The government’s annual skills shortage analysis underscores the importance of universities to addressing the crisis plaguing Australia’s labour market and weighing down our economy.
Universities Australia has appointed Renee Hindmarsh as its new Deputy Chief Executive, effective 25 October 2023.
Published as a letter to the editor in The Australian (4 October 2023)
Jobs and Skills Australia’s ‘The Clean Energy Generation: Workforce needs for a net zero economy’ report confirms the central role of universities and vocational education in guiding Australia’s energy transition.
Universities Australia welcomes further actions announced today by the Albanese Government to protect and strengthen the integrity of Australia’s international education sector.
Universities Australia welcomes the government’s steps to broaden access to higher education with the opening of applications for new study hubs across the nation.
Australia’s universities are continuing to perform strongly on the world stage, with six institutions ranked in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2024.
Universities Australia welcomes the Albanese Government’s Employment White Paper.
Universities Australia welcomes the Albanese Government’s plan to progress a national skills passport.
Universities Australia has launched the Shaping Australia Awards – a new program to celebrate the significant contribution universities and the people within them make to the nation.
Universities Australia’s response to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee’s report into current and proposed sexual consent laws in Australia.
Demand for university-educated workers across the economy continues to grow, according to Jobs and Skills Australia’s latest Labour Market Update.
More than double the number of international students arrived in Australia this July when compared to the same time last year – fuelling the nation’s economic prosperity and growth.
Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson’s opening statement at the Education and Employment Legislation Committee hearing into the Higher Education Support Amendment (Response To The Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Bill 2023.
Using a predicted Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) or school results, universities will assess a student’s application for a particular course against a range of criteria.
Universities Australia welcomes the release of the draft national science and research priorities.
Universities Australia is calling on the Albanese Government to establish more flexible funding arrangements to enable universities to continue delivering for the nation in the coming decades.
Education remains on track to surpass the record export earnings it generated prior to the pandemic after adding $10.8 billion to Australia’s export revenue in the June quarter.
Universities Australia welcomes the opening of applications for additional Commonwealth supported places to support the skills requirements of the AUKUS program.
Universities Australia welcomes measures announced today by the Albanese Government to protect and strengthen the integrity of Australia’s international education sector.
New data confirms Australia’s investment in research and development is going backwards, falling from 1.8 per cent of gross domestic product in 2019-20 to 1.68 per cent in 2021-22.
The 2023 Intergenerational Report confirms the central role universities will play in helping Australia navigate a changing economic landscape over the coming decades.
Universities Australia welcomes the government’s response to the review of the Australian Research Council Act 2001.
University, vocational education and industry representatives met in Canberra today to discuss our shared role in delivering the skilled workers the nation needs.
Universities Australia Chair Professor David Lloyd Wednesday, 8 August 2023
Attributable to Universities Australia Chair Professor David Lloyd:
Julie Hare from The Australian Financial Review has won the Journalist of the Year award, while Nicky Phillips from Nature News has been recognised for excellence in university research reporting.
Universities Australia Chair Professor David Lloyd | Wednesday, 9 August 2023
Universities Australia welcomes the appointment of Ms Patty Kinnersly as the expert adviser to the working group advising government on ways to strengthen university governance.
Universities Australia welcomes the introduction of legislation that will support universities to do their job for the nation.
Universities Australia congratulates Mr Chris Barrett on his appointment as Chair of the Productivity Commission.
Melbourne, Australia | Universities Australia Chair Professor David Lloyd
Topics: The Australian Universities Accord interim report
Topics: Sector response to the Australian Universities Accord interim report
Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Topics: Australian Universities Accord interim report
Australia’s universities welcome the release of the Australian Universities Accord interim report.
Universities Australia welcomes the government’s move to improve access to university through the creation of more study hubs across the nation.
Published in The Australian Financial Review (17 July, 2023)
More than 43,000 international students arrived in May, reinforcing the strength of education as a critical export to Australia’s economic growth and prosperity.
“The challenges facing Australia right now are greater than ever, which is why we need to get the funding settings for our universities right,” Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said.
Published as a letter to the editor in The Australian Financial Review (7 July 2023)
Universities Australia welcomes the release of the report of the Teacher Education Expert Panel.
Universities Australia welcomes additional university places and funding for new training facilities to boost the supply of doctors practicing in regional and rural areas.
Australia’s universities are calling on the Albanese Government to remove barriers to university participation by uncapping places for all Indigenous Australians, regardless of their postcode.
