February
Pub chain got $9.7m taxpayer funds to fully train just 96 staff
In new evidence of widespread wastage in a Coalition training scheme, a pub group backed by Coles got $100,000 per worker to learn basic hospitality skills.
Why businesses are key to fixing Australia’s skills gaps
Cutting-edge training and education is happening in Australia’s largest employers. If we are to meet our national skills challenge, we must encourage more of it.
How careers counsellors could help plug the skills gap
Encouraging teenagers to complete high school and giving them access to careers counselling are key to plugging the yawning skills gap.
January
Will AI make you dumber?
It’s a question that some HR bosses are pondering, albeit in less dramatic terms. And an academic paper might hold some answers.
Unis expect near-record foreign student numbers despite policy chaos
The Albanese government has been switching higher education guidelines in efforts to reduce the international student intake, with little effect.
The skills you need to thrive at work in 2025
Experts say critical thinking, problem-solving and using generative AI ethically and productively are among the top skills for knowledge workers this year.
December 2024
‘Give us a chance’: More visas not enough to fix skills crisis
According to a recently launched coalition of business groups, unions and community organisations, more than 620,000 permanent migrants work below their skill levels and qualifications.
Migration target not a chance, as students keep coming
A raft of government reforms to slow the rate of net migration have been slow to take hold as more students arrive and fewer leave.
Labor paid $30m to union-backed bodies in dying hours of Qld rule
Despite promising the money as part of its re-election bid, the state government paid it to union-backed training organisations a day before entering caretaker mode.
Why we got it wrong on education and skill shortages
After 15 years of policies encouraging people to go to university, Australia’s skills tsar says it is now time for a reset if we are to address chronic skill shortages.
November 2024
Why families feel like they can never get on top of childcare fees
Marita Tilleraas has experienced childcare systems in Norway and Australia, and says the latter is impossible to understand. Economist Angela Jackson agrees.
Chinese social media users slam foreign student chaos
Students and university leaders are digesting what the blocking of student caps legislation mean for them.
Demand for postgraduate courses on the rise
Students increasingly look for shorter and more industry-aligned qualifications, experts say.
Foreign student cap plan’s collapse is a sign of the times
Migration is gaining momentum as a policy area voters want the government to deal with. And politicians are tapping into the zeitgeist.
Unis, colleges brace for chaos after foreign student cap plan blocked
The $51 billion international education sector is bracing for a new wave of student visa rejections after the government’s signature migration plan was killed off.
Migration at record highs as political pressure builds
Overseas students, New Zealanders and backpackers continue to flock to Australia, inflating net migration numbers to historical highs.
Impact on rent of foreign student caps is price of a coffee: report
The government says too many international students is putting pressure on the rental market. New analysis reveals student caps will push rents down – by $5 a week
October 2024
Think hard: the best choice might not be the most obvious one
When it comes to choosing the right degree and right school, what is the best decision for one person might not translate to the next.
How execs create their own jobs
BOSS talks to three executives who came up with their own titles or convinced an employer to create a new position for them.
Desperate colleges shore up numbers before student caps kick in
Parliament is yet to pass a bill allowing the government to limit overseas student places, but there is a lot of manoeuvring on the assumption it will go ahead.