Mr Cox spoke to employers at Tuesday’s Chamber breakfast in Muswellbrook, telling them the system will now be more demand-driven.

“Previously, the vast majority of funding came to TAFE NSW and then we offered programs and the students came to us.

“In the future, the power of the purchase is actually in the student’s hand so providers are being awarded contracts this week and next week and students have got a choice of where they go,” he said.

Phil Cox unveiled a raft of statistics about Hunter TAFE, including:

·         it is the largest provider of apprentices and trainees locally and across Australia;

·         2,000 staff are employed generating an annual wages bill of $140 million;

·         there are 60,000 annual student enrolments across 15 campuses;

·         450 nationally-recognised qualifications;

·         3,000 people are studying in the Upper Hunter;

·         1,500 are enrolled at the Muswellbrook campus, with 500 studying at the Mining Skills Centre;

·         in 2012/13 there was a 20 per cent increase in online training; and

·         in recent years there’s been a 35 per cent increase in international students.

Phil Cox says some people worry about the rise in the onshore delivery of courses to international students, but he says they shouldn’t.

“It’s usually quite controversial international students [because] a lot of people think that we’re pushing local students out, but I can assure you that the international [student] revenue makes it possible to deliver more to domestic students,” he said.

Mr Cox also stressed the funding changes will strengthen, not weaken, Hunter TAFE’s interaction and engagement with industry.

“We’ve been moving to formalise arrangements through MoUs and contracts [and] we’ve increased those formal arrangements by 75 per cent over 2012 to 2013,” he said.

Phil Cox says the changes are worrying to some employers, but Hunter TAFE is working hard to minimise any concerns.

“We’re really changing, we can’t sit still, we can’t be the same public service provider we were 20 years ago and lots of our employers who send apprentices to us don’t like that.

“We’ve got to think about moving forward and [bring] employers with us on that, but we’re taking advice from industry on what we do,” Mr Cox said.