KYNETON'S campus of Bendigo TAFE is the latest casualty in the state government's cuts to public TAFE funding.
Bendigo TAFE chief executive Maria Simpson announced last week the Kyneton campus would close.
In Bendigo, 100 jobs will be axed, including 25 staff who will be made redundant this month, with a further 75 to go by December.
The redundancies include management, support and teaching staff.
Ms Simpson said the organisation had been scaling back its on-site delivery of courses in Kyneton for some time.
"Community VCAL, which is not delivered by Bendigo TAFE, will continue at the campus facilities," she said.
"Discussions are now under way with relevant organisations to ensure ongoing community VCAL delivery for the region. This is the only course currently delivered at the Kyneton campus."
Victorian secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union Colin Long said rallies were planned.
"These cuts are just the latest in a long line of job losses, course reductions and campus closures that have taken place since the Victorian government announced it would slash TAFE funding in the May budget," he said.
Ballarat East MP Geoff Howard said Bendigo TAFE, along with its Kyneton and Castlemaine campuses, had provided important opportunities for people to gain skills and confidence to improve job prospects.
"Without these opportunities the options for hundreds of prospective students will be dashed. Secondary school principals are telling me that, with these TAFE cuts, they don't know where some of their more vulnerable students will be able to go next year."
Ms Simpson said closure of courses and cuts to overheads were necessary to put Bendigo TAFE on a viable path.
"We must cut direct and indirect costs throughout our operations, close almost a quarter of our courses and change our work practices."
Obligations to students would not be compromised, she said.
"We are committed to the continued delivery of services to all enrolled students. Where students have enrolled for courses that may not continue in 2013 we will assist them to find a place with another training provider."
A full list of the TAFE courses affected by the funding cuts is at bendigotafe.edu.au