Labor panel agrees on terms for inquiry into tertiary education

The federal Labor opposition has taken the first step towards its promised comprehensive inquiry into tertiary education.

Labor’s Tanya Plibersek says jobs are changing fast.

The federal Labor opposition has taken the first step towards its promised comprehensive inquiry into tertiary education, convening a meeting of experts in Canberra to recommend terms of reference.

The group of 14 yesterday ­endorsed the plan for an inquiry, broadly agreeing that there ­needed to be “greater perme­ability and portability between the vocational and higher education systems”.

The group, which represented most sectors of tertiary education as well as unions, business and education policy experts, released only high-level ideas rather than specific policy goals.

The members agreed that there needed to be a central role for public providers and that TAFE and public universities should be on an equal footing in the tertiary sector.

The group also bowed to the changes in work and education that are on the horizon and are ­demanding that people retrain to be ready for new types of jobs. It said post-secondary education needed to “be better ­designed to accommodate lifelong learning”.

Labor has said its promised ­inquiry will begin immediately if it wins ­office at the next election.

The terms of reference endorsed by yesterday’s meeting ­included asking the inquiry to ­recommend an equitable and ­sustainable funding model and to ensure fit-for-purpose post-secondary qualifications, better pathways between vocational and higher education and links ­between post-secondary education and work. They also covered increasing the participation rate of under-represented and disadvantaged Australians, the needs of regional and remote areas, ensuring a strong international education sector, improved careers advice, funding for infrastructure and the ­adequacy of regulatory systems, agencies, qualification frameworks and consumer protections.

A communique from the meeting also paid heed to the private higher education and vocational education sectors, saying the ­inquiry would take into account “the specific and complementary roles played by private education providers with particular regard to those with quality outcomes and demonstrable links to industry”.

It also specifically mentioned the resource-starved TAFE sector, noting that “the additional support TAFEs will need to ­restore their capability”.

The communique acknowledged the “important role of apprenticeships, traineeships, cadetships and advanced apprenticeships in the post-secondary education system”.

The meeting was held on TAFE day, and Labor education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said before it began that her party would “have a conversation with unions, business and educators about how we can have a proper, fit-for-purpose post-secondary school education system”.

“We know that jobs are changing very quickly, our economy, in fact the global economy. is changing very quickly,” Ms Plibersek said.

The last major review covering TAFE was 40 years ago, she said.