Abstract:
Vocational education needs to be closely linked to the requirements of
business and industry both in terms of policy and educational practice. However, over the
past fifteen years the wants of business have come to dominate VET policy to the
exclusion of any other stakeholder interests. This has led to seriously inadequate policies
in the VET area that are responsible for the current skills crisis. It is more than two years
since two major reports concluded the VET policies in Australia are not working yet to
date there has been little indication of substantial shifts in government thinking and
policy to create a more effective VET system. This paper looks at the need to reposition
other stakeholders in the policy equation and reduce the influence of business and
industry to some degree to produce a VET system more closely aligned to the needs of
Australian society. It is argued that focus upon quality rather than quantity needs to be a
central consideration in any new policy realignment.
