5 November 2009

The Industry Training Federation is calling on the Government to link its Tertiary Education Strategy to labour market outcomes. In its submission on the strategy, the Federation says developing skills isn't enough on its own to drive the economy forward. "The strategy needs to include a focus on skill use and increasing the relevance of skills to the economy and the labour market," Federation Executive Director Jeremy Baker said. "This would tie tertiary education and training to other core government work like the Prime Minister's Job Summit and the 2025 Taskforce looking at ways to improve productivity." "It is both possible and desirable for the tertiary education system to respond more to the needs of industry." The Federation's submission also wants the strategy to better reflect the needs and desires of the 60% of people in tertiary education and training that are over 25. "They are a huge resource who may need new skills to contribute to the changing economic environment," Mr Baker said. The Government released the draft Tertiary Education Strategy in September. Submissions on the strategy close tomorrow.