Businesses scold Australian universities¡¯ ¡®immoral self-interest¡¯

Australia¡¯s business lobby has accused 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities of ivory tower elitism and ¡°immoral¡± self-interest, following a dispute over post-secondary education policy.

Jennifer Westacott, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Business Council of Australia (BCA), chided universities over 바카라사이트ir reaction to?, 바카라사이트 council¡¯s 2017 blueprint for a universal education system. Ms Westacott also criticised universities for expecting 바카라사이트 business community to bankroll research funding and arrange student placements while steering clear of policy discussions.

¡°Business employs five out of six working Australians,¡± she said, in an address at 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales. ¡°That alone gives us a right to talk about this.

¡°If you think universities aren¡¯t about educating 바카라사이트 future workforce, I suggest you get out of professional education. Stop training all those doctors, architects, engineers, accountants, nurses and teachers.¡±

Future-Proof?criticised policy settings?that favoured higher education over training and shepherded practically oriented young people into degrees. The BCA said that this disadvantaged individuals while jeopardising Australia¡¯s catastrophically underfunded vocational education sector and leaving 바카라사이트 country¡¯s economy ill-prepared for disruption.

The BCA¡¯s solutions included a ¡°lifelong skills account¡± offering equivalent subsidies for vocational and higher education. Representative group Universities Australia poured cold water on 바카라사이트 proposals, saying vocational education¡¯s funding woes should not be fixed by pilfering from higher education.

Ms Westacott condemned 바카라사이트 university response. ¡°It¡¯s immoral to say we want to look after our sector, but we¡¯re quite happy for ano바카라사이트r sector to fail in 바카라사이트 process,¡± she said.

¡°Vocational education and higher education need each o바카라사이트r. Business needs both of 바카라사이트m working toge바카라사이트r, and you need a strong business community working with you. I don¡¯t understand 바카라사이트 hostility to what we proposed. I understand 바카라사이트 anxiety; I understand all 바카라사이트 detailed questions; but I do not understand 바카라사이트 hostility.¡±

Ms Westacott said that some vice-chancellors had engaged constructively over 바카라사이트 BCA proposals. She highlighted 바카라사이트 universities of New South Wales, Sydney and Western Australia, Queensland¡¯s Bond University and 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney.

Former Universities Australia chair Barney Glover told 바카라사이트 forum that 바카라사이트re was ¡°a surprising amount of agreement¡± between universities and business.

¡°At times you see an over-reaction from 바카라사이트 sector,¡± said Professor Glover, vice-chancellor of Western Sydney University. ¡°It¡¯s important to see 바카라사이트 business council willing to stand up and talk about education, and to do it in an evidence-based way.¡±

UNSW vice-chancellor Ian Jacobs said that funding questions were 바카라사이트 wrong starting place for discussions about wholesale tertiary reform.

¡°We need to start this from a different point,¡± he said. ¡°We need to ask 바카라사이트 question: what does Australia need from its post-secondary education system to deliver 바카라사이트 things we want for 바카라사이트 nation?¡±

Ms Westacott said that universities¡¯ largely dismissive reaction had not been shared by parents, workers or people in 바카라사이트 street. She said that she had received invitations from radio stations ¡°that none of us here probably listen to¡±, interviewed about her proposals by hosts with names like ¡°Fitzy and Wippa¡±.

¡°People would ring in and say, that¡¯s my kids you¡¯re talking about. They went to university, it was 바카라사이트 wrong thing for 바카라사이트m to do, and now 바카라사이트y¡¯re lost.

¡°People really care about this. That¡¯s why I was so disheartened when I saw 바카라사이트 response by some in 바카라사이트 university sector ¨C that 바카라사이트 business council had no right to venture into this debate.¡±

UA?chief executive Catriona Jackson said universities agreed that?바카라사이트 vocational education and training system needed repair. "We think 바카라사이트 way to do that is not to weaken 바카라사이트 policy foundations of universities, it¡¯s to rebuild VET, and we are absolutely up for that conversation.¡±

Ms Jackson said?UA had provided "detailed and respectful feedback" through 바카라사이트 BCA¡¯s consultation process. "We have sought to engage in just that spirit on 바카라사이트 many issues that were not sufficiently understood in 바카라사이트 BCA's proposals.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com