Media Release: Education Minister Not Consulted on TasTAFE Laboratory Technician Course Cuts

Education Minister Not Consulted on TasTAFE Laboratory Technician Course Cuts 

Thursday, 20 November 2025

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb said today Education Minister Jo Palmer confirmed she was not consulted on the TasTAFE cuts to the Laboratory Technician courses.

Ms Webb said the Minister made the admission to her questions during Budget Estimates Scrutiny Hearings, despite 67 laboratory technicians currently employed across the State’s schools and colleges.

“I call on the Premier to intervene and reverse the upcoming TasTAFE subsidisation cuts,” Ms Webb said.

“The Education Minister and the Department confirmed they were not consulted about the TasTAFE cuts to the laboratory technician training courses, or how that may impact upon the department’s capacity to recruit necessary and qualified school technicians.

“This just goes to prove what a badly ill-informed, and counter-productive thought-bubble these TasTAFE cuts are.”

Ms Webb said the Department requires as a minimum applicants to hold a Certificate III or Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques, or preferably a Diploma, to even be considered for a position in a Tasmanian school or college. All of which TasTAFE provides locally.

“There will be turnover amongst the 67 laboratory technicians employed across Tasmanian schools and colleges, including those reaching retirement age, and a need for continual recruitment but instead of investing in a locally trained source of future qualified technicians Minister Ellis is shutting them down.

“By pulling the rug out from beneath our highly regarded Tas TAFE courses, Minister Ellis is also pulling the rug out from beneath our schools’ future capacity to employ crucial and locally trained laboratory technicians.”

Ms Webb also highlighted concerns the interstate Registered Training Organisations Minister Ellis is now relying upon to offer laboratory technical training do not accept individual students but instead prioritise work-place training for those already employed.

“The Education Department will now either have to recruit new lab technicians from interstate or hire unqualified staff who will then need to seek training via an interstate RTO which may not accept individual applicants.

“How is that an improvement on having a trained pool of local potential recruits, who received their highly regarded qualifications locally?

“Premier Rockliff cannot continue to just stand by and watch the undermining of this crucially skilled workforce.  He must intervene, overturn this damaging decision and restore all TasTAFE laboratory technician courses.

“Tasmania’s students, schools and colleges cannot afford this bad decision.”