FedUni changes a reflection of needs and future

-LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 

Dear Editor,

GOVERNMENTS and industry require a responsive vocational education and training system that tackles skills shortages as a top priority.

This was highlighted at this month’s Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra, when Skills and Training Minister, Brendan O’Connor, said our focus must be to “get more people trained for real jobs and to give business the skilled workers they need”.

According to the Victorian Government, an estimated 373,000 additional workers will be needed by 2025 to meet growing demand.

The recent Victorian Skills Plan emphasises that the jobs and industries of today will not necessarily be the same as tomorrow, as innovation and disruption lead to new products, services, and changes to work and lifestyles.

Fortunately, Federation has a plan to grow our university and address skills shortages in the regions we serve.

Our co-operative, or co-op, education model will see us co-design, co-create, and co-deliver our offerings in partnership with industry and students.

Whilst many of our programs already have extensive industry learning opportunities, we will embed this into all our offerings from 2025 to ensure that our graduates have the real-world experiences and skills they need to have successful careers.

To support this model and ensure we are match fit for the challenges ahead, we have been reviewing and renewing our offerings.

In higher education, we have added or plan to add some 50 new programs in areas of high skills demand such as education, health, engineering, science, and IT.

In TAFE, we have added several new courses including certificate courses in composite trades to support workforce development and in recognition of the burgeoning renewable energy sector.

We are also investing in the skills needs of large and fast-growing sectors including health and community services where skills shortages are having significant impacts.

But we cannot be all things to all people, so while new offerings have or will be added to our curriculum, others must be closed.

Keeping unviable courses in perpetuity is not good management as it restricts our capacity to focus on key areas of need.

We acknowledge that closing programs and courses can create uncertainty, so we have processes in place to support students and staff when this occurs.

For students, this can include transferring them to another program within the university or teaching out the program.

In some instances, we find them placements with other providers so they can still obtain their qualification.

For some staff this will unfortunately mean work changes, including the potential for redundancy.

However, we are working to keep job losses to a minimum by offering redeployment options where possible.

Federation was established over 150 years ago to meet the skills needs of that time.

Like then, our major focus moving forward will be on providing programs and courses that help to drive economic growth and jobs in the regions we serve.

This is consistent with our strategic objectives and the expectations of government, students, local communities, and industry.

 

Professor Duncan Bentley

Vice-chancellor and president

Federation University Australia