Promise of TAFE overhaul

100 extra staff in $98.6m plan

DRAFT legislation outlining the proposed overhaul to TasTAFE has been released by the state government.

Skills, Training and Workforce Growth Minister Sarah Courtney said the changes would put TasTAFE on a future footing and allow greater flexibility to assist industry.

“This is about ensuring TasTAFE can continue to be relevant, and importantly, allowing more Tasmanians to enter industries that are growing or move to other industries.”

An additional 100 staff will be employed across the state under the $98.6m plan.

“There’s going to be no forced redundancies out of this and no existing TasTAFE employee will be worse off,” Ms Courtney said.

“This about recruiting more staff so we can be more flexible for those growing industries ... making sure TasTAFE can deliver training at times and the days that suit students and also suit industry.”

Ms Courtney said the government planned to have the transition completed by July next year. “We have an ambitious target of having this legislated this year, which will give TasTAFE the opportunity over the coming six months to changes necessary.”

She said the government had listened to industry and the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council report, and was not privatising TasTAFE.

Gradco general manager Neil Armstrong said there were six apprentices at the company going through TAFE and he hoped the increased flexibility would attract more people to the industry and address help address shortages.

“We would probably be looking at in excess of 30 or 40 people that we could run through a TAFE course if we could give that flexibility and the balance and the course structure right,” he said.

The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Officer Michael Bailey has backed the changes.

“The business community has been calling for improvements to our skills and training system,” he said.