VET & TAFE campusreview. com. au
Shrinking piece of the pie
Research shows VET funding losing ground to schools and universities; officials cite‘ snobbery’ and underscore the sector’ s importance.
By Andrew Bracey
Australian Government funding for VET education is in decline, whilst schools and universities are becoming a higher investment priority, an analysis has shown.
The examination of education funding based on ABS data was carried out by independent research and policy think-tank the Mitchell Institute. It also found that the prioritisation of funding towards areas other than VET was taking place“ in the absence of an explicit, or even apparent, policy logic or rationale”.
The institute last month released the paper titled Expenditure on Education and Training in Australia and argues that its analyses clearly illustrate“ the uneven nature of Australian governments’ expenditure, and the lack of an overall strategic approach to the investment in education and training”. Professors Peter Noonan and Gerald Burke co-authored the report, along with ACIL Allen Consulting principal Andrew Wade and MI policy analyst Sarah Pilcher.
The paper stated that whilst the growth rate for spending on schools and universities had increased 23 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, during the past decade, the growth rate for VET had been just 15 per cent for the same period.
In NSW and Queensland, the report found, VET funding had reduced, whilst in Victoria the sector recorded just a 4.2 per cent rise.
“ Analysis of expenditure per student also saw VET falling short,” the paper stated.“ In higher education, expenditure per student has been relatively stable, while spending per student in government secondary and primary schools has increased 20 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, expenditure per hour of training in VET decreased about 25 per cent over the same period.”
Noonan said the low growth in VET expenditure over the last 10 years was a major concern due to the sector’ s importance in helping address future workforce training challenges in a changing labour market with rising youth unemployment levels.
“ With diminishing investment and an uneven, sometimes disjointed, approach to investment in education and training, the prognosis is grim,” he said.“ Many Australians would agree that a high-quality, integrated and responsive education and training system is key to ensuring our future, and that this is something worth considerable public investment.”
These sentiments were matched by concern from senior industry figures.
Group Training Australia chief executive Jim Barron said the report highlighted the“ piecemeal” approach to VET funding, which he said was, in part, the result of both political and cultural“ snobbery” towards the sector.
“ Across the jurisdictions it is very disjointed and there is no uniform commitment to the importance of it – but as the paper alludes to, schooling and the university sector have very high-profile and political exponents or advocates for the need to increase funding,” Barron said.“ Those other two sectors have always found greater political favour than the VET sector. [ The industry minister, Ian Macfarlane ] has been doing his best in this area and we applaud him for the various reforms he has recently put on the table. It seems he too believes VET has suffered by this political and cultural snobbery that has been evident for far too long.”
Australian Council for Private Education and Training( ACPET) chief executive Rod Camm echoed Barron’ s concerns, saying the reduction in state-level funding was a particular concern.
“ Skills and particularly vocational skills have a critical role to play in the economy and a critical role to play as the economy restructures around different industries and away from mining and manufacturing,” he said.“ The fact of the matter is that reducing funding means it is more difficult to engage in the appropriate skills development needed.
“ Reforming the sector and ensuring industry is at the table and influencing these reforms [ are both ] important but we also need some work on improving the consistency around these contestability systems across the sector – we want good quality measures to make sure providers are [ offering ] good-quality education.” ■
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