VET & TAFE
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role in VET, this might meet resistance from states and territories,
despite their steady withdrawal of funding, notable since about
2013 (but with modest funding increases in 2017 in some states).
The impact is most evident in a trend decline in government-
funded VET, as confirmed by the Productivity Commission in
its Report on Government Services, such factors triggering the
Joyce Review. One industry peak body, ACPET, now advocates for
a Commonwealth takeover of the VET sector within one tertiary
education system.
A specific example of policy entanglement and funding
complexity is evident at the HE/VET sector ‘boundary’ that
spans AQF levels 5–6. The boundary has been characterised
as confused, contested and collaborative, and displays the
disconnected program duality of Commonwealth funding: one for
funding HE AQF 5–6 sub-bachelor courses, and one for financing
VET AQF 5–6 diplomas (which states and territories also separately
fund or may part-subsidise student loans).
An edifice of legislative, policy and funding complexity has been
built up over time that separately supports HE and VET at what
is notionally the same AQF level, albeit providing qualifications
serving up to now mostly different purpose.
Such differences, however, may be narrowing by the
Commonwealth’s HE policy intent of ensuring HE sub-bachelor
courses have clear ‘focus on industry needs’ and ‘fully articulate’
into higher university AQF programs (pathways that VET
qualifications at AQF 5–6 levels can likewise support).
These are arguments for HE courses to greater include attributes
long espoused as VET’s core purpose. The relevant review (Table 1)
has its basis in reallocation of existing enabling places for HE sub-
bachelor courses. Reallocation only reinforces past gridlock in
siloed thinking about HE and VET.
It’s time to make friends with new connected ideas and to
constructively step over old shadows.
PROPOSAL 1: Allow VET diploma accredited courses as an
optional alternative to training package diploma qualifications.
As noted in ASQA’s 2017–18 annual report, “about 80 per cent
of Australian VET is delivered through training packages, but the
Australian VET system also uses accredited VET courses. These
are nationally recognised qualifications that are intended to meet
industry requirements for training”. Proposal 1 would retain ‘primacy’
of training package qualifications for Certificate IV and below.
PROPOSAL 2: Allow high quality VET providers to gain prompt
course accreditation approvals from ASQA for institutionally
created VET AQF 5–6 courses.
Proposals 1 and 2 are co-dependent. Initially, existing approved
VSL providers would be eligible. ASQA’s responsiveness is set by
its service standards for assessing and responding to course initial
accreditation applications, of which there were 110 either received,
completed or approved in 2017–18, mostly within one to six
months (depending on risk profile and process).
Table 1: Current reviews, proposals and commentary on
Australia’s tertiary education system.*
National system/
sector reviews Purpose
VET Review
(Joyce Review) Whole of VET sector review with focus
on Commonwealth role, relations
and funding
Post-secondary
Review – Labor policy Conditional commitment to a full
national inquiry into post-secondary
education system in <100 days
Australian Qualifications Reconsideration of current AQF and
Framework (AQF)
application across all education sectors
Review
HE specific
consultation/review Purpose
Performance‑based
funding for
Commonwealth Grant
Scheme Rationale of performance-based funding
and design principles. Potential to allow
HE system growth but not as ‘demand
driven’ – now in two-year freeze
Review of the Higher
Education Provider
Category Standards Reconsideration of what constitutes a
‘university’ or higher education provider
and requirements definitions
Reallocation of
Commonwealth
supported places for
enabling, sub-bachelor
and postgraduate
courses Reconsideration of current mechanism
for allocation of sub-bachelor and
postgraduate places and associated
policy conditions
Industry/independent
policy commentary General approach and proposal
Future-proof: Australia’s
future post-secondary
education and skills
system – BCA Comprehensive tertiary system reforms
with focus on unified financing with
a capped life-long learner account to
provide access to both HE and VET
Reimagining tertiary
education – KPMG Coherent national educational eco-
system, single tertiary funding framework,
better integrated tertiary system
Diversity in Australian
tertiary education:
turning words into
action – NOUS Tertiary sector reform, proposed
transforming regulatory and funding
arrangements especially including
clearer separation of education and
research funding in HE
Realising potential:
Solving Australia’s
tertiary education
challenge – AIG Comprehensive tertiary system reform
with focus on independent agency
to oversee funding and financing,
improved HE/VET sector coordination
NEXT ISSUE: Dr Fowler discusses Proposals 3–7.
Dr Craig Fowler is an analyst and observer of national policies
impacting tertiary education, science and innovation after
decades of experience in private, public and university sectors.
*Links to papers and further reading at campusreview.com.au
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