News TasTAFE will be cutting courses and restructuring to find $45 million in savings over the next four years raises significant concerns for vocational education in Tasmania, and the teachers providing it.
Since arts and lab tech courses were cut last year, we’ve been calling for the Liberals to be honest with Tasmanians about the full extent of cuts at TasTAFE. It’s now clear there are plans for sweeping cuts at TasTAFE.
TasTAFE provides vocational education and training for Tasmanian young people which sets them up for the workforce. Yet the Liberals have constantly undervalued the important role TasTAFE plays and not given it the funding it needs.
Cuts at TasTAFE are a direct consequence of the Liberals’ warped spending priorities. Teachers and students will rightfully be concerned about what the future will look like at the educational institutional.
Young people are already leaving the state in droves because they can’t get the education and training they need to be workforce-ready. Cuts at TasTAFE are only going to make things worse for Tasmania’s young people.
Arts and lab tech courses have already been cut at TasTAFE. What’s next? The Liberals need to start being honest with Tasmanians about what TasTAFE courses and campuses are on the chopping block.
When TasTAFE was privatised, the Liberals promised it wouldn’t affect the education and training opportunities offered to Tasmania’s young people. It’s another broken Liberal promise.
Tasmania’s young people deserve better. The Liberals must stop the sweeping cuts at TasTAFE by properly funding vocational education in this state.
