TasTAFE to cut 44 jobs, scrap creative and lab courses amid $45M savings push

The Tasmanian government has confirmed at least 44 jobs will be cut from TasTAFE as the training provider attempts to find $45 million in savings.

There are also another 12 roles that are being proposed to be cut.

Several creative courses, laboratory operations courses and a meat safety will also be scrapped as part of the savings push.

In a document tabled in the state parliament on Tuesday, Skills and Jobs Minister Felix Ellis provided details of the planned cuts.

Among the job losses are 19 teaching positions, four casual teaching positions, two permanent prison training officers and a fixed-term prison training officer.

Some management positions and assistant positions are also being cut.

In March, TasTAFE announced it was reviewing all its courses, and chief executive Norman Baker said at the time the organisations "expenditure continues to outstrip our revenue and further progress now requires deeper structural and service aligned changes".

In October last year, Mr Ellis announced the government would no longer subsidise 12 courses.

Courses confirmed today as being cut include those that lost the subsidy.

Courses being scrapped are:

Certificate III in apparel, fashion and textiles

Certificate III in design fundamentals

Certificate III in meat processing (meat safety)

Certificate III in screen and media

Certificate III in visual arts

Certificate III in design

Certificate III in music

Certificate IV in screen and media

Certificate IV in visual arts

Diploma of graphic design

Diploma of laboratory technology

Certificate IV in laboratory techniques

The creative courses and meat processing course completed delivery at the end of last year.

The laboratory courses will stop being delivered from the end of this year, with all 14 affected students to be "taught out" by then.

Prison training agreement to end

TasTAFE's agreement with the Tasmania Prison Service to provide vocational training in Risdon Prison as well as vocational training courses for prisoners will also not be renewed when it expires at the end of next month.

"Going forward, an annual activity plan will be developed between the two parties on a fee-for-service model with TasTAFE remaining the preferred provider of VET (vocational education and training)," the document reads.

The organisation is also considering cuts to its adult migrant English program, and positions that support international students, which could affect an additional 12 positions. Consultations on both those proposals started this week.

TasTAFE is also considering selling some property, including a building that is partly leased to the Lady Gowrie Child Care Centre at Newnham in Launceston.

"TasTAFE has not entered discussions with the current tenant or any other party regarding sale or lease change," the document reads.

It is also considering selling vacant land which is part of its Devonport campus.

Concern for students reliant on TAFE

Labor leader Josh Willie said the cuts to TasTAFE would "frighten countless Tasmanians hoping to build a new career here in the state".

In parliament on Wednesday, Mr Willie asked Mr Ellis whether there would be further cuts to meet TasTAFE's savings target of $45 million over four years.

Mr Ellis did not rule them out.

"We are making decisions about priorities," Mr Ellis told parliament.

"Now we'll continue, of course, to review our course list — we do that every year.

"That's important, that's what responsible governments do."

The Australian Education Union (AEU) said the cuts had created anxiety in the workforce.

"No-one at TasTAFE feels safe when it comes to their job," AEU Tasmania branch president David Genford said.

Mr Genford said students would also be impacted.

"Whether it be people leaving school, whether it be prisoners, whether it be migrants coming into this state, we need TasTAFE to be there, to be their support, to know that they're going to get really strong courses that are going to mean something to them once they've completed them," he said.

The Tasmanian Association of Laboratory Managers said TasTAFE's courses were critical in the development of new laboratory technicians.

The association's president Mel Gleeson said the loss of the laboratory courses would force students to leave the state, affecting everything from pathology services to school science support.

"It's absolutely critical," Ms Gleeson said.

"There's nothing else like it offered anywhere in the state."