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TAFE warns government: ‘Don’t fund uni diplomas’
Following a brief budget uplift, it’s been a tumultuous time for the vocational education sector. TAFE enrolment numbers have plummeted in NSW and Victoria, causing TAFE NSW to announce plans to self-accredit. To make matters worse, the government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda neglected to even mention vocational education.
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This reflects a potentially very serious development for the Australian education sector – the possible awarding of diplomas and other materials as a literal substitute for what was done at TAFEs risks effectively pushing Universities, who increasingly also rely on student fees, to fight with TAFE for an increasingly non-distinguishable market and in the process devaluing University degrees in Australia. What this will mean is academics are now further diluted away from their primary purpose to take on these diplomas and other revenue generating methods immediately and in deleterious fashion impacting quality research and quality research level training. This will feed a vicious cycle that affirms the growing perception of reduced standards at our Universities and the increased “blue collarisation” of University staff and graduates – the emergence of more universities from the TAFE system in the first places risks being reversed. Is this what is being sought? It follows on the growing concerns of business influence in shaping our school education system at its core, too broad spectrum to be accidental.
While not wishing to disagree with the philosophical views expressed above, as a registered nurse I can see immense benefits if enrolled nurses are educated in the same system as registered nurses.
Registered and enrolled nurses work very closely together, enrolled nurses’ roles have expanded in recent year, enrolled nurses are given credit when enrolling in bachelor of nursing programs. However the TAFE system does not teach the reasoning skills now required even at EN level, or prepare students for academic study.
When both EN’s and RN’s are regulated by the same bodies, it makes no sense that their education is offered by separate sectors, with very different aims and objectives. This is an anomally that needs to be removed.
Thank you Roma for these comments. It seems that some university programs are designed with this understanding in mind. I was involved in a purpose-designed curriculum which aimed at developing health professionals with both reasoning skills and the skills to complete the job roles which industry require. The program was developed as a result of industry feedback regarding the needs for university graduates to gain job-ready skills in addition to reasoning or critical thinking skills. Details of the University of New England’s Bachelor of Health Practice here: http://www.une.edu.au/study/study-options/landing/health-practice-and-community-services .
This is an important debate in an era when an ever-increasing number of people complete their university studies and subsequently enrol in VET qualifications to develop the required job-ready skills needed in industry. The most effective practitioner in these fields surely combine both attributes.
Collaboration and renewal of pathways across the Tertiary Sector would be a reasonable strategy in response to the latest Government proposals.
Professor Canning reminds us that universities are primarily in the business of research and so, rather than pursuing a rivalry that will undermine the foundational education provided by TAFEs in our regions and communities, universities should be partnering with TAFEs (TEQSA – third party contracts) to deliver their new diplomas and sub-degrees (ie first year of bachelor degrees).
This would be a win-win across the Sector and offer tremendous outcomes for our students – think Swinburne and RMIT without the overlay of dual sector reporting. Benefits for students include simplified admission process, regional access to quality post-school education, clear career pathways, practical skills development, transparency in fees, access to HECS, low attrition rates and good job outcomes.