Australia’s universities continue to shine on the global stage, with three institutions featuring for the first time in the top 20 of the QS World University Rankings.
Student satisfaction with the quality of their university experience is up across all major indicators according to the latest Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching surveys.
The passage of legislation to establish the government’s Startup Year program locks in support for the next generation of skilled entrepreneurs to drive our economic growth.
Keynote Address, Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson will travel to India this week to deliver the keynote address at the 2023 Universities20 Conference alongside Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Australia continues to benefit from the arrival of new and returning international students, spurring economic growth and driving ongoing COVID-19 recovery.
Entries are now open for the 2023 Universities Australia Higher Education Media Awards.
Universities welcome the allocation of funding under the first round of the Microcredentials Pilot in Higher Education program to support the nation’s skills needs.
International education is surging back to pre-pandemic levels, adding a new high of $11.1 billion to the economy in the March quarter.
Australia’s world-class universities are continuing to make their mark on the global stage in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023.
Topics: HECS-HELP loans, Investiture of James Cook University’s sixth Chancellor Professor Ngiare Brown
University of South Australia Vice-Chancellor and President Professor David Lloyd was confirmed as the new Chair of Universities Australia at today’s Annual General Meeting.
Universities are continuing to play a central role in ensuring Australia’s economy has the skilled workers it needs to grow and prosper.
Australia’s universities welcome the finalisation of the Australia-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement and the new economic opportunities it will create.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Universities Australia welcomes the opportunity to represent the higher education sector on the Advisory Board for the Centre for Australia-India Relations.
Universities welcome the government’s ongoing efforts to reduce instances of academic cheating services with another 100 websites blocked.
Australia is continuing to reap the rewards of a strong recovery in international student arrivals.
“The budget strikes a balance between cost-of-living relief and fiscal repair,” Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said.
Topics: Job-ready Graduates package, HECS-HELP loans, international students, 2023-24 Federal Budget
University of South Australia Vice-Chancellor and President Professor David Lloyd has been nominated to serve as the next Chair of Universities Australia.
Government must work directly with universities in establishing the Australian Submarine Agency to ensure the smooth and successful delivery of Australia’s nuclear submarine program.
Keynote Address, Australian Higher Education Industrial Association Conference 2023.
Universities would welcome the opportunity to have further discussions with government around ways to boost the nursing workforce to improve access to primary care, as agreed today by National Cabinet.
The number of international students beginning university in Australia is up by almost 50 per cent compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Universities welcome moves to build a more nimble and flexible migration system that works in Australia’s interest and supports our future economic growth and prosperity.
University graduates repaying student loans won’t face higher repayments following today’s increase to the Consumer Price Index.
Australia’s universities stand ready to work with government and industry to deliver the skilled workers and research needed to boost our defence capability and keep the nation safe and secure.
Universities Australia backs the reform agenda presented to government today by the expert panel tasked with reviewing the Australian Research Council Act.
A week-long visit to Washington, D.C. has cemented the role Australia’s universities will play in delivering AUKUS, and responding to challenges and opportunities alongside global peers.
Topics: Visit to Washington D.C., AUKUS, skill shortages
Australia is continuing to benefit from a steady flow of international students coming to our shores.
University students, like everyone, face pressures. In dealing with their stress, some students turn to a practice called ‘contract cheating’, which is when a student outsources their work, or contracts it out, to a third party
The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a ranking of students completing year 12, relative to other students in the same year.
HECS-HELP loans are interest free, and repayments are not affected by inflation.
Published in The Australian (12 April 2023)
Topics: Visit to Washington D.C., AUKUS, skill shortages, Universities Accord, higher education review, Job-ready Graduates package
Topics: Universities Accord, higher education review, Job-ready Graduates package, visit to Washington D.C., AUKUS
Universities Australia has outlined new ways to strengthen Australia’s world-class universities for the ongoing benefit of the nation and all Australians.
Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson will this week meet with key stakeholders in Washington, D.C. to discuss how Australia’s universities can support the delivery of AUKUS.
University graduates are continuing to provide the knowledge and skills Australia’s workforce needs to drive the nation’s progress and economic growth.
Increasing numbers of international students are driving Australia’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Universities will be a driving force in Australia’s renewed manufacturing push, as part of the National Reconstruction Fund.
Topics: HELP debts, cost-of-living pressures on students
Topics: AUKUS, role of universities in delivering skilled workers
Topics: AUKUS announcement, the role of Australia’s universities in delivering the highly educated people needed to deliver the plan, international students
International students are continuing to return at a healthy rate, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows.
