Question & Answer – TasTAFE Course Subsidy Cuts?

November 4, 2025

The Hon Meg Webb MLC submitted the following Question Without Notice to the government on Monday 20 October 2025.
The response of Skills Minister the Hon. Felix Ellis MP was tabled in the Legislative Council by Leader for Government Business, the Hon Tania Rattray MLC on Tuesday the 4th of November 2025 – which can be viewed below.
Question Asked by Meg Webb MLC

Monday, 20 October 2025

Ms Webb tomorrow to ask the Honourable Leader of the Government ⎯ 

With regard to the proposed TasTAFE subsidy cuts to 12 courses including Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques, the Diploma in Laboratory Technology, and other qualifications in creative industry courses including screen, media, graphic design, fashion and textiles, can the Government:

  1. Detail whether any stakeholder consultation, including with staff and students, occurred before these subsidy redirections were finalised, and if so which stakeholders were consulted and when;

      2.  In relation to each of the Laboratory Certificate IV and Diploma in Laboratory Technology, detail:

           (a) the class size capacity of the current TasTAFE laboratory facilities;

           (b) the class enrolment numbers for each course for the last five calendar years;

           (c) the graduation rate for each courses for each of those five years;

           (d) a gender breakdown of both enrolled students and teaching staff for each course over five years.

      3. Provide any evidence-based data and analysis regarding the reported low enrolments for all identified 12 courses for the last three calendar years;

      4. Confirm whether a gender impact assessment of potential impact of the proposed subsidy redirections was undertaken to inform this decision, and if not why not?;

      5.  Detail the estimated savings of the redirection of subsidies from these identified 12 courses;

      6.  Detail which courses will be the recipients of the redirected subsidies, and any evidence-based data and analysis upon which that decision was based?

View Meg’s Question as submitted to the government and the Minister’s response, below or here as a pdf.