This is a critical time for tertiary education, and with this letter, we hope to provide a perspective from the higher education sector that can inform how the Incentive System can foster a more unified tertiary system and support graduates to complete qualifications that provide them with necessary and job-ready skills.

Whilst apprenticeships and related traineeships have traditionally been the purview of the VET sector, the requisite skills and experiences needed in modern Australia have meant that universities and other higher education providers are increasingly broadening their offerings into apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning. Highlighted in both the Employment White Paper and Universities Accord Final Report, apprenticeships are one way of meeting Australia’s future workforce needs and, accordingly, higher education providers are increasingly being called upon to diversify the types of qualifications they offer.

Given that many higher education providers, including universities, are already working with industry partners in Australia to develop work-based learning pathways, UA recommends that a new incentive system should be inclusive of these emerging apprenticeship pathways and be responsive to the developing nature of the higher apprenticeship landscape.

Key Recommendations

• Any new Incentive System should include emerging apprenticeship pathways in both VET and higher education.
• As new pathways and qualifications are developed, the Incentive System should be responsive and adaptive to meet the needs of apprentices, employers, and providers.