Minister for Education Jeremy Rockliff has taken the axe to TasTAFE, with over 70 FTE jobs to go as a direct result of his budget cuts.
“Mr Rockliff has cut a massive $7.5 million from the TasTAFE budget over the next 18 months, which will mean a reduction of at least 70 jobs which is well over 10% of the current TasTAFE staff,” said Greens Education spokesperson, Nick McKim MP.
“An internal TasTAFE briefing has also outlined the abolition of Team Leaders and a reduction in the number of educational delivery teams from 48 to about 30.”
“Only last week the Education Minister was congratulating TasTAFE for their commitment to quality vocational education, yet at the same time he was savagely and secretly cutting their funding.”
“TasTAFE is also intending to abolish Educational Team Leaders, so that TAFE teachers will be managed remotely by backline administrators rather than frontline leaders with teaching experience as is currently the case.”
“Skills development is the lifeblood of our economy and future prosperity, and the Liberals’ slash and burn of TasTAFE’s funding threatens Tasmania’s transition to the new economy.”
“Skills funding in Tasmania increased from $75.3 million in 2012 to $80.84 million in 2013 and $82.35 million in 2014, but now is facing the axe under the Liberals.”
“When you add these job losses to the over two hundred that will go from the Education Department, Tasmania will be left with a system that is a shadow of its former self thanks to a Liberal government that does not seem to value a good education.”
Mr McKim laughed off Mr Rockliff’s lame attempt to shift the blame for the job losses, saying that it was only a couple of months ago at Budget Estimates that Mr Rockliff was congratulating him on the TasTAFE structure.