As a vice-chancellor, I agree unis can’t just ask for more money

Graduands celebrate their graduation ceremony.

Would it surprise any of my fellow vice-chancellors that I agree with Stephen Matchett’s thesis that universities can’t just ask for money?

It’s always welcome to be recognised for innovation that genuinely meets student needs. Thank you, Stephen! But I’m also going to disappoint you: I will absolutely take investment from industry or business – just under three conditions.

First, it must support programs that unequivocally meet the needs of local learners and industries. Second, it must serve the broader regional and outer suburban communities we work in. Third, it must be a strong platform to attract more private investment into our communities.

Why such ambitious requirements? Because at Federation University Australia, we are transforming every program across our campuses to follow a co-operative education model.

This means every student not currently required to undertake a placement will have to complete one to get a Fed qualification – treated as a paid employee for at least 60 days with a local employer, receiving full credit to study and secured through a university partnership with a local organisation.

But becoming Australia’s first co-operative education university isn’t just about 20,000 students going on placement across Victoria, easing skill shortages or making education a bit more affordable.

Professor Duncan Bentley

It’s about understanding business needs, aligning programs and research to support them and partnering with government to deliver shared outcomes. It means constantly reviewing our programs so that every dollar trains graduates who power regional and outer suburban development.

This is how we build trust with our communities. This is how we earn the social licence our sector is so concerned about keeping. Let me be clear: this is not a swap of academic values for corporatism, nor a blind belief this model fits everywhere. It recognises a simple fact though, which is that in places where attainment is lowest, families value education that pathways to jobs.

As I told the Education and Employment Senate Committee, that’s when Free TAFE works best – and why co-operative education will work across university and TAFE campuses too.

It’s also why Federation ranks number one in Australia for “first in family” university attendance and leads Victoria in graduate employment outcomes.

Back to my three conditions. I welcome the focus on raising post-secondary aspirations, but to make real gains our regional and outer suburban campuses need investment.

A clear example: I can’t offer a compelling and accessible engineering program to Berwick, one of Australia’s fastest-growing, economically critical regions situated on the outskirts of Melbourne, without good STEM labs. Our Berwick Campus hasn’t had a new building in over 30 years, which was back when Monash University operated it.

Employers right across Melbourne’s greater outer southeast region are crying out for these skills and the region yearns to transform into a larger knowledge-based industry hub with high-paying careers open to local learners.

New labs would be a space for local industry and fellow learners from TAFE and secondary schools to thrive.

I think this meets all three of my conditions. This election, I hope everyone else does too.

Professor Duncan Bentley is vice-chancellor of Federation University Australia.