Australia is facing a significant skills shortage and the problem undoubtedly stems from the falling student numbers in our VET sector. The vocational training exodus has been receiving significant media attention of late, but what is really needed is definitive action from policy makers and educators.
Under the current model, student demand has dictated the supply of places and funding for education, resulting in successive Australian governments failing to give enough regard to the skills required by our future workforce. Our Baby Boomer parents urged us to continue our studies at university. In fact, a university enrolment has long been considered a successful post-high school endeavour, while TAFE, apprenticeships and other vocational education pathways are viewed as a consolation prize.
Governments bought into this demand, directing funding towards universities and away from trade schools and technical colleges. Today, the number of Government-funded VET students continues to fall; 2017 was down 70,000 or 7% on 2016 and this is part of a steady decline.
No one can predict the future, however, it is the job of government to guide the country (and economy) towards success. Education funding should be directed towards the institutions that can prepare our young people for the jobs of the future. Germany has been a leader in education strategy and has had a very strong technical focus that has driven their continued growth and productivity; the German government considered the changing economy and the work skills required for this and took action to divert funding to appropriately upskill its populace. For Australia’s VET sector to thrive, our leaders need to invest in creating more places for non-university students.
The Australian experience is not an isolated one. Similar problems have arisen in both the UK and USA job markets, where an extended period of falling VET enrolments has led to skills shortages. In both those countries, educators are pressuring their politicians to legislate to grow vocational training opportunities. But this is only half the battle. Educators themselves need to work to change society’s view of VET.
What we need is a marketing makeover, to reposition vocational qualifications as equal in value to university degrees. We need to get back into schools, reach out to career changers and engage with employment services providers to demonstrate the power of skills-based training. Educators should be looking at future trends, examining employer demand and ensuring that they are ready to coach the next generation of our workforce. It’s not enough to simply sit back and wait for governments to act on our industry’s behalf.
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