The federal budget's extra 20,000 university places must be accompanied by more secure jobs in the sector, says the National Tertiary Education Union.
For higher education, Tuesday night's budget included:
An additional 20,000 university places to address skills shortages in areas like nursing, teaching, engineering and IT
Scrapping the unfair 10 per cent HECS discount for students who could afford to repay loans early
A $1 billion agreement with states and territories to provide 180,000 fee-free TAFE places in 2023 and 480,000 fee free places over four years in TAFE and community-based VET
A $50 million program to modernise TAFE
A new Startup Year program to provide 2000 income-contingent loans per year to enable eligible students to participate in a university-based accelerator program
With around 35,000 jobs lost in public universities during COVID, additional student places need to be resourced to guarantee quality education and support students.
This includes addressing casualisation, insecure work and excessive workloads.
Universities and TAFEs must invest in the professional development of their staff who teach, undertake research and support students.
Crucially, attention will next month turn to the Federal Government's review of universities, which shapes as a key reform opportunity after almost a decade of corrosive policy.
"While almost half a billion dollars for extra university places is a welcome start, this commitment needs to form the building blocks of wider reform," NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes said.
"That's why the review will be really important. We have the chance to reshape universities to benefit students, staff and realign their role in working for the public good.
"The Albanese Government's commitment of the extra Commonwealth Supported Places in areas of skills shortage such as nursing, teaching, engineering and IT highlights the Morrison Government's mishandling of higher education, made worse by its disastrous Jobs Ready Graduate policy.
"Tackling the inequitable and unfair debt burden the Morrison Government forced on students through its flawed funding model is a perfect place to start.
"Adding more student places doesn't fix this unfair funding model. That's why we welcome the Government's commitment to a sector-wide review.
"Jobs Ready Graduate changes also slashed public funding on average per student place, forcing universities to teach more students but with less funding per student on average.
"That increased the burden on university staff already dealing with mass job losses and high workloads.
"The review also needs to make management of universities more accountable so we don't see their obsession with corporatisation do any more damage and result in problems like wage theft.
"More secure jobs, fairer pay and safer workloads - these will be the pillars of the healthier universities that make Australia stronger."
