and the party’s spokeswoman for skills, Prue Car, used the meat-less butchery students anecdote to propel the Opposition’s campaign against TAFE cuts on Monday.

TAFE Illawarra Institute Director Belinda Mackinnon said it was “extremely disappointing that we have false claims made about TAFE NSW courses without checking with us first”.

This year’s 102 butchery enrolments at TAFE’s Wollongong West campus are up slightly on last year’s 99.

The state’s skills minister has taken aim at an Opposition MP for “scaremongering” about TAFE cuts while standing in front of a sign promoting assistance for students in Wollongong. 

John Barilaro couldn’t resist giving Labor’s spokeswoman for skills Prue Car a lesson in politics after she visited the city to support Labor’s candidate for Wollongong, Paul Scully, on Monday. 

Ms Car used a Facebook Live video, filmed outside TAFE’s Wollongong West campus, to speak of a drop in student numbers and cuts to staff. 

As she did, a sign in the background told of the availability of fee-free scholarships. 

“Politics 101: when scaremongering to raise votes, make sure the sign above your head doesn't contradict you," Mr Barilaro posted to Twitter.  

In response, Ms Car wrote: “126k fewer enrollments under your Gvt [sic] - you might think it's a joke but I don't #savetafe”.