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‘ No longer fit for purpose ’
Opinion : The mismatch between HED and Australia ’ s evolving skills needs
By Martin Betts
Consultation on the Universities Accord is now closed , and we will soon learn what the second-stage submissions have to say about the 70 + big and ‘ spikey ’ ideas .
Based on media commentary after the Accord released its interim report , it ’ s reasonable to make several assumptions .
In line with the consultation paper , which received over 300 submissions ,
I expect many submissions to the final report to come from institutions and groups within the higher education ( HED ) sector and very few to come from other global HED leaders .
Submissions from businesses and employers will likely come from business associations and peak bodies of professions .
There is a sense that seeking consensus through the Accord has been made more straightforward by encouraging the academic community to have a conversation within itself .
The debate has become less about changing the tertiary education model and more about who gets the most spoils .
What if our current model is no longer fit for purpose , and which institution is willing to say that ?
Will businesses and professional peak bodies – whose primary place is within the current established model – share the same opinion ?
UPSKILLING AND EVOLVING Innovative start-ups disrupted the ‘ traditional ’ business model by adapting and innovating in response to failure .
These companies aren ’ t spending time writing submissions to public consultations , and the wider industry could learn a lot from their self-reflection and ability to make timely positive change .
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