Education Minister Sarah Courtney is recklessly pushing ahead with her determined plan to wreck TasTAFE, refusing to listen to the legitimate concerns of frontline staff.
Shadow Minister for TAFE Josh Willie said the Liberal Government's unwavering mission to gut TAFE and transform it into a budget-version training institution was an ideological attack which ignored the genuine concerns of teachers and other staff that it would result in a loss of structured, high quality training, higher costs for students and potential course and campus closures.
"TasTAFE staff are so concerned about Ms Courtney's efforts to wreck the training institution that they will stage stop work meetings today to get this Minister to finally listen," Mr Willie said.
"But Ms Courtney is ignoring their concerns and ignoring the experiences of other states like South Australia where similar moves to dismantle and commercialise TAFE have resulted in cuts to courses in areas of high need - courses like childcare, aged care and disability.
"A failure to listen and take people with you on reform - particularly your own workforce - will result in failure.
"Ms Courtney remains hell bent on ripping apart this critical institution, removing high-quality training and installing unregistered trainers rather than highly qualified teachers.
"Tasmanians rightfully want TasTAFE to continue to offer structured training, with campuses all over the state offering extensive hands-on learning for all everyone looking for a career path.
"The fact is similar so-called reforms haven't worked in other states.
"The fact is Ms Courtney cannot rule out job losses, a loss of courses or a loss of employment conditions for teachers and fee hikes.
"The fact is not one industry group recommended this model through the PESRAC process.
"She has failed to listen and it's time for this Minister to do what she committed to do and start actually consulting with those at the frontline.
"Why would she push ahead with an unjustified, wrecking-ball plan like this when the entire TAFE sector is telling her it is woefully misguided?"
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for TAFE
