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industry & research work , with the automation of routine and repetitive tasks .
Universities and their educators have been attentive to these concerns for years , with arts , humanities , social science and communication degrees all now involving forms of work-integrated learning , industry experiences such as internships , as well as placing emphasis on ‘ authentic ’ assessments and graduate outcomes .
Taking the definition at face value , the belief that most HASS graduates are not ‘ job-ready ’ is an insult to all of the workers across Australia whose HASS qualifications secured their employment , including many of the politicians responsible for passing this legislation . A national government-funded Graduate Outcomes Survey QILT report ( 2020 ) found that the employment prospects of HASS graduates are virtually indistinguishable from those of their STEM counterparts .
Despite the Federal budget injection of research funding and the claims made about increasing student places , the Tehan reforms ultimately present us with a collective , sector-wide challenge to our national aspirations around access and equity in education . The shift in debt burden risks deterring first-in-family and low-SES students , and it has a particular impact on women ’ s future careers and financial positions , given the traditional student demographics for HASS degrees .
Our colleagues in STEM fields have shown us support ; they are facing a significant reduction in student revenue as a result of these reforms . We need to work together to champion and celebrate the benefits and outcomes of our degrees and research in a comprehensive , interdisciplinary environment to find solutions for our global community .
We are all committed to preparing students for employment in an unpredictable world defined by a new set of power relations , with enormous environmental and social challenges .
The belief that most HASS graduates are not ‘ job-ready ’ is an insult to all of the workers across Australia whose HASS qualifications secured their employment .
In our twenty-first century , if ‘ the future of work is human ’, surely we need an accessible , broad education , inclusive of training that creates new possibilities . ■
Professor Catharine Coleborne is president of DASSH ( Australasian Council of the Deans of Arts , Social Science and Humanities , including creative fields ). She is currently the head of School of Humanities and Social Science / dean of arts at the University of Newcastle .
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