PROFESSOR HELEN BARTLETT: VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST

Queensland has weathered the Covid-19 pandemic better than most jurisdictions in Australia and as a result our economy has performed strongly during 2022. However, this strong recovery is at risk as we head into 2023 due to a wide range of domestic and international headwinds, not least high inflation, labour and skills shortages, energy prices and the impacts of climate change. Addressing these risks will require better collaboration and partnerships between government, industry and the community.

As the Vice-Chancellor of a regional university, I see every day the heightened impacts these issues have on regional communities who must compete harder for investment, who struggle with attracting and retaining people with the right skills, and in many cases who can’t accommodate unprecedented population growth.

Conversely of course, these challenges provide opportunities to do things better, particularly for regional communities. This includes the need for governments, industry and cornerstone regional institutions like universities to more strategically partner on areas of mutual interest if we are going to deliver faster and better solutions. We know for example that seven out of ten graduates who study at regional universities stay in the regions to work and contribute to their communities’ social and economic prosperity. Education, training and infrastructure policy and funding settings need to recognise this important fact and appreciate that successfully and sustainably delivering quality education and training in regional locations requires a different approach to the cities, which often comes with higher costs.

For our part, education and training institutions need to be more agile and responsive to the changing nature of learning and work, much of which driven by technology. For example, increasing the investment in, and improving national recognition of, micro-credentials will be a critical enabler to supporting future skills and driving a life-long learning mindset. Universities also need to develop closer relationships with industry so we can continue to produce the right type of graduates and keep supporting their skill development as they progress or change their careers. All levels of government can assist by playing a stronger role in bringing industry and education institutions together in a way that aligns with local, state and national interests.

I am encouraged by the opportunity that a new Federal Government brings to this dynamic, including their focus on reforming key sectors like education and training. Via the University Accord process, our sector will have many opportunities during 2023 to discuss what a future higher education teaching, research and funding model could look like.

When you combine this with Federal and Queensland government reviews of VET and the Employment White Paper process, 2023 has the potential to be a once in a generation opportunity to redesign the way Australia trains and upskills our workforce. An aligned ‘Team Queensland’ approach across government and industry will be important to ensure 2023 delivers the right outcomes for our State, particularly our regions. I am excited about the year ahead and look forward to UniSC playing its part in these important discussions.