The Australian Education Union is outraged by TasTAFE’s announcement that it will slash 26 jobs and axe all 12 courses targeted by recent fee hikes, demanding that all cuts to fee subsidies, course offerings and jobs be immediately reversed.

Should this change go ahead, nine courses in Arts & Design as well as the Cert IV in Laboratory Techniques will be cut at the end of 2025, resulting in 18 jobs being axed from the Arts & Design school this year as well an undetermined number of Laboratory Operations teaching staff.

The current cohort enrolled in the Diploma of Laboratory Technology will be allowed to finish the two-year course at the end of 2026, after which the course will be axed and all remaining Laboratory Operations teaching jobs will be cut.

Approximately 500 students are currently enrolled in the courses facing the chopping block and many will be left stranded with no way to continue their studies after the courses are cut.

An end to the delivery of these TAFE courses would undoubtedly worsen ongoing crises in the state’s education and health systems and devastate Tasmania’s growing arts and digital communications sectors.

The impact of the course cuts will be deeply felt across the state far beyond the TasTAFE community, including in public schools and colleges, hospitals, pathology, water safety, food and wine, design, communications, screen and media, fashion, local manufacturing, and the arts – raising questions about whether the Minister truly understands the impact of his decision to cut subsidies to the courses.

The Minister’s recent subsidy cuts are the clear catalyst for TasTAFE’s subsequent course and job cuts.

Minister Ellis must now take responsibility and immediately fix this grave mistake.

Emma Gill, AEU Acting State Manager:

“The Skills Minister killed these TAFE courses the day he cut funding, but we question whether Minister Ellis even understands the consequences of what he’s done.”

“TasTAFE is the only provider of laboratory technology qualifications in Tasmania. If Tasmania is no longer able to train laboratory technicians, schools won’t be able to find lab techs to support science education – and that’s an absolute disaster for student outcomes.”

“About 40% of laboratory technology graduates go into schools, and around 50% into medical pathology labs. Without this training, we’re not just risking science in schools – we’re risking Tasmania’s health system too.”

“Who gave Felix Ellis the right to say which industries are valuable and which ones aren’t? The arts are one of Tasmania’s greatest strengths. The Government should be investing more in creative industries to keep growing the arts in Tasmania – not locking young Tasmanians out of our flourishing arts sector.”

“The fashion and textiles industry employs 7000 people in Tasmania and brings in $400 million each year. Everyone needs clothes and TasTAFE training supports clothing production and manufacturing training for local industries. Teachers can’t understand why their course has been cut, especially since manufacturing is in the Tasmanian Skills Plan.”

“Young people will be forced to move to the mainland to get an affordable education, and they won’t come back. It’s as simple as that.”

“Minister Ellis was supposed to be recruiting 100 extra full time TasTAFE teachers, but all he has done this year is cut jobs. First it was automotive teachers, now this. How is cutting jobs and slashing courses helping Tasmanian industries grow?”

“No one denies the importance of health and care, construction and energy – but this is not an either/or choice. Cutting off some course to prop up others will only harm Tasmania.”

“Minister Ellis has no choice but to reverse the subsidy cuts and ensure these courses continue at TasTAFE.”