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TAFE Arts Crisis – Fees Skyrocket, Exodus Feared
The decision by the Minister for Skills and Jobs, Felix Ellis, to redirect TasTAFE course subsidies was defended as an essential move for “long-term viability” and to better meet the state’s growing demand for workers in areas like caregiving and construction. However, this has drawn immediate condemnation from opponents.
The Australian Education Union (AEU)warned that removing subsidies for 12 courses, including those in the creative arts, will cause a devastating fee hike of up to 5400%, effectively “killing courses” and locking out young Tasmanians. Labor leaders, including Josh Willie MHA and Brian Mitchell MHA, subsequently condemned the cuts, arguing they are a “reckless decision” that worsens Tasmania’s skills crisis and is a sign of looming budget mismanagement.
Mitchell also publicly accused Minister Ellis of demonstrating a profound lack of understanding regarding the economic importance of the creative sector. This sentiment was echoed by the National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE), who called the decision “short-sighted” as it ignores existing skills shortages and the significant economic value of the arts. Adding to the pressure, Shadow Minister Meg Brown MHA sharply criticised the “complete silence” of Arts Minister Madeleine Ogilvie for failing to defend the creative industries under attack by her own government.
Media release – Felix Ellis MHA, Minister for Skills and Jobs, 6 October 2025
Viability at the core of TAFE reforms
Reforms to TasTAFE courses will realign its focus to deliver better outcomes for Tasmanians.
An average of 20 learners are enrolled in each of the 12 courses that will have subsidies redirected.
Minister for Skills and Jobs, Felix Ellis, said the enrolment numbers of the 12 courses remained consistently low, with Tasmanians clearly choosing to obtain these qualifications elsewhere.
“The changes to TasTAFE are about long-term viability and meeting the growing needs in our community in areas such as caregiving and construction,” Ellis said.
“These changes enable TasTAFE to support areas such as the new Health Hub, The Clean Energy Centre of Excellence, Health, Care and Trade areas with their future resource needs.”
The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) and Master Builders Tasmania (MBT) have endorsed changes to TasTAFE course subsidies in line with the Tasmanian Skills Plan.
Michael Bailey, CEO of the TCCI said it is important for TasTAFE to be able to adapt subsidised course offerings into areas where employers desperately need more skill workers.
“Funding subsidies must be prioritised to training that helps people get a job and boosts workforce productivity,” Bailey said.
Jenna Cairney, CEO of MBT said the changes would benefit the construction industry, which is calling out for more skilled workers.
“It is important that TasTAFE is able to have flexibility in its subsidised course offerings to cater for growing areas of training demand, such as the building and construction trades, where there are strong employment outcomes and industry needs more skilled workers,” Cairney said.
Minister Ellis welcomed the backing of the TCCI and MBT.
Media release – Brian Mitchell MHA, Shadow Minister for TAFE, Skills & Training, 8 October 2025
Minister can’t be trusted on TAFE cuts
It’s becoming clearer by the day that TasTAFE and the career prospects of thousands of students are in the hands of an incompetent Minister who has no idea what he is doing.
Minister Ellis’ recent actions reveal an alarming disconnect from the needs of Tasmania’s education and creative sectors and demonstrated that he has no concept of the importance of Tasmania’s creative sector to the economy.
In the space of a week, Minister Ellis has suggested students can undertake courses at institutions that do not exist and has been caught out claiming courses he is defunding have low numbers when teachers say that’s not true.
Now, Minister Ellis claims his changes are part of the Skills Plan he released in November 2024, but there is no mention of the cuts in that plan, only vague references to aligning training with industry needs.
In fact, the Skills Plan uses a photo of art and design students as part of its promotional effort.
Tasmanian Skills Plan Page 8 November 2024
Minister Ellis’ cuts have been slammed by students, graduates, teachers, unions and employers, who have all spoken of the importance of the TasTAFE courses and of the excellent groundwork they provide, particularly in laboratory technology.
The way Minister Ellis tried to sneak these cuts through over the school holiday period shows exactly why this Liberal Government can’t be trusted.
The Minister needs to reverse these cuts and then sit down with teachers, students and industry to discuss TasTAFE’s future.
Media release – Meg Brown MHA, Shadow Minister for Heritage & Arts, 7 October 2025
Where is Madeleine Ogilvie while Tasmania’s creative sector is under attack?
Arts Minister Madeleine Ogilvie has been completely missing in action while her Liberal Government cuts vital TAFE courses that underpin Tasmania’s creative industries.
Courses in screen and media, visual arts, textiles and fashion are being cut or made unaffordable under the Liberals’ TasTAFE cuts.
While Felix Ellis has demonstrated just how little value the Liberals place on Tasmania’s creative talent, Madeleine Ogilvie has failed to stand up for one of Tasmania’s most important and distinctive sectors – a sector she is supposed to represent.
The Arts Minister’s silence speaks volumes.
