Mitchell Institute releases new report and sounds VET funding alarm

Mitchell Institute releases new report and sounds VET funding alarm

Mitchell Institute releases new report and sounds VET funding alarm

The Mitchell Institute recently shared the results from the Australian Investment in Education: Vocational Education and Training report, showing that funding for vocational education and training (VET) is at its lowest level in more than a decade, leaving Australia at risk of failing to properly provide high-quality training for the estimated 45 per cent of new jobs needing VET qualifications in the next five years. The findings will be of particular interest to the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector in light of publicised workforce shortages which fall at a time when state governments are rolling out initiatives which will require more qualified educators to meet initiative demands. Every state and territory government, the report found, had cut VET funding over the past decade, with overall funding falling to 15 per cent below levels in 2006. New South Wales has experienced one of the largest declines, report authors said, with a decline in recurrent funding of 21 per cent in real terms compared to 2006, while Victoria has seen its funding almost halve since 2012. Mitchell Institute Education Policy Fellow Peter Hurley warned that the funding crisis was “making it especially difficult for quality VET providers to sustain high course standards”. Ensuring a quality education for VET students, and meeting the growing demand for skilled workers is only possible, Mr Hurley said, when governments increase funding for VET courses. For more Information, please visit here.

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Sukh Sandhu

Executive Director

Sukh has been working in the VET and Higher Education Industry for over 25 years. In this time, he has held several roles with RTO's and Higher Education Providers (HEP) including CEO roles for International Colleges and National Compliance and Quality Assurance Manager roles for several RTO's, TAFE's and Universities. Sukh has also worked for the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) as a Business Systems Project Official. Sukh is a Canadian permanent resident and Australian citizen.

Sukh has had extensive project management experience in risk management, compliance, administration and as a training consultant. He has extensive knowledge in government compliance standards and has participated in nearly one hundred audits across Australia and provided consultancy advice regarding ASQA/VRQA, TEQSA, ACPET, DET-HESG, VQF/Higher Education, ELICOS, NEAS, ANMAC, AHPRA, CRICOS, ESOS and ISO.

Sukh is a member of several independent professional organisations and government bodies including, ACPET, VELG, ACS, AITD, MARA, MIA, ISANA, APEX, IEEE, The Internet Society (Global Member), AISIP, IAMOT, ACM, OISV, APACALL, IWA, Eta Kappa Nu, EDSIG and several others.

Sukh's qualifications include two MBAs, three masters in IT and systems, a Graduate diploma of management learning, Diploma in training design and development, Diploma in vocational education training, Diploma of work, health and safety, Diploma of Quality Auditing, Advanced diploma of management, Advanced diploma in marketing, human resources, information technology, and a number of other courses and qualifications. He has been working as a lecturer and as a trainer and assessor since 1998, Sukh has been a vocal advocate of audit reforms and system centred auditing practices rather than auditor centred auditing practices for many years.