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Winners and losers
The higher ed sector ’ s response to Budget 2020-21 .
By Dallas Bastian
The injection of an additional
$ 1 billion for university research was the big-ticket item for higher education in the recent Federal Budget .
Announcing the education measures in the 2020-21 Budget , Minister for Education Dan Tehan said education would be critical to Australia ’ s COVID-19 economic recovery .
“ Our budget is providing funding for research that will drive new technologies and support jobs , improving support for school students and teachers impacted by COVID-19 , and supporting working parents with child care needs ,” Tehan said .
Universities Australia chair Professor Deborah Terry said the investment in research showed that the government “ has heard the alarm bells ”.
“ This deals with the very serious shortterm issues caused by COVID-19 .
“ Universities also look forward to working in partnership with Education Minister Dan Tehan to find longer-term solutions to sustain university research .”
The Group of Eight ( Go8 ) chief executive Vicki Thomson said it had advocated strongly for the additional funding .
“ Placing it directly into the Research Support Program ( RSP ) research block grant was also recognition that at this time in our history research universities need the flexibility of that funding pipeline to respond
quickly and with autonomy .
“ We can promise Australia that it will be money well spent , accurately targeted and manifestly impactful .”
UNI PLACES AND SHORT COURSES Universities Australia also welcomed the $ 550.3 million set out for additional university places and short courses .
“ This includes 50,000 new short courses , which will be especially important for mature-aged workers looking for new skills .
“ This adds to the 12,000 new university places to meet increased demand due to COVID-19 .”
OTHER MEASURES The Budget also included $ 40 million for universities to start projects in their local communities that drive the national interest and forge deeper collaborations with industry .
ITECA welcomed other initiatives around apprentices and trainees , some new and some announced in the past month , including $ 2.8 billion to support the wages of apprentices and trainees already in work and $ 1.2 billion to support the wages of new ( and recommencing ) apprentices and trainees .
Chief executive Troy Williams said : “ These measures are great for school leavers and jobseekers looking to get the skills that will put them in a position to obtain a job .” But the AEU said the Budget failed TAFEs . It said the Government had a historic opportunity to rebuild the recovery on TAFE ’ s foundations . “ Instead they have opted for a quick fix on training
Research universities need the flexibility of that funding pipeline to respond quickly and with autonomy .
and apprenticeships , but no long-term solutions .”
AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe said : “ In the past seven years we have seen a third of TAFE campuses around Australia close down due to lack of funding . We are starting our economic recovery well behind the eight ball . You can ’ t have a skills-based recovery without TAFE at its heart .”
What else was deemed missing ? The NTEU was disappointed the Budget “ fails to seriously address the funding and jobs crisis ” universities are facing .
National president Dr Alison Barnes said : “ The $ 1 billion for research funding is mostly future spending brought forward .
“ It represents a small fraction of the $ 7.2 billion research funding shortfall identified by independent analysts due to the collapse in international student income . This shortfall must be addressed if Australia is to re-employ permanent researchers and accelerate its economic recovery .
“ Australia ’ s universities desperately need a rescue package , but the Treasurer ’ s focus on jobs in the Budget clearly doesn ’ t include higher education .” ■
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