Edition 72, November 2009

Ministers agree to national VET regulator

The Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) has agreed to support the formation of a new, independent national regulator for the vocational education and training sector.

The communiqué released from the Council's 20 November meeting states that 'in a significant decision, the majority of Ministers agreed to a new independent national regulator for the vocational education and training sector through a limited referral of powers to the Commonwealth.  Victoria and Western Australia supported the consideration of other models to achieve national regulation and the retention of the principles of State accountability.'

In a statement, Minister for Education Julia Gillard said the Ministers will recommend to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) that the new vocational education regulator will be a Commonwealth statutory authority.

She also outlined timeframes with the framework for the new regulation to be agreed by the end of May 2010 and the regulator beginning operation from 2011.

At the meeting MCTEE also agreed to the development of a new foundation for quality in higher education through the establishment of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) with its location to be in Melbourne.

Ministers agreed that TEQSA will be an independent body and noted that the Commonwealth Minister intends to establish TEQSA as a statutory authority. Ministers will further discuss the governance arrangements for the authority in the coming months.

The regulatory arrangements were considered in the context of a potential merger in 2013, as Ministers work to achieve a more interconnected tertiary sector.

To view the MCTEE communiqué visit www.deewr.gov.au/Skills/Programs/Pages/Ministerial_Council.aspx

To view Minister Gillard's release visit www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_091120_190808.aspx

This page was generated on 27 November, 2009

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