The managing director of NSW TAFE was sacked less than two years into the job, costing taxpayers close to half-a-million dollars.
A NSW budget estimates hearing into the state's skills and training sector has revealed former TAFE managing director Steffen Faurby was on a salary of $575,000 - about $167,000 more than Premier Dominic Perrottet.
After being headhunted and given the role by former Skills and Training Minister Geoff Lee, Mr Faurby was sacked towards the end of last year.
Mr Faurby received a 38-week payout, as well as leave owing, Julie Tickle, Chief People and Culture Officer from TAFE NSW told budget estimates on Thursday.
That's a payout of about $420,192 not including his leave entitlements.
Mr Faurby was TAFE's sixth managing director in six years.
The current minister, Alister Henskens said he had made "no inquiries" over the sacking, or how much the incident had cost taxpayers.
He said he was "interested in the future" and "making sure (TAFE) was the best it could be" when asked about the sacking by Labor MLC Courtney Houssos.
Education Department Secretary Georgina Harrisson said she had met with Mr Faurby after the minister terminated his position but it wasn't an exit interview.
Public servants at the budget estimates hearing could not confirm when Mr Faurby's last day on the job was but said he had finished before December 13.
Mr Henskens said the next managing director of TAFE will be a "person who is able to fulfil my vision for TAFE".
"My vision for TAFE is that it continues to be an outstanding training organisation, the largest in Australia which has a strong presence throughout NSW ... in 140 locations throughout the state," he said.
"It trains about 80 per cent of our apprentices in NSW (and) provides training opportunities ... in regional areas where there are very thin markets with regards to the provision of training."
Two major restructures were announced at TAFE at the beginning of 2021, with almost 700 staff positions slashed by the middle of the year.
Of the 678 jobs lost, about 470 were estimated to have been cut in regional areas.
