by CLAIRE FIELD
With the final edition of Campus Morning Mail to be published on Friday, let me start by thanking Stephen Matchett for the vital service he has provided for more than a decade. Bravo!! And thank you also for your faith in me 182 columns ago when you first invited me to write for CMM
And so to some final observations:
Higher education – equity
As university leaders read the latest public opinion results which show growing support for the “no” case on the Voice to Parliament – they would do well to listen to my podcast interview with ECU’s Braden Hill.
In a detailed discussion about what equity in higher education really involves, Professor Hill not only goes on to remind us of Megan Davis’ warning at the UA conference that “silence (on the Voice) is a political decision”. He goes on to ask “if the no vote wins, will we be comfortable with the role our sector played?”
Higher education – changing world of work
Congratulations to the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney’s business schools for the work they are doing to help both employers and their alumni adapt and respond to the changing world of work.
As I have watched the growing prevalence of short courses being offered within and outside traditional tertiary institutions, I had wondered if Australia’s oldest and most research-intensive universities would sit back and rely on their reputations and prestige. Last week in two separate meetings – it was great to see that in fact both universities are acutely aware of and responding to the growing demand for short, just-in-time, courses to help people and organisations adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. I look forward to seeing their respective next steps.
VET – funding
My first column for CMM focussed on VET data and funding and that’s where this one ends. In Senate Estimates, officials released the latest data showing how the Federal Government’s Fee Free TAFE funding is being allocated (and they are to be congratulated for doing so, state governments have typically shared far less data on their Free TAFE initiatives). Officials also signalled a move to greater national consistency in VET funding in the new National Skills Agreement through a “shared stewardship model.”
I have unpacked the details of both initiatives on my website and I discuss the impact of changing VET funding with Kallibr Training CEO, Gerard Healy, on an upcoming episode of the podcast.
Claire will continue to publish weekly articles on issues affecting the sector. If you want to stay in touch you can subscribe for free to her podcast, connect on LinkedIn, or sign-up for a free trial of her detailed weekly updates on the sector