DEMISE of the SKILLS INSTITUTE and THREAT TO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN TASMANIA
The Tasmanian Education Association has condemned the Tasmanian Skills Institute (TSI) CEO and Board for their plan to retrench 55 full time equivalent teachers.
This action will slash courses and dramatically reduce student access to training. Businesses wishing to train and upskill their workforce will be badly affected especially in areas such as automotive, panelbeating, horticulture, and business studies, elecrotechnology, fitting and machining, tourism and hospitality, bakery and butchery and cookery., all of which have been targeted.
The TEA believes that the financial meltdown of the TSI is directly attributable to the flawed business plan upon which the TSI is based. It has resulted in business and industry rejecting the TSI because of massive increases in training costs.
The TEA says that problems began appearing as soon as TAFE was split into two as part of the ill conceived and costly Post Year 10 reforms.
“The segregation of vocational education and training in Tasmania by creating the Skills Institute and the Tasmanian Polytechnic has escalated the costs of training in Tasmania. It has now increased to a point where average Tasmanian trainees and businesses cannot afford to pay for training,” TEA President Greg Brown said.
Mr Brown said that the TSI Board should be made to explain why so many students have turned their backs on the TSI when three years ago TAFE, the institution it replaced, was flourishing. The current CEO and TSI Board members were the ones who created the institution that is now in an economic mess. Frontline staff constantly warned them that the operation of the Skills Institute would not be viable under their proposed funding model. Regardless, the Board and Senior Management ignored their concerns.”
“The courses that are now under threat were in high demand. It’s not rocket science to understand what has happened,” Mr Brown said.
“Students, businesses and industry will be missing out on the training Tasmania needs to help the state out of its current economic mess,” Mr Brown said.
The TEA believes that education minister Nick McKim made a serious error of judgement when he ignored TEA advice to re-unite TAFE last year.
“Nick McKim opted for an inquiry. We argued that a re-united TAFE could take advantage of economies of scale and enable students and businesses to re-engage with vocational learning. Instead under his watch, they are sacking 55 teachers and slashing courses and training opportunities.” Mr Brown said.
“Tasmania needs significantly MORE vocational education and training NOT LESS. It must be easily to access and affordable for all,” he said.