At a time when the creative industries need a champion in Cabinet, Madeleine Ogilvie is nowhere to be found.
Tasmania’s creative industries are a key part of our economy, our culture and our identity. They employ thousands of Tasmanians, attract visitors from across the world and help define who we are as a state.
They deserve a Minister who will fight for them. Will Minister Ogilvie finally stand up for her sector and call on Felix Ellis to reverse his cuts to TasTAFE’s creative courses? Or will she continue to do nothing?
Media release – Josh Willie MHA, Labor Leader, Shadow Minister for Education & Early Years; Brian Mitchell MHA, Shadow Minister for TAFE, Skills & Training, 6 October 2025
Liberals taking opportunities away from Tasmanians
After 11 years of Liberal Government, it’s a tragedy that fewer young Tasmanians can see opportunities and a future here in their home state, so they’re going elsewhere.
We are losing our best and brightest to the mainland, and once they go, fewer and fewer are coming back. They go to places with more opportunities, better job prospects, and Tasmania’s economy is worse off as a result.
Last week, the Liberals made more cuts to TAFE and training opportunities. In the midst of a population and skills crisis, the last thing we can afford to do is cut more pathways for young Tasmanians.
These cuts are another blow to Tasmania’s future workforce. When you remove training pathways, you are taking away job opportunities for young Tasmanians. This isn’t just a hit to those pursuing creative careers – it affects every sector.
Trades, agriculture, technology – young people who could be building the future of Tasmania are being shut out by these reckless decisions.
With record-low population growth and the exodus of young Tasmanians continuing, the Liberals are making it worse, not better with their policy decisions. The Government’s failure to support TasTAFE’s creative and Laboratory courses and the students who rely on them, will only further contribute to Tasmania’s worrying population stagnation.
The Liberals must reverse these cuts to TAFE and training.
Young Tasmanians shouldn’t be paying the price for 11 years of Liberal budget mismanagement.
You simply can’t trust the Liberals to keep our talent here in Tasmania by supporting real opportunities like the ones offered by TasTAFE.
Brian Mitchell MHA, Shadow Minister for TAFE, Skills & Training, 2 October 2025
Minister confirms Liberals don’t understand the importance of Tasmania’s creative sector
This morning, Skills Minister Felix Ellis demonstrated the Liberal Government doesn’t understand the vital role that creative industries play in Tasmania’s economy.
Minister Ellis told ABC Radio that TAFE courses in textiles, screen and media fashion, and visual arts “don’t necessarily deliver great student outcomes” and “aren’t delivering great outcomes for our economy”.
The comments follow revelations the courses are facing massive fee hikes, putting them out of reach for young Tasmanians seeking a future in Tasmania’s creative sector.
Tasmania’s creative industries are a huge contributor to our state’s economy, culture and identity. To thrive, they need people skilled in lighting, sound and design. Because of these Liberal cuts, more talented young Tasmanians will move to the mainland to do their training, with many unlikely to return.
Minister Ellis’ arrogant dismissal of the creative sector is a slap in the face for the thousands of Tasmanians who work in it and of the vital role they play.
Young Tasmanians should not be paying the price of 11 years of failed Liberal economic management. The Liberals have racked up mountains of debt with their fiascos and they expect everyone else to fix it for them.
How long will it be before other important areas of training are sacrificed to pay for the Liberals’ inability to responsibly manage the state’s finances?
Brian Mitchell MHA, Shadow Minister for TAFE, Skills & Training, 1 October 2025
TAFE course reduction cause for concern as Budget cuts loom
A reduction in TAFE courses designed to prepare Tasmanians for careers in the state’s creative industries is a worrying sign for skills and training in Tasmania as more Liberal budget cuts loom.
Tasmania is blessed with a thriving creative sector which contributes greatly to not just the economy, but to what makes our state such a great place to live.
Humanities and arts courses play a huge role in driving this contribution, giving Tasmanians the skills and training needed to participate in the many jobs supported by creative industries.
While the course reductions raised by the AEU are concerning in their own right, they are even more worrying in the context of Tasmania’s dire budget situation.
Treasurer Eric Abetz has already warned Tasmanians that cuts to services and programs are on the horizon as he tries to rein in his Government’s ballooning state debt in the upcoming budget.
Tasmanian educators and students are rightly worried that defunding TAFE courses might be a sign of things to come.
Given this Liberal Government’s track record of broken promises regarding TAFE, it is difficult to trust them to look after students and educators.
Can the Treasurer rule out further cuts to TAFE today?
Media release – Australian Education Union, 1 October 2025
TasTAFE fee hike “will kill courses” – Minister must intervene
The Australian Education Union has condemned the State Government’s decision to cut subsidies for a range of TasTAFE courses, warning that this move will lock young Tasmanians out of education, cost jobs and damage the state’s cultural and economic future.
From 2026, TasTAFE will remove subsidies for 12 courses including Cert III, Cert IV and Diploma qualifications.
