Educational Leadership

The architect of Australia’s student loan system strongly supports its extension to the vocational education sector, saying it will improve access for poorer students who can’t afford to pay up-front fees.

Australian National University economics professor Bruce Chapman, who helped designed the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) in 1989, said it should be extended to vocational training certificate three and four courses, as recommended by the Australian Productivity Commission this year. Certificate three and four qualifications include hairdressing, massage therapy, aged care and hospitality.

An influx of registered training organisations offering subpar courses has made it tough for employers to be confident candidates will have the skills and knowledge one might expect from someone with a relevant vocational qualification, Grundy says.