Australia’s education leaders are being challenged to come up with big ideas to future-proof
the nation’s tertiary system, as more jobs in the future will need post-school qualifications.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare launched a discussion paper, written by a panel overseen by The Australian Universities Accord, on Tuesday night.
“This room is full of a lot of smart and imaginative people. And a lot of very competitive people,” Mr Clare told Universities Australia Gala Dinner on Tuesday night.
“In this room are the brains and ideas that can help reshape and reimagine higher education, set it up for the next decade and beyond.”
The Accord panel’s paper uses projections from Jobs and Skills Australia showing “from 2021 to 2026, more than 90 per cent of new jobs will require post-school qualifications”.
“This includes over 50 per cent requiring bachelor degree or higher qualification,” the discussion paper said.
“A big shift is needed in Australia’s approach to developing workforce skills and capabilities, and both higher education and vocational education must contribute.”
The report highlights the need for more people to take up higher education, while pointing out the number of those doing so has slowed in recent years.
However, modelling also suggests there will be a greater number of school leavers over the next decade, thanks to a baby boom between 2005-08.
According to the paper, the Accord panel has heard mixed feedback on the merits of offering incentives to get students into the areas where skills are needed.
There are also calls for higher education providers to work closer with industries to make sure what’s being taught aligns better with industry needs.
The report also pushes for “lifelong learning” with older Australians needing to enrol or re-enrol in higher education later in life to keep their workforce skills up to date.
The cost of higher education has also been flagged as a concern.
The paper used unpublished Department of Education data to show the costs of higher education being borne by students has increased from just over 20 per cent in 1989 to a projected 47 per cent in 2024.
Mr Clare used his speech to the to urge those in the room to “set [higher education] up for the next decade and beyond”.
“Not everything we think of will be right,” said Mr Clare.
“Not everything we think of will we be able to do. And not everything we do will make a difference straight away.”
He compared university reform to “planting seeds in your garden you never get to see,” directly referencing a line from the hit musical Hamilton.
“That sort of reform though only happens and only endures if it is planted in good soil and if it’s tended to by bipartisanship,” said Mr Clare.
The Accord panel is now calling for public consultation on its discussion paper.
“We ask you to respond to the questions that most resonate with you – and to be bold in your comments and submissions,” said the panel in its conclusion.
Information on how to make a submission can be found on the Australian Universities Accord website.