Topics: AUKUS announcement, the role of Australia’s universities in delivering the highly educated people needed to deliver the plan
Australia’s universities will play a major part in skilling the workforce needed to deliver the nation’s nuclear submarine plan in partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom.
Universities Australia strongly welcomes the Albanese Government’s focus on strengthening Australia and India’s economic and cultural ties, with education playing a leading role.
Universities welcome the introduction of legislation to establish the government’s Startup Year program, bringing much-needed financial support for university entrepreneurs a step closer.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Wednesday 8 March 2023
Wednesday, 8 March 2023
Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson will this week join Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on a visit to India to build on the strong economic partnership between the two countries.
Australia’s universities fully support the Albanese Government’s agreement with India to introduce new rules for mutually recognising university qualifications in both our countries.
Universities Australia has today renewed its formal partnership with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) to strengthen the strong education and research ties our countries have.
International education is powering Australia’s economy as the sector continues its steady post-Covid recovery, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows.
Attributable to Universities Australia Chair Professor John Dewar AO:
A teacher whose unique and personal approach to teaching has helped students excel at mathematics and an internationally renowned researcher with four decades’ experience in higher education have claimed the major accolades in the 2022 Australian Awards for University Teaching.
Universities Australia welcomes the release of the discussion paper to guide the development of the Australian Universities Accord.
Wednesday, 22 February 2023
National Convention Centre Canberra – Wednesday, 22 February 2022
Universities strongly support the Albanese Government’s decision to extend the post-study work rights of international students to help address critical skill shortages and drive economic growth.
Universities Australia welcomes the forthcoming referendum to establish a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution based on the principle of providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with a stronger say on legislation and policy that impact Indigenous communities and quality of life.
New data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows Australia’s post-pandemic recovery in the international student market continues to gain momentum.
Universities welcome the government’s response to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s (PJCIS) report on foreign interference risks to Australia’s higher education and research sector.
Employment prospects for university graduates are stronger than ever according to the latest Graduate and International Graduate Outcomes Surveys released today.
Universities congratulate Senator Sarah Henderson on her appointment as Shadow Minister for Education.
Published in The Australian (8 February 2023)
Universities Australia welcomes the Prime Minister’s appointment of Mr Tony Cook PSM as the Secretary of the Department of Education, beginning in April.
Recording date: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Recording date: Monday, 30 January 2023 Topics – Return of Chinese students to Australia’s universities
Attributable to Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson:
Universities fully support Australia’s endorsement of an international agreement that ensures educational qualifications granted in Australia are recognised globally.
Attributable to Universities Australia acting chief executive Peter Chesworth:
Recording date: Tuesday, 3 January 2023 Topics: COVID-19 testing requirements for Chinese travellers, international education recovery, migration
Australia’s new free trade agreement with India will unlock deeper economic and social benefits, turbocharging our relationship and spurring the growth and development of both nations.
Monday 19 December 2022
Published in The Australian Financial Review (19 December, 2022)
Universities Australia has outlined ways to streamline Australia’s visa system to boost the migration of more students and workers who can help build Australia’s future.
The release of the national teacher workforce plan is a timely and much-needed boost for current and aspiring teachers heading into 2023, says Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson.
Universities Australia welcomes the opportunity to represent the sector on the Council for International Education to help shape the recovery, growth and success of such a critical part of Australia’s cultural and economic fabric.
Universities Australia has reinforced the critical importance of a modern, fit-for-purpose research system in a submission today to the independent review of the Australian Research Council Act.
Universities Australia welcomes the opportunity to work closely with government as well as sector and industry groups and representatives as part of the Universities Accord ministerial reference group.
Data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms that despite significant numbers of international students returning to Australia since borders opened, arrivals this October are more than 40 per cent lower than pre-COVID levels in 2019.
Universities Australia welcomes the appointment of Professor Peter Dawkins AO to the role of Interim Director of Jobs and Skills Australia.
Universities welcome changes to the Australian Research Council’s National Interest Test that return to a system of assessment on merit and peer review.
The new trade agreement with India will give Australian exporters greater access to one of the world’s largest economies, deliver significant economic benefits and strengthen education and research ties for the benefit of both nations, Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said.
Free trade agreements with India and the United Kingdom are a step closer following the passage of implementing legislation through parliament this week.
