New research reveals that a majority of Australians are convinced that making university and TAFE (Technical and Further Education) courses cheaper or even free is the most effective remedy for the nation’s skills shortage. A survey commissioned by Immigration to Australia, an immigration assistance and advice platform, found that 54% of Australians think this educational approach would resolve the skills gap. Additionally, 22% consider it the quickest fix.
The study utilised a nationally representative sample of 1,012 Australians and presented them with 14 possible solutions to the skills shortage crisis. Participants were tasked with selecting the most effective and fastest options. The suggestions ranged from raising the number of skilled immigrants and introducing more fast, accredited courses, to tax or wage incentives by the government.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has underscored the urgency of solving this issue, reporting that job vacancies were 89.3% higher in May 2023 than in February 2020. Already, the Australian government has attempted to bridge this gap by offering 180,000 fee-free TAFE and vocational education slots across the country this year.
The survey indicated generational differences in perspectives on solving the skills shortage. While 57% of respondents aged 55 and over believe that government incentives like tax breaks for companies willing to hire and train apprentices could effectively solve the issue, 56% of those under 35 reckon that free or cheaper educational courses are the best route to take.
Across different Australian states, the sentiment largely echoed the national averages. For example, 56% of Victorians and 52% of New South Wales residents favour cheaper or free educational options. However, Queenslanders and West Australians were more inclined towards government incentives for corporate training programmes.
When asked about the fastest way to resolve the skills gap, cheaper or free TAFE and university courses still took the top spot, followed by a higher intake of skilled migrants, which garnered 12% of the votes.
Australians were least enthused about the prospect of jobs being outsourced to offshore teams, with only 7% supporting such an approach. This was closely followed by 10% of respondents open to leveraging artificial intelligence and technology to replace human resources, indicating a prevalent desire to keep jobs domestic and not rely heavily on automation.
Interestingly, altering Australia’s current working age didn’t find much support as a potential solution. A mere 10% felt that allowing younger teenagers to join the workforce would be beneficial, and only 13% thought that increasing the retirement age would help.
In an effort to address the ongoing skills crisis, Australia’s 2022-23 budget included measures such as increased spots for Working Holiday Makers and a significant bump in the Migration Program Skill Stream.
The survey results clearly suggest that Australians are looking towards educational reforms as the keystone for building a skilled workforce, potentially shaping the direction of future policy decisions in the country.
More on the original study here.
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A majority of Australians believe making university & #TAFE courses cheaper or free is the most effective & quickest solution to the nation’s skills shortage, according to a survey. #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/cZdrGrbWw4
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