Tasmania’s public vocational education provider will cut courses and undergo a major restructuring after revealing it must find “$45 million in savings” over the next four years.
TasTAFE chief executive Norman Baker told staff the organisation’s spending continues to outpace revenue, with traditional cost-cutting measures already exhausted.
“We must reshape and realign parts of the organisation to focus our resources where they have the greatest impact,” Baker said in an email to staff on Wednesday.
Baker said TasTAFE could no longer “be everything to everyone or operate everywhere”.
Savings from printing, fleet and corporate operations were “no longer sufficient” and “deeper structural and service-aligned changes” were now required, he said.
The email, seen by Pulse, reveals a “significant portion” of the cuts must be made “in the next 12 months”.
A strategic review of TasTAFE’s training portfolio is underway, with courses to be assessed against the state’s “current and emerging skills priorities”.
Baker gave no indication of potential job losses or which courses were under threat.
He acknowledged the changes would unsettle staff but committed to “open communication and genuine consultation” as the cuts progress.
The Australian Education Union has slammed the announcement, warning it will gut jobs and course offerings.
AEU state manager Brian Wightman told Pulse the union represents nearly 200 TAFE teachers who now face an uncertain future.
“It will decimate TAFE,” he said.
Wightman said TasTAFE had “already gutted dozens of jobs” in recent years, pointing to cuts to creative arts and design courses.
He accused the state government of pursuing a narrow skills agenda focused on traditional trades at the expense of creative industries.
“The government seems hell-bent on skills plans that looks to traditional trades,” he said.
“It doesn’t look any further than that into the areas that have made Tasmania clever and proud and connected.”
Skills Minister Felix Ellis said the state government “will always ensure TasTAFE is fit for purpose”.
“We are increasing TasTAFE operational funding in coming years – following increases of $19m over the past two years alone.”
“We are also investing more than $118 million on capital upgrades.”
“Like all Government agencies, TasTAFE must operate within its allocated budget, as Tasmanians expect.”
TasTAFE operates campuses across Tasmania and is the state’s primary provider of vocational education and training.
