23/05/2019
Jeremy Rockliff MP
Minister for Education and Training
2019-20 Budget: Delivering more teachers for TasTafe and more opportunities for young people
The 2019-20 State Budget is about maintaining the momentum and investing for growth, which is why it includes an additional allocation of $2.9 million for TasTAFE.
The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to ensuring TasTAFE continues to support our growing economy and the additional $2.9 million will allow TasTAFE to address skills needs in some of Tasmania’s key industries. With this extra funding, TasTAFE will be able to train more apprentices and students in growth industries including construction, electro technology, plumbing, welding and nursing.
This commitment will help meet the future skills needs of Tasmania’s booming construction sector with more than 230 student places available in qualifications and programs, including pre-vocational welding, Certificate II in Electro technology, and Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation.
The funding will enable TasTAFE to employ an additional five teachers across building, construction and allied trades; a dedicated team of three welding teachers and a dedicated apprenticeship coordinator and industry liaison officer.
In health, we will create an additional 75 student places in TasTAFE’s Diploma of Nursing qualification state-wide – a 45 per cent increase on current levels. Importantly TasTAFE will also recruit up to seven additional nursing teachers along with a dedicated coordinator for student work placements.
Improving participation and engagement of students through flexible learning options is critical, providing more opportunities for students in a range of learning environments. This is why we are also investing $540,000 in 2019-20, and $1.48 million over four years from the 2019-20 Budget, for Australian School Based Apprenticeships (ASbAs).
This means improved access to, and participation and engagement in, quality senior secondary pathways for young people. It will support students to enhance learning pathways to better align with the outcomes of schooling and to develop a local work ready workforce.
These investments are an important part of our plan to maintain the momentum we have created in education and ensure that every Tasmanian student has the best possible opportunities in life.