18 September 2023

PDF Version [540KB]

Carol Ey
Social Policy

This Quick Guide provides key internet links to information about:

• general tertiary education resources
• higher education
• vocational education and training
• international students
• adult and community education
• international organisations.

General resources

• The Australian Qualifications Framework is the national policy for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training. It incorporates the qualifications from each education and training sector into a single comprehensive national qualifications framework.
• Study Assist has information on Australian Government financial assistance available to tertiary education students.
• The Australian Taxation Office provides statistics for the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loans available to tertiary students, covering amount of outstanding debt, number of people with debts, size of outstanding debt, and time to repay.

Key organisations

• The National Careers Institute provides career information and resources, including about post-school study options, for all ages and career stages.
• The National Education Directory of Australia provides a comprehensive searchable listing of educational institutions.

Statistics

• The Australian Bureau of Statistics – Education Statistics website provides links to a range of data about aspects such as education and work, and adult training.

Higher education

• The Department of Education (DoE) has responsibility for higher education policy and programs.
• The Higher Education Support Act 2003 provides the legislative framework for funding higher education institutions and providing loans to students.
• The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), operating under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011, is the national regulator for higher education.
• Course Seeker provides searchable course, institutions and admissions information.

Key organisations

• Universities Australia is the national representative body for Australian universities, and provides a profile of each university and links to university websites.
• There are 4 sub-groups of Australian universities:
  • The Group of Eight is a coalition of established universities, intensive in research and comprehensive in general and professional education.
  • The Australian Technology Network is an alliance of 6 universities with strong links to industry.
  • The Innovative Research Universities is a group of 7 comprehensive universities with a research focus.
  • The Regional Universities Network is a group of 7 universities with headquarters in regional Australia.
• Independent higher education providers are represented by Independent Higher Education Australia and the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia.
• The National Tertiary Education Union represents employees in the tertiary education sector.
• The National Union of Students is the national representative body for tertiary students.
• The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations aims to protect and further the interests of postgraduate students.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are also represented by the Union of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students (Facebook page) at undergraduate level, and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association at postgraduate level.
• The Council of International Students Australia (Facebook page) is the national peak student representative organisation for international students in tertiary education in Australia.

Statistics

• The Australian Government’s Higher Education Statistics Collection, administered by DoE, includes current and time series data on higher education students and staff.
• DoE also publishes summary data on university undergraduate applications, offers and acceptances, and the Finance Publication series, which provides information on university finances.
• The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has information about the student experience and graduate employment outcomes from surveys of students, graduates and employers.
• Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) cut-off scores (otherwise known as minimum selection thresholds) are available for the latest year for some states:
  • New South Wales including the Australian Capital Territory (Lowest selection ranks)
  • Victoria (ATAR Profiles Report)
  • Queensland
  • Western Australia (Lowest offered rank)
  • the University of Tasmania (the only Tasmanian based higher education institution) publishes the cut-off scores for each relevant course.

Other Library publications

• Hazel Ferguson, A guide to Australian Government funding for higher education learning and teaching
• Hazel Ferguson, University research funding: a quick guide
• Carol Ey, Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) and other student loans: a quick guide

Vocational education and training

• Responsibility for vocational education and training (VET) is shared between the Australian Government and state and territory governments. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) has responsibility for Australian Government VET policy and programs.
• The annual Report on Government Services, published by the Productivity Commission, provides an overview of the VET system, key statistics and funding information.
• VET Student Loans for students in eligible VET courses are provided under the VET Student Loans Act 2016, and Trade Support Loans for apprentices are provided under the Trade Support Loans Act 2014.
• The Australian Skills Quality Authority, operating under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011, is the national regulator for VET.
• training.gov.au is the official national register of information on training packages, qualifications, courses, units of competency and Registered Training Organisations.
• Australian Apprenticeships provides information on the Australian Government’s programs to support apprenticeships and traineeships.
• Your Career has a range of information about training courses and providers as well as general information about VET options.

Key organisations

• Jobs and Skills Australia, operating under the Jobs and Skills Australia Act 2022, is responsible for providing information about skills needs and labour markets, as well as advising on the resourcing and funding of VET providers, and barriers to access.
• Jobs and Skills Councils are being established to facilitate industry perspectives in the VET sector including in training package development.
• The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) is the national body responsible for research and statistics on the Australian VET sector.
• TAFE Directors Australia is the national representative body for Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes and university VET divisions, and provides links to TAFE locations and institutions.
• Independent VET providers are represented by the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia, which also represents independent higher education providers.
• The Australian Education Union is the major union representing TAFE teachers.

Statistics

• NCVER is the major collector and publisher of statistics on the VET system. A dashboard is available summarising the latest VET statistics.
• The annual Report on Government Services, published by the Productivity Commission, provides an overview of the VET system, key statistics, and funding information.
• DEWR publishes VET Student Loans Statistics.

State and territory government websites

Australian Capital Territory

• Skills
• Canberra Institute of Technology
• ACT Qualifications Register

New South Wales

• Training Services NSW
• Skills NSW
• Smart and Skilled
• TAFE NSW
• NSW Skills Board

Northern Territory

• Vocational Education and Training
• Industry Skills Advisory Council Northern Territory

Queensland

• Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training
• Queensland Skills Gateway
• Queensland Training Information Service
• TAFE Queensland
• Queensland Training Ombudsman

South Australia

• Department for Industry, Innovation and Science
• South Australian Skills Commission
• TAFE SA

• Tasmania

• Department of State Growth: Skills Tasmania and Jobs Tasmania
• TasTAFE

Victoria

• Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions
• Victorian Skills Authority, including the Victorian Skills Gateway
• TAFE Victoria
• Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority

Western Australia

• Department of Training and Workforce Development
• Jobs and Skills WA, including information about the TAFE network in Western Australia
• Training Accreditation Council Western Australia

Other Library publications

• Carol Ey, The vocational education and training sector: a quick guide
• Carol Ey, Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) and other student loans: a quick guide

International students in Australia

• DoE has responsibility for international education policy.
• The Department of Home Affairs administers student visas.
• Austrade works with the international education sector on market development.
• studyaustralia.gov.au is the Australian Government website for international students. 
• The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) lists all providers registered to offer courses to people studying in Australia on student visas and the courses offered.
• The Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and its associated legislative framework regulates the education and training sector’s involvement with students on student visas studying in Australia.

Statistics

• DoE reports on overseas enrolments in all education sectors as well as a variety of other data and research relating to international students.
• The Department of Home Affairs publishes a range of student visa statistics.
• Austrade provides international education data. Free registration is required to access this information.

Other Library publications

• Hazel Ferguson and Harriet Spinks, Overseas students in Australian higher education: a quick guide

Adult and community education

• Adult Learning Australia is the national peak body for the adult and community education sector.

International organisations

• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – Education:
  • –     Higher Education Policy
  • –     Vocational Education and Training and Adult Learning
  • –     Skills
  • –     National Skills Strategies
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – Education:
  • –     Higher Education
  • –     UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, including Skills throughout life.

Statistics

• Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators provides comparative data on the education systems of member and partner countries of the OECD. OECD tertiary education data is also available via OECD Data and OECD.Stat.
• The UNESCO Institute for Statistics provides a range of education and literacy data.

 

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