The Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) legislation is still before the Senate. There are no outcomes yet from consultations on the future regulation of higher education. Consultation has recently closed on possible changes to the Threshold Standards, and TEQSA has just launched consultation on its Regulatory Risk Framework.
Yet the Government has now launched another inquiry into Australia’s universities.
This time, the Education and Employment References Committee is examining what can only be described as one of the broadest possible topics: Australian university graduates.
The inquiry doesn’t in isolation, given the number of other reviews, consultations and legislative changes affecting the sector. For universities, and indeed all higher education providers, the challenge is not just responding to increased scrutiny, but keeping up with the volume of regulatory change.
The terms of reference for the inquiry cover everything from the quality of university education to the impact of the university experience on graduates, as well as whether graduates are equipped with skills that meet employer expectations.
The terms of reference focus on graduates of Australian universities and do not specifically mention international students.
Submissions close on 5 June and the reporting date is 20 November 2026.
Terms of Reference
The rise in the number of Australian university graduates who struggle to find work after graduating, with particular reference to:
- the state of the entry-level job market for graduates;
- the quality of university education in Australia;
- whether graduates of Australian universities are being taught the skills that employers are looking for;
- the state of affairs in comparable jurisdictions;
- the economic, social and psychological effect that this experience has on graduates; and
- any other related matters
Further information on the inquiry is available here.
And tonight at 8.30pm on the ABC, keep an eye out for Four Corners’ investigation into universities, Campus Chaos.
