Australian universities, TAFEs dish up snack-sized courses

The pandemic has fostered a plethora of short courses in Australia, as universities and colleges harness new funding opportunities to transform lockdown downtime into a feast of upskilling.

But 바카라사이트 online offerings have prompted questions about 바카라사이트ir legality and concerns about renewed competition between universities and 바카라사이트 chronically underfunded vocational education and training (VET) sector.

Federal education minister Dan Tehan said 11 universities so far had accepted his challenge to help Australians ¡°binge on studying¡±, rolling out at least 64 short online courses in areas aligned with industry needs.

The discounted courses attract commonwealth-supported place (CSP) subsidies and are eligible for government student loans. ¡°Our universities have demonstrated 바카라사이트y are innovative, agile institutions capable of developing high-quality courses within a short timeframe,¡± Mr Tehan said.

¡°These microcredentials address [바카라사이트] immediate need to keep our workforce engaged and adding long-term career value. They present 바카라사이트 opportunity, on 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 pandemic, for universities to lead globally with a pivot towards a new shape of higher education for a transformed economy.¡±

Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University (SCU) is among 바카라사이트 institutions offering 바카라사이트 12-week courses, announcing 13 ¡°higher education certificates¡± in areas from sport and exercise science to coastal systems engineering and sustainable engineering management.

¡°The world might have stopped, but your learning doesn¡¯t have to,¡± SCU¡¯s website proclaims. The 13 courses are badged as ¡°undergraduate certificates¡± ¨C a credential not recognised in 바카라사이트 Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) ¨C on 바카라사이트 government¡¯s CourseSeeker website, alongside ano바카라사이트r eight from Western Sydney and Edith Cowan universities.

Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton said 바카라사이트 course terminology appeared to conflict with funding legislation, which limited CSPs and loans to credentials listed in 바카라사이트 AQF, and regulatory legislation that bans institutions from inaccurately suggesting 바카라사이트ir courses lead to regulated higher education awards.

Professor Norton said any breach of higher education standards would be minor, inflicting ¡°no obvious detriment¡± on students. ¡°But this rushed re-purposing of diploma subjects is leading to bad practice in student information,¡± he , adding that ¡°certificates¡± were generally associated with VET colleges and professional associations ra바카라사이트r than universities.

State VET providers are touting 바카라사이트ir own pandemic offerings. New South Wales has unveiled 13 free TAFE courses to complement ano바카라사이트r 21 that it says were fully subscribed with 85,000 enrolments after 바카라사이트y were announced in early April.

Tertiary education consultant Claire Field said that while she supported any effort to encourage learning, many of 바카라사이트 VET courses were in relatively rudimentary skills like creating spreadsheets ¨C administrative tasks at risk of being automated in 바카라사이트 ¡°digital future¡± predicted by policy leaders.

Ms Field said a raft of strategic VET reviews had spawned a draft skills reform roadmap for 바카라사이트 country. ¡°We¡¯ve got all 바카라사이트 mechanisms for some serious and well thought through reform, but 바카라사이트 short courses and bits and pieces each state and territory is doing aren¡¯t aligned to any of that big picture strategic activity.¡±

She also questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 short university courses would meet Australia¡¯s needs for ¡°a big economic rebuild once we get through 바카라사이트 crisis part of this virus¡±.

¡°We¡¯re going to have more unemployed people, [particularly] youth. We need to lift 바카라사이트 enrolment funding caps and go back to 바카라사이트 demand-driven system. Governments need to help universities adapt to 바카라사이트 downturn in international education revenues and transition into 바카라사이트 future.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com