Universities are ready and willing to partner with government through the Universities Accord process to help decide the future direction of higher education in Australia and set our nation up for success.
Published in The Australian (November 15, 2022)
Universities Australia welcomes the release of the consultation paper for the review of the Australian Research Council Act.
Universities Australia welcomes moves by the Albanese Government to provide greater financial support to university students under legislation introduced to parliament today, including:
Universities Australia welcomes the launch of the government’s pilot program to support the development of microcredentials and those who wish to study them.
World-class university researchers from Australia and Germany will collaborate in areas including artificial intelligence, clean energy and health under projects funded this year by the Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme.
Tuesday 8 November 2022
Catriona Jackson, Universities Australia chief executive
Universities Australia has outlined how universities can work with Defence to increase the flow of skilled workers desperately needed to boost capability and keep our nation safe and secure.
Universities Australia welcomes the release of the draft national teacher workforce action plan.
Universities Australia welcomes amendments to the Jobs and Skills Australia Bill that recognise the vital role universities play in producing the skilled workers Australia needs to grow and prosper.
Keynote address, Australian Council of Deans of Science, 2022 Annual General Meeting and Conference
Universities Australia welcomes the allocation of the additional 20,000 university places to tackle skill shortages and give more people from under-represented backgrounds the chance to go to university.
Australia’s world-class universities continue to flourish on the global stage, propelling Oceania to the highest overall average score of all the regions in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, overtaking North America for the first time.
Universities Australia is calling on the Albanese Government to lift the cap on Indigenous students studying at universities everywhere, not just in regional areas.
Universities are producing the skilled workers the Australian economy needs, with new government data showing graduates are finding work faster and earning more than they were 12 months ago.
Universities will continue to be relied on heavily to educate the skilled workers Australia’s economy needs to grow and thrive, the National Skills Commission’s annual Skills Priority List has confirmed.
Universities Australia welcomes the Productivity Commission’s findings that the tertiary education system’s policy settings need a rethink to ensure Australia can adapt to growing and changing education and skills needs.
Universities Australia looks forward to engaging with the Government to help establish its Startup Year program and support the next generation of Australian entrepreneurs to drive economic growth.
Topics: Australia’s education relationship with India
Universities Australia welcomes the Government’s decision to update Australia’s science and research priorities.
Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson will join a delegation of industry leaders on a visit to India this week to strengthen and increase trade and investment links between our nations.
Universities Australia welcomes the Government’s announcement of an expert panel to look at teacher education.
Australia’s world-class universities are key to ensuring our nation meets its new climate targets, following the passage of the Government’s Climate Change Bill 2022 through the Senate.
The Government’s decision to increase post-study work rights for international students is a much-needed measure to address Australia’s critical skills shortage and grow our economy.
Recording date: Friday, 2 September 2022 Topics: Skills shortages, skilled migration, visa processing, international students
Recording date: Friday, 2 September 2022 Topics: Jobs and Skills Summit, skilled migration, additional TAFE places
Statement attributable to Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson:
Universities Australia welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement of additional, free TAFE places to ensure the workforce has the skilled people it needs.
Topics: Jobs and Skills Summit, international students, visa processing
Universities Australia has today called for an expansion of clinical placements available to students studying health-related degrees to maintain and grow Australia’s health workforce.
Universities Australia welcomes major announcements at today’s Australian Financial Review Higher Education Summit from Education Minister Jason Clare that will bolster Australia’s research and innovation system.
Universities Australia welcomes the Victorian Government’s decision to provide free university and specialist training for thousands of nurses and midwives.
Topics: Skills shortages, visa processing, international students
University students have reported an overall increase in their satisfaction with the quality of their learning experience, according to the findings of the latest Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching surveys released today.
Topics: Skills shortages, visa processing
Topics: Skills shortages, skilled migration, international students
Universities Australia welcomes the arrival of India’s Minister of Education, the Honourable Dharmendra Pradhan as he embarks on a four-day visit of Australia.
Universities Australia today outlined how universities can help address the country’s critical skills shortage.
Universities Australia welcomes the Government’s allocation of 20,000 additional university places to tackle skill shortages and give more people from under-represented backgrounds the chance to go to university.
Vancouver, BC – Mitacs and Universities Australia are proud to announce that they have signed a renewed agreement, allowing for expanded research collaborations and mobility opportunities between the two countries.
Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister that an onshore vaccine manufacturing hub will be created at Monash University is critical to advancing Australia’s response to future health outbreaks and strengthening our sovereign capability.
