Labor stands for safe, secure, well-paid jobs.

The Liberal Lambie Minority Government has finally admitted the education system is failing our students and commissioned an independent review.  It is critical the review includes getting to the bottom of Tasmania’s participation crisis.

Youth unemployment is high, workforce participation is low, and there remain huge skill shortages across the Tasmanian economy.  The participation rate for men has fallen by 2 percentage points since March 2014.

Tasmania’s workforce participation rate of 61% is the lowest in the country. If Tasmania’s participation rate was at the national average, over 11,000 jobs would be created, households would be $1,500 better off and the State’s economy would be boosted by over $3.7 billion annually.

We need to provide better connection between our education system and business, ensure young Tasmanians have clear pathways into the jobs and careers they want to pursue, and improve communication with students and parents about the opportunities available right here in Tasmania.

Lifting workforce participation and ending the brain drain should be a key focus of the education review. 

Dean Winter MP
Labor Leader
Shadow Minister for Jobs, Workplace Relations and Safety