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VET & TAFE
Independent providers enjoy some of the highest levels of student and employer satisfaction .
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese with Rebecca Fanning at Caboolture TAFE Campus . Picture : NCA NewsWire / John Gass
Freedom of choice
Labor ’ s 2022 election announcement ‘ TAFE-centric ’, not ‘ student-centric ’.
By Wade Zaglas
The peak body for the independent tertiary education sector has voiced disappointment with Labor ’ s $ 1.2 million skills and higher education package , labelling it TAFE-centric and saying it provides students with little choice over where they choose to study .
The federal opposition ’ s “ Future Made in Australia ” policy , released as a pre-election announcement in December , promises some 465,000 free TAFE spots , 45,000 “ new places ”, as well as a commitment to fund TAFE infrastructure such as IT , new workshops and laboratories .
The Labor plan also includes 20,000 university spots , allocated across 2022- 2023 . Funding has also been promised for universities to provide additional spots for priority occupations with skills shortages , first in family students and underrepresented groups . The TAFE initiative will cost roughly $ 620 million over forward estimates , while just over $ 480 million has been flagged for universities .
However , the Independent Tertiary Council Australia ( ITECA ) is concerned that Labor ’ s election announcement contains a “ guarantee that TAFE gets at least 70 per cent of commonwealth vocational training funding ”.
The independent peak body said the announcement ignores the fact that independent RTOs deliver training to the vast majority of the 3.9 million students enrolled in vocational education in Australia .
ITECA chief executive Troy Williams said that Labor ’ s announcement is of little value when it comes to supporting student choice .
ITECA wants government to empower students with the ability to select the training provider of their choice , whether this be a quality independent RTO or a public TAFE college , Williams told Campus
Review .
Williams cited ITECA ’ s blueprint for the next Australian parliament , titled ‘ Seven Priorities for a Skilled and Educated Workforce ’, which recommends that investment in skills should be limited to states and territories that provide funding based on “ empowering student voice , allowing students to study with a provider ( whether independent or public ) that has a demonstrated ability to help them achieve their life and career goals ”.
Williams says it ’ s unclear how much funding has been flagged by Labor for independent higher education providers - if any at all .
The blueprint for the next Australian parliament also recommends expanding on the “ highly successful ” investment in skills it has already made by “ enabling students to study in a Commonwealthsubsidised place with a quality independent higher education provider and engage in the critical thinking and learning needs they choose ”.
“ When students or their employers invest their own money , the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research ( NCVER ) data demonstrates that independent RTOs are students ’ go-to option ,” Williams said .
“ This is hardly surprising as independent providers enjoy some of the highest levels of student and employer satisfaction
plus the highest post-study employment outcomes .”
Another issue Williams highlights is that the opposition ’ s announcement fails to recognise that many students are not serviced by a TAFE college in their area .
“ Independent RTOs support 74 per cent of the 1,225,300 vocational training students across regional , rural and remote Australia according to NCVER data . The public TAFE sector simply lacks the reach and staff expertise to support these students .”
Universities Australia ( UA ), the peak body for Australia ’ s public university sector , has welcomed Labor ’ s announcement with its focus on skills and participation .
“ Universities play a central role in national prosperity and can power the post- COVID economic recovery by equipping graduates with the skills they need to drive that recovery ,” UA ’ s chair Professor John Dewar said .
“ A strong and vibrant tertiary sector – university and vocational education – is fundamental to Australia ’ s recovery .
“ When government invests in our universities , it invests in the future prosperity of us all .”
UA chief executive Catriona Jackson said a well-resourced university sector will support the demand for skilled graduates .
“ By 2024-25 , the young adults of the mid-2000s baby boom will be ready to begin their studies , and more places will be needed to ensure they have that life changing opportunity ,” she said .
“ Skilled graduates bring bright ideas , critical thinking and the latest knowledge to solve our nation ’ s challenges , improve business productivity and change lives .”
Williams added that , in the priority skills areas the opposition references , including aged carers , nurses , child care and disability workers , it is “ independent RTOs that do the heavy lifting in supporting the greatest number of students ”.
“ More than ever , Australia needs to be the clever nation to take advantage of the many future economic opportunities ahead of it , and in this , independent RTOs will be critical .” ■
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