· Liberals failing to deliver on skills and training commitments
· Rockliff must tell Tasmanians why work at Claremont College has not started
· Government not acting while hospitality enrolments remain in freefall
The Hodgman Liberal Government and Education and Training Minister Jeremy Rockliff are failing on a key election promise to deliver desperately needed infrastructure to train future generations of Tasmanian tourism and hospitality workers.
Labor Leader Rebecca White said at the same time less than half of the students who enrolled in hospitality at TasTAFE last year completed their courses, Mr Rockliff must explain why a promised commitment to extend the Drysdale training facility into Claremont College this year had not yet started.
"Work on this critical project was to have started last year and be completed by 2020," Ms White said.
"But with no progress made whatsoever so far on the $3.5m commitment, Mr Rockliff needs to explain when work will start and if it will be completed on time.
"It's unacceptable that work has not commenced at the same time this Minister has overseen a shocking decline in the numbers of students enrolling and completing courses by failing to invest in training a workforce to help the state's tourism and hospitality industry grow.
"Data released just last month showed that while 434 students were enrolled in hospitality courses in 2018, only 202 successfully completed the course.
"Mr Rockliff cannot explain this dramatic decline at the same time the Hodgman Government has set its own target to increase training capacity to reach 50,000 tourism and hospitality jobs by 2020.
"Tasmania needs to be offering training in Hobart's northern suburbs to allow opportunities for people to get the qualifications to get work in the industry.
"Labor is actively talking to industry and business and our Industry Advisory Councils – including the Tourism, Hospitality, Festivals, Heritage and the Arts IAC - are focused on the long-term challenges and opportunities facing Tasmania's economy and our people, including education and training."
Rebecca White MP
Labor Leader
