Closure of Bass Coast Adult Learning leaves students in limbo.
By Catherine Watson
THE abrupt closure of Bass Coast Adult Learning (BCAL) has intensified calls for the State Government to map out the future of post-secondary training in Bass Coast.
The BCAL committee voted on June 25 to appoint insolvency specialists Worrells after concluding there was no viable path through financial difficulties that had dogged the college for more than a decade.
Chief administrator Ivan Glavas closed the learning centre on Monday and informed 12 part-time staff their jobs had ended. However, Mr Glavas told the Post he remained optimistic a positive outcome could still emerge.
He said BCAL was clearly valued by the community and there had already been interest from other organisations.
"We are talking to other like-minded organisations that are local and are very interested in taking on students and potentially staff as well."
Valued learning centre
The White Road site is owned by Bass Coast Shire Council. BCAL is the principal lessee and South Coast FM, Wonthaggi Woodcrafters and Wonthaggi U3A are sub-tenants.
For more than 30 years BCAL has offered a unique blend of education and pastoral care to some of Bass Coast's most disadvantaged residents.
While it ran hobby courses and short vocational programs, much of its funding was tied to helping disadvantaged adults, jobseekers, migrants and people with disabilities build foundation skills and pathways into employment.
"BCAL has become a second home to many of our students," former BCAL president Graeme Charles said.
Yet despite winning prestigious education awards for its innovative and inclusive programs, the organisation was steadily going broke.
BCAL recorded a deficit in all but one of the past 11 years. The only surplus came during the COVID period, supported by JobKeeper payments and an earlier $50,000 bailout from Bass Coast Shire Council. Since then it has steadily depleted its reserves, with last year's deficit proving particularly severe.
Mr Charles said the tertiary funding model was not designed for small, rural, community-based training providers operating in "thin markets", where student numbers were often too low to make courses financially viable.
The final blow came with a recent Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) audit that placed BCAL's registration as a training provider at risk. Although the regulator later agreed to extend registration until December, the organisation's financial position remained untenable.
"When we reviewed our budget recently, it was clear that by the end of the year we were going to be running out of cash again."
"The committee resolved to call in the administrators because of the likelihood of insolvency down the track. That effectively means the committee has no further involvement at this stage."
Mr Charles admitted there was some relief in handing over responsibility.
"There have been a lot of sleepless nights looking for a way out. There are still the sleepless nights, but it's no longer our responsibility."
Minister's call
BCAL's closure has sharpened focus on the future of vocational and adult education in Bass Coast.
In a letter to Skills and TAFE Minister Colin Brooks in April, BCAL outlined its concerns in stark terms and sought an urgent meeting to discuss the future of post-secondary education in the shire. Two months later, despite follow-up emails, it has yet to receive a response.
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale told the Post the government's immediate priority was ensuring students could continue their studies with as little disruption as possible.
"We're working closely with BCAL, the administrator and local training providers to transition the remaining students to another local TAFE, Learn Local or registered training organisation."
"Our Government is working with TAFE Gippsland and Chisholm to explore future options that ensure our Bass Coast community has access to high-quality vocational education and training."
Ms Crugnale said she had invited the Minister to visit Bass Coast and meet education providers and stakeholders as a matter of urgency.
Alternatives
TAFE Gippsland, which operates campuses across Gippsland including nearby Leongatha, has expressed interest in establishing a purpose-built campus on the Bass Coast College Senior Campus site.
Given the current crisis, it could be asked to step in to fill the void in existing premises.
With campuses across Gippsland and Melbourne's south-east, Community College Gippsland has also shown interest, although it is not immediately positioned to fill the gap left by BCAL.
Chisholm Institute's Wonthaggi campus sits adjacent to BCAL. It currently has about 50 students and offers five courses in early childhood education, accounting and bookkeeping, education support, and individual support for ageing and disability, as well as a short course in pathology collection.
A spokesperson said the institute was aware of BCAL's closure. "We have capacity to take on additional enrolments from semester two and encourage members of the community to consider their local study options."
