A 10-year Queensland tertiary education and training strategy

Queensland’s economy once again performed strongly in 2023. However, over the coming decade the State faces many economic and social challenges, some outside of its control, that risk tempering or indeed undermining our future success. Queensland must therefore focus its efforts on economic enablers that we can influence. A logical and critical one is education and training.

With the Australian Government’s focus on strengthening VET and Higher Education (via a Universities Accord)1, we will shortly see multi- year reforms aimed at increasing tertiary education aspiration, participation and attainment, particularly among cohorts traditionally more disenfranchised from post-school education and training. In this national reform environment, we need a strong Team Queensland approach to engaging the Australian Government to ensure our State positions itself for a more proportionate share of education investment, including in research and infrastructure.

To underline the importance of this effort, it is predicted that 90% of jobs created over the next five years will require a tertiary qualification, with 50% of those requiring a university qualification2. Unfortunately, demand for university places is falling, with completions of a first bachelor degree at their lowest since 20143. That situation is even worse in Queensland, which in 2021 had the lowest proportion of any state or territory of people aged 15-74 with a bachelor or postgraduate degree4.

Queensland is being outperformed on higher education and this long-term trend is exacerbating our skills shortages challenge. If not addressed, our State’s economic growth potential will be curtailed due to a lack of skilled workers.

The Queensland Government’s 10-year Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 is a timely development to help address our State’s skills and workforce shortages. This Strategy acknowledges the important  contribution Queensland’s universities make to meeting our workforce needs, and its action plan includes facilitation of greater collaboration between government, universities and industry, reflecting the importance of a more coordinated and strategic approach to engaging with universities on current and future workforce needs.

However, the Strategy overlooks the interconnections between VET and higher education. The development of a new Queensland Government VET strategy is also underway, but again the consultation paper does not mention the increasingly symbiotic role of universities. A more holistic approach which fosters greater connection between VET and higher education is required to accelerate the recognition of qualifications, to simplify pathways between the sectors and to increase aspiration for tertiary education and training.

Queensland needs a longer-term tertiary education and training strategy that incorporates the evolving nature of VET, universities, schools and industry workforce needs. The successful delivery of such a strategy would be strengthened by the Queensland Government combining its education and training portfolios, including international education.

1. https://www.education.gov.au/australian- universities-accord
2. https://labourmarketinsights.gov.au/our-research/employment-projections
3. https://www.education.gov.au/australian- universities-accord/resources/accord-interim- report
4. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/ education/education-and-work-australia/latest- release