The NSW TAFE system has been thrown into chaos by the failure of a new computer system that is preventing thousands of students from enrolling across the state and has issued incorrect results, or no results at all, for those graduating.
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With just a week to go until classes start, many students can only register interest in a course. Some TAFE institutes have resorted to writing names on a board and processing applications manually, teachers have told Fairfax Media.
The Western Sydney Institute, covering eight campuses, has completed only 4 per cent of enrolments, insiders said.
The IT crash is an embarrassing start to the Baird Government's controversial TAFE reform, Smart and Skilled. TAFE funding will be tied to how many students enrol, yet students have complained they are unable to get accurate quotes for the new fees.
The enrolment disruption has heightened uncertainty over which courses will have sufficient students to proceed.
Meanwhile, Mt Druitt TAFE graduate Abdul Youssef, 30, is unable to get a contractor's licence from Fair Trading because TAFE can't print the transcript proving he qualified for a certificate III in plumbing in September.
"The head of the TAFE plumbing section said there are 50 other guys in the same category as me. It's really stressful," said Mr Youssef.
The computer system is incorrectly showing they haven't completed the course.
"It is impacting on my earnings and I can't legally start a plumbing business without a contractor's licence," he said.
Fair Trading refused his application and Mr Youssef will lose his $560 fee.
Wollongong TAFE graduate, Jake Keighran, 19, missed out on a place at Wollongong University in last week's first round of university offers, after TAFE was unable to issue a transcript proving he completed a diploma of environmental monitoring and technology.
Mr Keighran was devastated after studying for two years at TAFE purely to enter the science degree.
When Mr Keighran logged in online to check his results it showed the course was incomplete. "My teacher came back on Monday. He knew it was wrong instantly," he said.
He was told the computer problem has impacted students across NSW.
The department head wrote a letter to the university confirming Mr Keighran had completed the diploma. The letter said "systemic record management disruptions" had prevented a transcript being produced.
However, the University Admissions Centre said it could only accept the transcript.
After Fairfax Media raised Mr Keighran's case with Education Minister Adrian Piccoli's office last week, he received a phone call from TAFE head office, and UAC, saying the university will now offer him a place in its second round.
"I still don't have a certificate," he said.
An education department spokesman said TAFE NSW is in its peak enrolment period and also upgrading its computer enrolment system.
"As with the implementation of any major system there have been teething problems which are being addressed as they arise," he said.
Staff are assisting students to enrol when required, he said.
Labor education spokesman Ryan Park said the computer crash was a "debacle".
"The so called Smart and Skilled Reforms are looking more and more like Dumb and Dumber every day," Mr Park said.
"Not only has the Government jacked up TAFE fees forcing students to abandon their plans to get a qualification or be faced with a massive debt, now they are having difficulties right across NSW with actually enrolling people in time".
Labor MP for Liverpool Paul Lynch said the Baird Government had no interest in TAFE.
"The State Government shouldn't be stupidly stopping people who've trained as plumbers working as plumbers," he said.
Labor has promised to scrap the reforms.