Fees will skyrocket by up to 5400% next year when students are charged “commercial” rates for courses in Design, Screen & Media, Music, Fashion, Visual Arts, Laboratory Technology and Meat Processing, making learning unaffordable for most young Tasmanians.
All concessions will be scrapped, meaning courses that cost $400 this year will cost up to $21,452 next year, with a median cost of $11,880.
“There is no way anyone will apply for any of these courses,” one concerned TasTAFE staff member told the AEU. “These are priced so no one will apply for them.”
AEU Tasmania State Manager Brian Wightman said the Skills Minister, Felix Ellis, must urgently restore fee subsidies for all affected TasTAFE courses.
“This subsidy cut will kill courses unless the Minister intervenes. This is a devastating attack on creativity, opportunity and equity in Tasmania. Young people, especially from regional and disadvantaged backgrounds, will not be able to afford these courses once they are only offered at commercial rates,” Wightman said.
“Tasmania has worked hard to build a reputation as a place where creativity is not just valued but celebrated. Institutions and events like MONA, the Junction Arts Festival, Festivale and Ten Days on the Island have brought visitors, jobs and investment and put our state on the international stage. To now rip away affordable training pathways for the next generation of musicians, artists and creatives undermines all that progress.”
AEU TAFE Division President Tristan Sabol warned that the cuts would lead to a drop in enrolments and subsequent job cuts at TasTAFE.
“Young people will no longer be able to afford to do these courses in Tasmania. Simple as that,” Sabol said. “They’ll be forced to move to the mainland to get a TAFE education and Tasmania will lose all those skills. This is a disaster for public education in this state and a shameful decision from the Government.
“There are 448 students currently enrolled in Arts & Design alone at TasTAFE– how many can afford to come back next year?”
“TasTAFE teachers and support staff are worried they’re going to lose their jobs. We’re already facing a crisis in attracting and retaining educators. Cutting funding, axing affordable creative pathways and putting skilled TAFE teachers out of work sends exactly the wrong message. The Government should be investing in educators and supporting their work, not undermining their profession.”
“No one denies the importance of health and care, construction and energy – but this is not an either/or choice. A prosperous Tasmania needs both a strong caring and construction workforce and a thriving creative sector. Cutting off one to prop up the other is short-sighted and damaging.”
The AEU has called on the Minister for Skills to reverse the cuts and restore subsidies to all courses immediately.
“TasTAFE is a place for public education. It’s not a business.
The social, cultural and economic cost of these cuts will be far greater than the funding being withheld. The Minister must act now to keep all courses accessible to young Tasmanians,” Wightman said.
Media release – National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE), 3 October 2025
NAAE calls on Tasmanian Government to reverse cuts to creative arts education
The National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE) has expressed its deep concern over the Tasmanian Government’s decision to remove subsidies from twelve TasTAFE courses from 2026, including six creative arts courses: Design, Music, Fashion, Visual Arts and Screen and Media.
Students in these courses face an unprecedented 5,000% fee hike.
Dr John Nicholas Saunders, Chair of NAAE, said the decision is short-sighted and ignores the evidence about the economic and social value of the arts.
“We are incredibly disappointed and deeply concerned about these cuts,” Saunders said.
“Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA) and Creative Australia’s Creative Workforce Scoping Study Report show the sector is already facing critical skills shortages. Employers and arts organisations are struggling to recruit qualified workers and these cuts will only make things worse.”
The economic impact of the creative arts sector is significant. The Australia Institute has found that the sector employs 193,000 Australians, making it a larger employer than finance, accommodation, electricity supply, heavy and civil engineering construction or coal.
The Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research (2025) also reported that the cultural and creative sector contributed $67.4 billion to Australia’s economy in 2023/2024 (2.5% of GDP), representing a 6.6% increase from the previous year.
Enrolments in Year 12 ATAR arts subjects have declined by 11% from 2015 to 2023 and enrolments in undergraduate creative arts degrees at the University of Tasmania have dropped by 53% between 2018 and 2023, according to data from the Australian Department of Education.
“At a time when we need governments to be investing in the arts and supporting arts education in schools and post-school pathways, it is incredibly disappointing to see the Tasmanian Government doing the exact opposite and abandoning the creative arts sector,”
Saunders said.
“Students wishing to study these creative arts courses at TasTAFE will now likely need to move away from Tasmania if they are going to pursue their chosen career in the creative arts.”
Saunders said that the cuts would undermine Tasmania’s cultural and economic future: “This decision sends the wrong message to students, teachers and the wider community.
Instead of investing in the future of Tasmania’s creative industries, the Government is creating unnecessary barriers to training in areas where we know there is strong demand. The Tasmanian Government must do much better than this.”
The NAAE today wrote to Tasmanian Government Ministers responsible for Skills and Training, Arts, and Education, calling for the decision to remove subsidies from TasTAFE creative arts courses from 2026 to be reversed.
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