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Ask 50 leading economists the best way to solve Australia’s skills shortage, and most won’t latch on to the quickest fix.
Only one third of the panel assembled by The Conversation and the Economic Society of Australia for this morning’s poll back immigration as the most important question to be addressed at this week’s jobs summit. Two thirds back education.
One, the architect of Australia’s university student loans scheme, describes the system of funding vocational education as “a mess”. Bruce Chapman says on one hand it charges too little to properly fund vocational education, on the other, with most vocational courses lacking university-style income-contingent loans, what it does charge puts students at financial risk.
Schools come in for special criticism. Panelists see the wide gap in outcomes between students from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds as a peculiarly Australian problem, and one we will need to fix to get a better mix of the skills we will need.
Also this morning Janine Dixon says the skills we will need are in the main not those provided by universities, and Dan Andrews previews a new report that says we would get the right people in the right jobs if we changed jobs more
often.
The summit starts on Thursday.
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Peter Martin
Business + Economy Editor
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Peter Martin, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Among the top economists surveyed was the man who designed Australia’s higher education loans scheme – who described funding for vocational education as a “mess”.
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Dan Andrews, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University; Adam Triggs, Australian National University; Gianni La Cava, Macquarie University
We have fewer workers changing jobs and fewer new firms than we used to.
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Janine Dixon, Victoria University
Modelling from Victoria University finds four groups of occupations most likely to have shortages of workers or an oversupply.
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Frank Bongiorno, Australian National University
Australia’s economic state in 1983 was very different from today: Bob Hawke wanted to lower expectations of government; Anthony Albanese is trying to raise them, even just a little.
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Henry Cutler, Macquarie University
The greatest workforce challenge Australia faces is in health, an issue that will likely be with us for another decade. Here’s one way to fix it.
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Chris Lusk, University of Waikato
The most controversial feature of the New Zealand flora is the plethora of small-leaved trees and shrubs with wiry interlaced branches. Can a synthesis of competing explanations solve this mystery?
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Gretta Pecl, University of Tasmania; Barrett Wolfe, University of Tasmania; Curtis Champion, Southern Cross University; Jan Strugnell, James Cook University; Sue-Ann Watson, James Cook University
The photographs show how climate change is disrupting our marine ecosystems – sometimes in ways previously unknown to marine scientists.
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Michelle Arrow, Macquarie University
Based on Anne Deveson’s 1991 memoir about her son’s experience with schizophrenia, this play can be achingly sad. But it also offers hope.
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Politics + Society
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the biggest outcome he wants from this week’s jobs and skills summit “is the beginning of a new culture of co-operation”
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Bell will report to the prime minister by November 25.
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Emma Buxton-Namisnyk, UNSW Sydney; Althea Gibson, UNSW Sydney; Peta MacGillivray, UNSW Sydney
Both NSW and Queensland have committed to criminalise coercive control. This has the potential to disproportionately impact First Nations people who often can’t report to police safely.
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Tania Lewis, RMIT University; Andrew Glover, RMIT University; Julian Waters-Lynch, RMIT University
Can we now work from anywhere with an internet connection? We interviewed workers who left the city but held onto their jobs to see how they fared. One year on, some had no regrets. Others moved back.
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Donald Rothwell, Australian National University
China has become increasingly assertive in the South China Sea. Will Australia become the US’s ‘deputy sheriff’ to monitor their activities and enforce international law?
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Martien Lubberink, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Kiwibank is now a state-owned asset. But the government’s reasons for rescuing the bank might not make a great deal of sense.
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Richard Shaw, Massey University
Far-right populism has been on the rise globally. Is New Zealand really immune, or should National Party leader Christopher Luxon be more unequivocal about working with the likes of Brian Tamaki?
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Associate Professor of journalism Dr. Caroline Fisher talk about this week in politics.
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Health + Medicine
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Clare Collins, University of Newcastle
The ‘internal shower’ drink is being hailed as everything from a digestion booster, to a treatment for constipation and bloating, to a detox drink and hangover cure.
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Science + Technology
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Emma Beckett, University of Newcastle
From espresso to plunger, our choice of coffee brewing method depends on many factors. But how much does it impact what’s actually in your cup?
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Environment + Energy
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Nicole Curtin, Charles Darwin University; Clinton Walker, Indigenous Knowledge; Tracy Woodroffe, Charles Darwin University
A major fertiliser plant is set to be constructed in the Pilbara, potentially impacting as many as 20 ancient rock art sites.
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Business + Economy
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Natalie Peng, The University of Queensland
Making sure your fund’s financial values align with your ethical values isn’t that simple – but here’s what you can do.
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