TasTAFE and skills and training are in trouble after 10 years of Liberal government, with completions and commencements of apprenticeships and traineeships well down on what they were a decade ago.
Figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) show that in the April-June 2023 quarter, there were 855 completions (255 trade, 600 non-trade) and 1135 commencements (450 trade and 685 non-trade).
In comparison, when Labor were last in government (Jan-March 2014) there were 915 completions (415 trade and 500 non-trade) and 1585 commencements (585 trade and 1000 non-trade).
After 10 years in office, the Liberals have turned TasTAFE upside down and created a terrible workplace culture which has become so bad that teachers are regularly speaking out to the media about it.
We’ve also seen students speak out about mismanagement, overfilled classrooms and low staffing levels, which are making Tasmania’s skills shortage worse.
A Labor Government will work with trades and industry to improve the connection between TAFE and industry, contributing to a strong Tasmanian economy and building the skilled workforce we need for the future.
We will offer people with a trade or professional background a six-month scholarship to enable them to become a qualified TAFE teacher.
We will also support current TAFE teachers to spend more time in the trades and industries they teach, ensuring graduates are work-ready the moment they receive their qualification.
Supporting workers is in Labor’s DNA and we won’t stop standing up for TasTAFE employees and the students they teach until TasTAFE is delivering the skills and training Tasmania needs.
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for TAFE
