Old-media coverage of HE is generally short and to the point being made by whoever is complaining on air

But not when Rebecca Levingston (ABC Radio Brisbane) is doing the interviewing. Her discussion yesterday with University Australia’s Catriona Jackson was policy-informed and audience -focused  – a context setter for this morning’s budget response.

In Features this morning

Students are voting with their -devices and moving to on-line learning. Alice Brown and Jill Lawrence (both USQ) set out five ways to enhance engagement. New in Commissioning Editor Sally Kift’s celebrated series, Needed now in teaching and learning.

plus Merlin Crossley (UNSW) awards chatbots in education an A (for average, very average),HERE

Two years after lockdowns launched on-line courses the regulator announces they are its compliance intent for ’23

“Our focus will be on determining whether providers are maintaining the quality of education and learning outcomes in on-line delivery, and the adequacy of accompanying governance arrangements, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency CEO Alistair Maclean announces.

Given the agency’s 22 compliance report is just out (scroll down), providers have plenty of time to prepare responses.

 

Deakin U and Uni Melbourne have a survey in the field on what students know about AI, how they have used/intend to use it and asking what they think universities should do with it

And towards the end there are questions whether respondents think AI can/will be used for cheating.

With the Accord to come lobbies worked with what they didn’t get last night

The Group of Eight, stated, the Budget has “focused on relieving cost-of-living pressure as it should …  The Go8 will work closely with the government to ensure we have the skilled workforce and world class researchers the nation needs to meet our national priorities and protect our national security,” chief executive Vicki Thomson said.

The Innovative Research Universities acknowledged the Austudy increase but  added, “further reforms will be required through the Universities Accord process for a more equitable and innovative university system.”

Universities Australia said similar, “the budget strikes a balance between cost-of-living relief and fiscal repair” but chief Catriona Jackson could not resist, “this is a good start, but greater support for universities would make the task of building a better economic future for all Australians easier.”

It was left to Academy of Science president Chennupati Jagadish to say, wbat many probably thought, “The Academy welcomes the ongoing support for Australian science and research in (the budget) however Australia’s overall investment in science remains lamentable.”

Overall the Australian Technology Network’s Harlene Hayne (Curtin U VC) presented the peak pragmatism that shaped responses. “This is a considered budget that targets urgent areas of need; it boosts income support for students; provides additional university places and breaks down barriers for anyone wanting to get a university education. This is a crucial down payment on building a fairer go and providing the ability for people to participate in our economy.”

And Paddy Nixon (VC, Uni Canberra) put a time-limit on the pragmatic patience, for the IRU, “with existing government funding reaching an important deadline at the end of 2023, interim measures should be put in place for 2024, while the Accord recommendations are finalised and incorporated into the process for the 2024-25 budget.”

 

 

 

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency reports what it was up to last year

TEQSA investigated 302 concerns about 88 HE providers (45 per cent of them).  Students were the source of 59 per cent and “internal referrals” 9 per cent. Student services were the largest categories of concern where an institution was named, teaching and courses (24 per cent), learning environment (17 per cent) and admissions (11 per cent).

Two-thirds of complaints were about universities.

TEQSA reports seven “concerns” related to sexual assault/harassment and found in all cases institutions had “appropriate systems and processes for responding to allegations, reports or incidents of sexual assault and sexual harassment in a timely and effective way, and in a manner that protects the rights of all parties.”

As to casuals pay, the agency states that since August 2020 it has “engaged” with 22 universities, which have completed, or are undertaking “comprehensive reviews of their payroll practices.”

CEO Alistair Maclean singles out work to address, “the harm posed by commercial academic cheating services to students.”

Which since the arrival of GPT-4 in March, is rather like banning crossbows as the Death Star is deployed.

The Breakthrough Prize Foundation has slung the Australian Academy of Science $800 000 to fund short-term visits by Ukraine researchers and for access to super-tech analysis facilities here

In the absence of a war-ending secret weapon the Academy has in the shed this is good and practical help.

And excellent to see support continuing in the second year of the invasion. This date last year Uni Sydney’s Mathematical Research Institute announced six month fellowships for six (Ukrainian mathematicians (CMM May 11 2022).

No CMM had not heard of the Foundation either, founders include Sergey Brin (Google) and Mark Zuckerberg (Meta) ).

by CLAIRE FIELD

It’s training guidelines for apprentices in hospitality takes 66 pages – Australia’s package is 2444 pp

As Australia embarks on VET qualification reforms designed to focus on “transferable and relevant skills” it has been instructive being in Germany and discussing their VET system with government officials, trade union and employer representatives and Dr Junmin Li a VET expert from the University of Cologne.

On a previous trip to study the German VET system I focussed on how it was adapting to Industry 4.0. This time I was visiting in my role as a director of apprenticeship and employment services provider, MEGT, and hence the discussions focussed more on the nuts and bolts of how the German apprenticeship system currently works and on potential future reforms.

From an Australian perspective it was fascinating to see how little detail there is in the regulated training plans issued for apprenticeships and to see how much trust there is from unions and employers in VET providers and the apprenticeship system (no doubt because of the key role both parties play in it).

Germany has no need for thousands of pages of highly prescriptive Training Package content. Instead the regulations for the work-based training component of an apprenticeship for someone wanting to work in the hotel industry state that all apprentices will learn about 12 broad topics (for example dealing with guests, advising and sales; hygiene; housekeeping services, etc).

And the specifics someone needs to learn about hygiene are simply: “observe hygiene rules and principles that apply to personnel and operations” and “use disinfectants and cleansers efficiently”.

And that’s it.

Employers and unions trust the companies will teach people to work hygienically because (a) each company must be approved to employ apprentices and (b) the training is independently assessed. Vocational colleges have similarly minimal guidelines specifying the details of the training they offer. The system relies on deep tripartite engagement and independent assessment.

Collectively the German guidelines for colleges and companies to train apprentices in hospitality run to just 66 pages. By contrast Australia’s Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Training Package runs to 2,444 pages!

As Australia pursues VET qualification reforms and more tripartite approaches to skills development, we should also look at introducing independent assessment – perhaps overseen by the Jobs and Skills Councils – to reduce complexity in the system while maintaining confidence.

Thanks to Dr Li and the representatives from BIBB, NRW DGB, and unternehmer nrw who MEGT met with, for sharing their insights and expertise