Rebuilding TAFE from the ground up, and making courses free in areas of critical skills need, is a key component of Labor’s fully-costed Jobs Plan, to be released this week*.
Labor Leader Rebecca White said under Premier Peter Gutwein’s Budget unemployment would remain above 8 per cent.
“We know that our already worrying jobs situation is set to become much worse, yet Peter Gutwein has not presented a comprehensive jobs plan.
“The best way to strengthen the economy is to get people back into work. And we know that the pathway to a good job starts with good training.
“While the Liberals have progressively dismantled and undermined TAFE, Labor will rebuild it,” Ms White said.
Labor will invest $22.5 million over four years to expand the teaching workforce, improve regional delivery and align training with industry needs. A further $40 million will be spent providing free TAFE training in areas of critical skills shortages.
“Tasmania’s unemployment rate is 7.6 per cent, and the youth unemployment rate is a staggering 16.5 per cent,” Ms White said.
“Peter Gutwein has delivered Tasmanians a budget that accepts the state’s unemployment rate will grow to 8.5 per cent and offers no path out.
“Even with so many people looking for work, businesses are still flying in tradespeople, chefs and other workers from the mainland because they are unable to find skilled staff locally.
“Over the next four years, Labor’s Free TAFE policy will support 20,000 Tasmanians to get a foot in the door to a good job.
“Labor understands that our economic recovery will be forever constrained without a full overhaul of our skills and training system.
“Labor has a plan to rebuild TAFE from the ground up, and give Tasmanians the skills they need to get the jobs of the future.”
Rebecca White
Labor Leader
*Labor’s fully costed Jobs Plan will be released following the Labor Leader’s Budget Reply speech on Tuesday 17 November.
