Fewer VET students could impact economy

FALLING higher education enrolments could put Australia’s productivity at risk, a new study has found.

FALLING higher education enrolments could put Australia’s productivity at risk, a new study has found.

A paper by the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University found the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector faced the biggest threat, with projections of declining participation rates in the future.

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Falling higher education enrolments could put Australia’s productivity at risk, a new study has found.

Professor of Tertiary Education Policy Peter Noonan said more Australians had to get VET or university qualifications to offset the ageing population and support the future workforce.

“Without comprehensive, considered policies that support both VET and higher education, we face a real danger of having less working-age Australians contributing to our economy,” he said.

“The flow-on effects of this could impact communities around the country, especially as the cost of supporting our ageing population grows.

“Governments must urgently address falling VET enrolments and slowing growth in the higher education sector to ensure our tertiary system can expand and support our future workforce.”

The study used population estimates for past years and projections to 2031 to estimate publicly-funded enrolments and participation rates.

It found even if the higher education sector did grow, it wouldn’t be enough to offset the decline in VET.

Prof Noonan said it was critical for governments to acknowledge that “both VET and higher education are equally important in ensuring the sustainability of our future workforce, and our economy”.

“The scenarios presented today show that we can improve on current trends but we need long-term, comprehensive policies.”

@ashargoon