Napthine defends TAFE enrolments fall VICTORIAN Premier Denis Napthine says a drop in unemployment is among the reasons TAFE enrolments have fallen by 21,000 in the first quarter of this year. The figures, contained in the Victorian Training Market Quarterly Report, show a seven per cent overall decline for the first quarter of 2013 compared with the same period in 2012. "We had in 2012 an absolute high watermark in terms of enrolments in TAFE," Dr Napthine said. But with recent significant falls in unemployment levels, with significant enrolments in key areas of community need in terms of employment, it's not surprising that perhaps overall figures are down. The drop comes after the government last year slashed almost $300 million from the TAFE sector. Dr Napthine said the figures provided some good news with an increase in enrolments in courses for high-demand skills. "What we've found with TAFEs is a significant change with increased enrolment in key courses where there are real job opportunities and real needs in our community," he said.