As universities across Australia are looking at losses in the billions as a result of COVID-19, it is regional universities that are expected to be the hardest hit with one official saying job losses in the sector will top those of Virgin Airlines.
La Trove University, which has campuses in Wodonga, Shepparton, Bendigo and Mildura, applied for the Government's JobKeeper payment but has been rejected three times.
President of the National Tertiary Union Alison Barnes has been in negotiations with universities about proposed salary cuts.
"The problem is it doesn't stop in six months when this curve is flattened — it goes further," Dr Barnes said.
Universities and the union are suggesting cuts of between 5 and 15 per cent to full-time staff in the hope of saving jobs.
"Workers across the sector are looking at losing 30,000 jobs. That's bigger than Virgin Airlines," she said.
Entire community could suffer
Independent Member for Indi Helen Haines said job losses within the sector would be "catastrophic" and have a flow-on effect for regional communities.
"These are big important players in our region," Dr Haines said.
"They educate and train our future workforce."
The revenue shortfall universities were facing was due to the collapse in international student enrolments and there were concerns the numbers might not pick up after the pandemic.
"International students add so much to our university campuses, to our diversity, and to our Australian society," Dr Barnes said.
Dr Haines said universities were a big drawcard to regional towns.
"Not only do they employ hundreds of people, but they also attract young people to our region," she said.
Lifeline needed
Dr Haines has written to the Government calling for a three-part plan to extend JobKeeper payments to university workers, launch the Albury-Wodonga Regional Deal, and guarantee public funding for an unlimited number of places in regional universities.
"We know in regional Australia we're behind the eight ball in terms of our students having access and indeed completing tertiary education," she said.
Dr Barnes said there was hope but the Government needed to step in.
