The Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) has launched consultation on the development of a national Tertiary Roadmap, aimed at creating a “more joined-up tertiary system” between vocational education and training (VET) and higher education.
The consultation is centred on a newly released discussion paper, A More Joined-Up Tertiary System, which argues that Australia’s current tertiary system remains fragmented despite years of policy discussion about closer alignment between the sectors.
The paper frames the reform agenda around three key areas where VET and higher education intersect:
- helping learners make decisions about pathways and careers
- improving transitions between the sectors
- strengthening collaboration between VET and higher education providers
ATEC argues that a more integrated system could improve equity and participation, support lifelong learning and reskilling, strengthen labour market outcomes and improve productivity. The paper also points to ongoing issues including inconsistent credit transfer arrangements, funding differences between the sectors, and the persistent lack of “parity of esteem” between VET and higher education.
The discussion paper notes that more than 90 per cent of forecast job growth over the next decade is expected to require post-secondary qualifications, as the government pursues closer alignment between the VET and higher education sectors.
Among the questions being asked through the consultation are how to improve credit recognition, how to better support students transitioning between sectors, and where dual-sector models may work best geographically and by industry.
The roadmap follows a series of recent policy reviews and reforms, including the Universities Accord, the AQF Review and Jobs and Skills Australia’s Opportunity and Productivity: Towards a Tertiary Harmonisation Roadmap.
Submissions close on 22 June 2026. More information, including details on how to make a submission, is available on the ATEC website.
