Anger over fee hike for students at TasTAFE

There are fears the state’s skills shortage will worsen following a decision to raise TAFE fees.

TasTAFE fees will increase in 2019 in line with CPI. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

FEES for TasTAFE students will increase in 2019 — prompting anger the state’s skills shortage will worsen.

The State Government has revealed fees will increase to keep pace with the consumer price index, which was just over 2 per cent in Tasmania in 2018.

“TasTAFE fees have not increased for three years — 2016 was the last time that fees were increased to keep pace with CPI,” Education and Training Minister Jeremy Rockliff said.

Labor said the price of some courses would go up by as much as 3 per cent, and slammed the Government for making study and training harder for students at a time when the state is facing a skills shortage.

Labor’s education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne said TasTAFE should not be run as a business.

“It’s just unacceptable that the priority for the public trainer is to operate TasTAFE as a business rather than the provider of desperately needed skills training for Tasmanians,” Ms O’Byrne said.

Education and Training Minister Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Labor’s education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

The fee hike comes at a time when enrolments have dropped at TasTAFE. The 2017-18 annual report, released in October, shows the latest enrolment total was 3000 fewer than the year before. In 2017 there were 30,547 students enrolled across all campuses. In 2016, there were 33,523.

Labor’s skills and training spokesperson Anita Dow said the Government should be encouraging more Tasmanians to study at TAFE rather than making it more difficult through higher fees.

She said the state was facing a skills shortage in the areas of early childhood education, aged care and nursing.

“Minister Rockliff understands Tasmania has a serious shortage of skilled workers in these important areas,” she said.

“The Hodgman Liberal Government is doing little to address this and is, in fact, contributing to this growing crisis through prioritising revenue over equity of access to skills and training for Tasmanians,” Ms Dow said.

As well as higher fees, Ms Dow said cost-cutting measures included making some courses fully online. She said online delivery would include courses for prospective child-carers and teachers’ aides.

“These courses are all about caring for people and interacting with others … they are fundamentally about relating with people and that can’t be achieved online.”

Mr Rockliff said the Government had been pro-active in skills development, with trade training commencements up 20.7 per cent in Tasmania compared with the previous year.