The release by Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) of the 2023 JSA Annual Jobs And Skills Report highlights the need for student-centred reform of the nation’s skills training and higher education sectors.
“JSA’s report shows that in order to meet the current skills challenges and the skills needs of the future, we need to improve access to both skills training and higher education for those entering the workforce and those looking to upskill,” said Troy Williams, ITECA Chief Executive Officer.
ITECA’s position is that to achieve this goal, the Australian, state and territory governments will need a policy construct that is based upon the complementarity of independent and public providers in the skills training and higher education sectors.
ITECA endorses the position set out in 2023 JSA Annual Jobs And Skills Report that the skills training, higher education and migration systems will need to effectively complement each other and have the flexibility to respond to skills and workforce needs.
“We need Australia’s workforce to be supported by a lifelong learning system that enables them to continually develop their skills to meet the needs of a dynamic economy and changing labour market,” Mr Williams said.
With independent Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) supporting 89.4 per cent of the 4.5 million students in skills training and around 10 per cent of the 1.6 million students in higher education, independent tertiary education providers will do the heavy lifting in supporting lifelong learning.
“When it comes to increasing workforce productivity, achieving sustainable real wage growth, and sustainable economic growth the key will be workforce reskilling and upskilling. Here, it is independent skills training and higher education providers that do the heavy lifting,” Mr Williams said.
When it comes to workforce reskilling, ITECA notes recent National Centre for Vocational Education and Research (NCVER) data that shows 21.5 per cent of students in skills training with independent providers already had a higher education qualification.
This compares with 9.8 per cent of TAFE students in skills training that had a higher education qualification. This highlights how students will access both higher education and skills training throughout their working lives.