In news that was old-news 30 years ago, the Productivity Commission reports, VET “is underperforming, excessively complicated and suffers from ad hoc policy approaches.”  The PC has ideas to do something about it

In November, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg commissioned the PC to review the national agreement for skills and workforce development. The commission’s interim report, released this morning sets-out more options than draft recommendations, including proposals for;

* a single national regulator

* expanding student loans instead of additional subsidies

* a “nationally-consistent set of course subsidies, based on the efficient cost of delivery,” (which sounds rather like what the prime minister was talking about at the National Press Club last week)

* student vouchers instead of subsidies to Registered Training Organisations, “to facilitate user choice”

* states and territories using common methods to measure costs and determine loadings

* clear, contestable” community service obligations

* “better curated information” for students and employers on course quality, prices and provider performance