by CLAIRE FIELD
What the Productivity Commission is thinking about
In a speech last week to the Australian VET Researchers Association (AVETRA) annual conference, the Productivity Commission Chair, Michael Brennan, discussed their productivity inquiry.
He made the point that with the Australian economy now services-focussed, productivity gains like those achieved in agriculture and manufacturing are going to be much harder to achieve. The nature of the work done in service occupations will not see workers replaced by robots but their work is still going to change (with a need for more social skills and a focus on non-routine tasks). Brennan also argued Australia will need a mindset shift to see digital skills “as a form of infrastructure” and that collectively these changes are going to require tertiary institutions to change.
The Commission is thinking through a number of issues:
* what are the aspects of the tertiary education ecosystem (both accredited and non-accredited) that could be improved?
* do we have the right balance between accredited and non-accredited skills and the right mix of skills on offer in our tertiary institutions?
* with the AQF Review recommending improved credit recognition for micro-credentials – how should the sector respond?
* Is it the job of VET to move closer to business (though more non-accredited training and micro-credentials), or is it better to keep its distance, allowing that need to be fulfilled by others and instead for VET to focus on different learners (i.e. those looking for full qualifications)?
* what about the boundaries between VET and higher education? Brennan explained the commission’s recent analysis looking at students who chose university study when the demand driven higher education system expanded places and the question as to whether they would have been better off in VET
* how do we best prepare workers and citizens for a world that requires us to combine the emerging technology of the day, with our distinctly human traits that have evolved over thousands of years?
His predecessor, Peter Harris, in a subsequent interview suggested that governments and the tertiary education sector need to be thinking about people having a “right to return” to more study (predominantly through short courses) as people’s job roles change.
Claire Field is the host of the ‘What now? What next? podcast and in the latest episode was joined by two experts to discuss increased use of robotics and automation and what that means for the VET sector. Listen online or in your favourite podcast app.