Bias against VET study needs remedy: review

Former NZ skills minister Steven Joyce says Australia needs to address its bias against vocational education in favour of unis.

Skills and Vocational Education Minister Michaelia Cash. Picture: AAP

Former New Zealand skills minister Steven Joyce says one of the key recommendations of his ­review of Australia’s vocational education and training sector will be to address what he sees as a bias against vocational education in favour of universities.

Citing the New Zealand slogan “Got a trade? Got it made!”, the former Key and English government minister said he had been surprised by the lack of ­information on VET pathways being provided to school leavers.

The Morrison government appointee said he saw his review as “above politics” after Labor skills spokesman Doug Cam­eron described Mr Joyce’s appointment as “farcical” and the rapid review as “compromised”.

Scott Morrison and Skills and Vocational Education Minister Michaelia Cash announced the review in November, with submissions due by January 25 and a report due by March.

Mr Joyce, who is spending January travelling around Australia to consult stakeholders, said a bias towards university education in Australia did a disservice to students who could excel at ­vocational education.

“If VET was invented after higher ed, my view is that people would find it a really attractive alternative option,” he said.

“I mean, ‘Wow, that’s fantastic, you mean I don’t have to go to university for four years, and I don’t have to get a big loan, and I can earn money straight away?’ What a great new system that would be. I think that sort of ­­in-built bias into the system means some people don’t do the jobs that they love, and some people don’t do the jobs that would make sense for them.”