Summary —

Despite the Microcredentials Marketplace being described as a colossal waste of money, another $1 million has been committed by the Australian Government for an online resource that doesn't give students good advice on their full range of study options. The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) has advised the Australian Government that this wasteful spending should stop and that a new online platform should be created that allows school leavers and existing workers to assess options across the skills training and higher education systems. This approach would bring together the three unconnected platforms that the Australian Government current spends taxpayers’ money on.

Key Issues —

As political leaders look at ways to best support tertiary education students with limited funds, it is imperative that a critical look be given to initiatives that drain taxpayer funds and offer little utility to our students. One such endeavour that demands immediate attention is the Microcredentials Marketplace. This Australian Government initiative, intended to assist jobseekers an existing workers in acquiring valuable skills, has proven to be a colossal waste of resources and should be shut down without delay, saving taxpayers a staggering $1 million next year alone.

When the Microcredentials Marketplace was first announced in 2020, it seemed promising—a platform where individuals could explore further study options to enhance their employability or advance in their current careers. The (then) Minister for Employment, Skills, Small, and Family Business highlighted the potential of microcredentials as stand-alone qualifications or supplements to vocational education and higher education pursuits. However, the Australian Government's subsequent decision to limit the marketplace's scope solely to higher education providers severely hampered its effectiveness. Higher education microcredentials represent less than 1% of the microcredentials utilised by businesses and employees. This short-sighted move undermined the marketplace's original purpose and significantly diminished its value to the wider workforce.

Not only did this initiative fall short of its intended goals, but it also squandered taxpayer funds. The initial expenditure on the Microcredentials Marketplace exceeded $2 million, and the FY2023-24 Australian Government budget allocates an additional $1 million to maintain it. This spendthrift expenditure prompted the ITECA Chief Executive, Troy Williams, to testify before a parliamentary committee, referring to the Microcredentials Marketplace as "a colossal waste of time and money" in May 2023.

In October 2022, ITECA strongly advised the Australian Government to abandon the poorly focused Microcredentials Marketplace. This expert counsel emphasised that the current delivery of the initiative represents an unnecessary and wasteful use of taxpayer funds. Instead, ITECA proposed the development of a more comprehensive pan-tertiary education approach, urging the government to cease this initiative and chart a more thoughtful course for the future.

Over the past decade, multiple reports to the Australian Government have consistently underscored the urgent need to provide students with concise, accurate, and contextualised information about tertiary education study options. In light of these recommendations, it is paramount for the Australian Government to consolidate its support platforms into a single, student-centric solution. By integrating Course Seeker (promoting higher education courses) and MySkills (promoting vocational education and training courses), we can create a unified platform that empowers students with a comprehensive range of study options across both sectors.

ITECA has advised the Australian Government that such an integrated approach would not only benefit school leavers but also enable existing workers to upskill and acquire new competencies for successful career transitions. ITECA's insightful recommendation to the Australian Government aligns with this vision of a streamlined and efficient system, one that truly serves the needs of students.

In the past week, ITECA has once again raised this pressing matter with the Minister for Education and the Minister for Skills and Training. ITECA’s advice is that priority must be given to prioritise the interests if students and taxpayers rather than spending another $1 million to prop up a failing initiative. By swiftly shutting down the Microcredentials Marketplace and adopting a more comprehensive, student-focused solution, the Australian Government will create an environment in which advice on skills training higher education study options can seamlessly align with the needs of Australia’s evolving economy.

Getting Involved —

If you have an interest in this matter, be sure to participate in the regular meetings of the ITECA Higher Education National Policy Committee.    ITECA Membership – It’s great time to get involved.

Further Information —

If you're an ITECA member and would like more information on this matter, the ITECA team would value the opportunity to talk to you.  Simply send an email to higher.education@iteca.edu.au or telephone 1300 421 017.  Stay up to date via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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