Budget 2020-21: the sector reacts

The injection of an additional $1 billion for university research was the big-ticket item for higher education in last night’s Federal Budget. Announcing the education measures in the 2020-21 Budget, Minister for Education Dan Tehan said education would be critical to Australia’s COVID-19 economic recovery. “Our budget is providing funding for research that will drive new technologies and support jobs, improving support for school students and teachers impacted by COVID-19, and supporting working parents with child care needs,” Tehan said. Universities Australia chair Professor Deborah Terry said the investment in research showed that the government “has heard the alarm bells”. “This deals with the very serious short-term issues caused by COVID-19. “Universities also look forward to working in partnership with Education Minister Dan Tehan to find longer-term solutions to sustain university research.” The Group of Eight (Go8) chief executive Vicki Thomson said it had advocated strongly for the additional funding. “Placing it directly into the Research Support Program (RSP) research block grant was also recognition that at this time in our history research universities need the flexibility of that funding pipeline to respond quickly and with autonomy. “We can promise Australia that it will be money well spent, accurately targeted and manifestly impactful.” Uni places and short courses Universities Australia also welcomed the $550.3 million set out for additional university places and short courses. “This includes 50,000 new short courses, which will be especially important for mature-aged workers looking for new skills. “This adds to the 12,000 new university places to meet increased demand due to COVID-19.” Other measures The Budget also included $40 million for universities to start projects in their local communities that drive the national interest and forge deeper collaborations with industry. ITECA welcomed other initiatives around apprentices and trainees, some new and some announced in the past month, including $2.8 billion to support the wages of apprentices and trainees already in work and $1.2 billion to support the wages of new (and recommencing) apprentices and trainees Chief executive Troy Williams said: “These measures are great for school leavers and jobseekers looking to get the skills that will put them in a position to obtain a job.” But the AEU said the Budget failed TAFEs. It said the Government had a historic opportunity to rebuild the recovery on TAFE’s foundations. “Instead they have opted for a quick fix on training and apprenticeships, but no long-term solutions.” AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe said: “In the past seven years we have seen a third of TAFE campuses around the Australia close down due to lack of funding. We are starting our economic recovery well behind the eight ball. You can’t have a skills based recovery without TAFE at its heart." What else was deemed missing? The NTEU was disappointed the Budget “fails to seriously address the funding and jobs crisis” universities are facing. National president Dr Alison Barnes said: “The $1 billion for research funding is mostly future spending brought forward. “It represents a small fraction of the $7.2 billion research funding shortfall identified by independent analysts due to the collapse in international student income. This shortfall must be addressed if Australia is to re-employ permanent researchers and accelerate its economic recovery. “Australia’s universities desperately need a rescue package, but the Treasurer’s focus on jobs in the Budget clearly doesn’t include higher education.”