While there is very little difference between what the Coalition and Labor are offering in school funding – save for Labor’s plan to provide universal early childhood care – their commitments to the VET sector differ sharply. In today’s Media ...

The government is touting a $7.1 billion surplus in its latest Budget but universities aren’t celebrating. Universities Australia said the surplus was a missed opportunity to reverse cuts to university funding. Chief executive Catriona Jackson said: “It makes no sense ...

A Murdoch University professor has criticised schools for encouraging students to choose between a VET or university pathway. Barry Down, a VET and student engagement specialist, says this dichotomy has become unrealistic. “The reality is that society requires smart workers and citizens with ...

The American TV show Community, which aired between 2009 and 2015, humourised the experiences of community college students. The usual stereotypes – a single mother, a former drug addict, a film student – featured, yet the show gave them a depth ...

With a looming federal election tipped to go Labor’s way, the party is releasing policy specifics. Having birthed the demand-driven system, Labor has explained how it will revive it: with $10 billion dollars, which it says will boost student numbers by ...

You don’t necessarily expect to hear Nietzsche quoted at a vocational education and training conference, but No Frills surprised attendees. Held in Sydney on 15–17 August, the NCVER’s annual ‘do was given a philosophical bent by keynote speaker Dr Lene ...

School’s out for summer School’s out forever For an increasing number of Australian high schoolers, Alice Cooper’s lyrics resonate. They especially do so with 15-year-olds from lower SES backgrounds, according to a new ACER report. The report, based on PISA data, collated ...

Building expert heads to Harvard The University of Melbourne’s Philip Goad has been chosen as the Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard for the 2019–2020 academic year. The visiting professorship was established at Harvard in ...

Are industry-defined qualifications no longer attractive to students? That’s the questions TAFE Directors Australia chief executive Craig Robertson said the industry needs to ask itself, following data released this week that showed government-funded training is down year on year. The National ...

A growth in infrastructure projects is driving enrolment growth in trade qualifications, with an increase of at least 10 per cent across carpentry, plumbing and electrical trades. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian and minister for skills Adam Marshall unveiled ...