Jobs key to ALP’s TasTAFE policy

LABOR would employ 80 more teachers and 20,000 Tasmanians would be able to access free TasTAFE courses under a four- year, $ 62m plan if it won government.

Opposition Leader Rebecca White on Sunday said the policy was a key component of the party’s Jobs Plan which will be released in full this week.

Ms White said Labor would invest $ 22.5m over four years to expand the teaching workforce by 20 per cent, improve regional delivery and align training with industry needs.

A further $ 40m would be spent on free TasTAFE training in areas of critical skills shortages, such as in disability services and aged care, building and construction, and tourism and hospitality.

Ms White said the state budget handed down on Thursday last week had forecast an unemployment rate of 8.5 per cent, which she said was unacceptable.

“We need to do a better job of supporting people into training so they can get the skills they need to get a job in Tasmania,’’ she said.

“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.”

Ms White said under Labor’s policy, the teaching workforce would be expanded by 20 per cent.

Australian Education Union Tasmanian branch TasTAFE president Simon Bailey welcomed Labor’s policy announcement.

“There’s no use going out there announcing courses if we actually don’t have the staff to run the courses, and that’s presently the issue that we face within TAFE itself,’’ he said.

Ms White will release Labor’s fully- costed Jobs Plan after her budget reply speech in parliament on Tuesday.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff accused Labor of playing catch- up on TasTAFE, saying the government was investing in skills each year and the budget included $ 53m to boost jobs for apprentices, trainees and youth employees.

The leader of government business in the House of Assembly, Michael Ferguson, said the government would give more budget detail this week.