A Majority Liberal Government will:
- Keep TasTAFE in full public ownership
- Invest an additional $98.5 million into our public training provider TasTAFE over the next four years, including –
- 100 extra TasTAFE teachers to train more young Tasmanians
- $45 million for critical facility and equipment upgrades, new buildings and new student accommodation
- $16 million to increase access for rural and regional students
The Tasmanian Liberals want to ensure young Tasmanians can get the training, apprenticeships and jobs for their future, here in Tasmania.
We rebuilt TasTAFE after Labor dismantled it, and we are continuing to invest in TasTAFE’s evolution to meet the needs of young people and jobseekers who need to skill up or re-skill to take up the jobs in business and industry.
Under a re-elected Gutwein Liberal Majority Government, TasTAFE will remain in public ownership, with course fees continuing to be heavily subsidised, under a not-for-profit Government Business model, with an aim to be established by the end of the year.
We will guarantee that 80 per cent of all skills funding continues to be invested in the new TasTAFE model.
The new TasTAFE model will deliver –
- More choice for learners
- More teachers and training in our regions
- Better pay for skilled teachers
- Flexible hours aligned to business and industry vocational needs
We will employ an extra 100 teachers
New TAFE teachers will be appointed State-wide over four years.
Tasmania’s employment is back to pre-pandemic levels, and 26,400 jobs have been created since the Liberals came to office in 2014.We have the second lowest unemployment rate of all States, and most importantly, job vacancies grew 52 per cent over the past year, the highest in the nation.
More skilled workers are needed right now, and more TAFE teachers will help ensure young Tasmanians can be trained to quickly meet the needs of industry and business.
With millions being invested into TAFE facility upgrades, TasTAFE teachers will also be able to work in contemporary, fit-for-purpose facilities.
We will invest $45 million into critical TAFE facility upgrades
The Liberal Government inherited a broken TAFE system in 2014 that had suffered from decades of under-investment. Since then, we have invested $41.8 million into TAFE upgrades and new facilities, and we will do more.
The lack of TasTAFE student accommodation is a known barrier for learners, particularly from regional and rural locations.
In the North-West, we will invest $12 million for –
- new student accommodation at Burnie to house 25 rural and regional students;
- a new Trade Training Simulation Centre at the Burnie campus, as well as expansion and equipment upgrades to metals, fabrication and electrotechnology areas, with a new dedicated computer lab;
- major upgrades at the Devonport campus including a new Trade Training Simulation Centre, and expansion and equipment upgrades to nursing, plumbing, fabrication and spray painting areas.
In the North, we will invest $10 million for –
- an expansion of the health hub at Alanvale, with a new facility to deliver alcohol and drugs, youth and mental health training, as the foundation of a new Centre of Excellence;
- upgrades to the Alanvale campus, including an expansion and new equipment in electrotechnology, metal and fabrication equipment.
In the south, we will invest $7 million to –
- build a new student accommodation facility for our rural and regional apprentices to maximise the benefits of our new $21 million TasTAFE Water, Trades and Energy Centre of Excellence at Clarence.
State-wide, we will invest $16 million to -
- create a Regional TAFE Facilities Development and Transition fund for additional upgrades for the benefit of regional and rural students and to cover costs associated with the transition to the new organisation.
We will invest $16 million to increase access for rural and regional students
Increasing rural and regional access to TAFE training is a key to equal opportunity for Tasmanians who live outside our capital cities.We have extended high schools to year 12, and making it easier to access vocational training will address a significant barrier for young Tasmanians living in rural and regional areas.
We will –
- Invest $10 million to deliver the TasTAFE virtual campus and increase access for rural and regional students. This aligns with mainland TAFEs who are advanced in their online virtual campus offerings and provides extra access points for Tassie students.
- $4 million for TasTAFE and Libraries Tasmania to offer access to TAFE training and equipment at rural and regional sites and increase access to education right across Tasmania; and
- Expand the successful Skill Up! program including more options for IT and digital skills training with an extra $2 million over four years.
These online measures will bring Tasmania up to the standards delivered by modern and contemporary TAFEs we see on the mainland.
Current work underway right now:
- Building the $21 million Energy, Trades and Water Centre of Excellence at Clarence, to train the tradies of the future, which will be delivered in 2022.
- Future-proofing TAFE with $4 million in IT upgrades, to be delivered in 2022.
- Establishing the $5 million Agriculture Centre of Excellence based at Burnie’s Freer Farm, on track for delivery by 2022
- $2 million to fund Drysdale to establish TAFE courses in Hobart’s northern suburbs by April 2021, and then further expand delivery to include butchery and guiding.
- $2 million for new TAFE teachers in critical industry areas including aged care, electro-technology, pluming, allied trade and nursing
- $3 million for 600 new Aged Care and Disability training places launched on 27 March 2021
- Partnering with the Australian Government in the $21 million JobTrainer program which is delivering around 7000 free training places in priority areas right across Tasmania.
Our record in Government:
- Increased funding for TAFE every year.
- Highest apprentice completion rates in Australia.
- $4.9 million for more teachers to train more apprentices and students in growth industries including construction, electro technology, plumbing, welding and nursing.
- Establishment of a TasTAFE campus at Risdon Prison, increasing number of prisoners in vocational training.
- Exceeded promise of 70% of all State training funds to go to TAFE – delivering 80%.
- Outstanding student and employer satisfaction survey results – 9 out of 10 students would recommend TasTAFE.
Labor-Green Record:
- Dismantled TAFE as part of their disastrous Tasmania Tomorrow experiment
- Wasted tens of millions of dollars
- Backflipped in 2012
- Reassembled TasTAFE in 2013, encumbering it with a $5 million debt
- Failed to invest over 16 years in TAFE facilities
Costings over 4 years:
Recurrent funding: $37.5 million
Capital: $45.0 million
One off initiatives: $16.0 million
Total $98.5 million