With BCAL closed, pressure is mounting on the State Government to determine which providers will deliver vocational and adult education in Bass Coast into the future.
Wonthaggi Neighbourhood House is exploring options to host BCAL's English as an Additional Language students, at least in the short term until more permanent arrangements can be put in place.
"We are talking to other like-minded organisations that are local and are very interested in taking on students and potentially staff as well."
Valued learning centre
The White Road site is owned by Bass Coast Shire Council. BCAL is the principal lessee and South Coast FM, Wonthaggi Woodcrafters and Wonthaggi U3A are sub-tenants.
For more than 30 years BCAL has offered a unique blend of education and pastoral care to some of Bass Coast's most disadvantaged residents.
While it ran hobby courses and short vocational programs, much of its funding was tied to helping disadvantaged adults, jobseekers, migrants and people with disabilities build foundation skills and pathways into employment.
"BCAL has become a second home to many of our students," former BCAL president Graeme Charles said.
Yet despite winning prestigious education awards for its innovative and inclusive programs, the organisation was steadily going broke.
BCAL recorded a deficit in all but one of the past 11 years. The only surplus came during the COVID period, supported by JobKeeper payments and an earlier $50,000 bailout from Bass Coast Shire Council. Since then it has steadily depleted its reserves, with last year's deficit proving particularly severe.
Mr Charles said the tertiary funding model was not designed for small, rural, community-based training providers operating in "thin markets", where student numbers were often too low to make courses financially viable.
The final blow came with a recent Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) audit that placed BCAL's registration as a training provider at risk. Although the regulator later agreed to extend registration until December, the organisation's financial position remained untenable.
"When we reviewed our budget recently, it was clear that by the end of the year we were going to be running out of cash again."
"The committee resolved to call in the administrators because of the likelihood of insolvency down the track. That effectively means the committee has no further involvement at this stage."
Mr Charles admitted there was some relief in handing over responsibility.
"There have been a lot of sleepless nights looking for a way out. There are still the sleepless nights, but it's no longer our responsibility."
Minister's call
BCAL's closure has sharpened focus on the future of vocational and adult education in Bass Coast.
In a letter to Skills and TAFE Minister Colin Brooks in April, BCAL outlined its concerns in stark terms and sought an urgent meeting to discuss the future of post-secondary education in the shire. Two months later, despite follow-up emails, it has yet to receive a response.
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale told the Post the government's immediate priority was ensuring students could continue their studies with as little disruption as possible.
"We're working closely with BCAL, the administrator and local training providers to transition the remaining students to another local TAFE, Learn Local or registered training organisation."
"Our Government is working with TAFE Gippsland and Chisholm to explore future options that ensure our Bass Coast community has access to high-quality vocational education and training."
Ms Crugnale said she had invited the Minister to visit Bass Coast and meet education providers and stakeholders as a matter of urgency.
Alternatives
TAFE Gippsland, which operates campuses across Gippsland including nearby Leongatha, has expressed interest in establishing a purpose-built campus on the Bass Coast College Senior Campus site.
Given the current crisis, it could be asked to step in to fill the void in existing premises.
With campuses across Gippsland and Melbourne's south-east, Community College Gippsland has also shown interest, although it is not immediately positioned to fill the gap left by BCAL.
Chisholm Institute's Wonthaggi campus sits adjacent to BCAL. It currently has about 50 students and offers five courses in early childhood education, accounting and bookkeeping, education support, and individual support for ageing and disability, as well as a short course in pathology collection.
A spokesperson said the institute was aware of BCAL's closure. "We have capacity to take on additional enrolments from semester two and encourage members of the community to consider their local study options."
With BCAL closed, pressure is mounting on the State Government to determine which providers will deliver vocational and adult education in Bass Coast into the future.
Wonthaggi Neighbourhood House is exploring options to host BCAL's English as an Additional Language students, at least in the short term until more permanent arrangements can be put in place.