Submission on the Higher Education Job Ready Graduates Bill

There have been a number of attempts in the last decade since the demand driven system was introduced to change the funding model for Commonwealth supported higher education providers. There should be no doubt that change is needed, and the impact of the baby-bonus bump reaching tertiary education age, as well as the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on demand for places, will create extra strains on the system. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) broadly supports the direction of the proposed reform and recommends that the Bill be passed. However, it seeks further consideration of some aspects of the Bill, recommends a phasing of some of the larger changes, and emphasises the importance of better informing the market about how degrees and course units are funding and the impact of the changes.