Standing Committee on Employment, Education
and Workplace Relations
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Submission 58
AUSTRALIAN NURSING COUNCIL INC.
1. The Appropriate Roles of Institutes of Technical and Further Education
It is acknowledged that institutes of technical and further education
and universities have a complementary role in the provision of education
at the tertiary level. However, the role of each of these educational
institutions and their educational outcomes are different. It is appropriate
that institutes of technical and further education maintain their role
in vocational training to a clearly defined level. It is the role of the
higher education sector, the universities, to prepare graduates for professional
careers which require a strong intellectual underpinning. Therefore, the
roles and purposes of both sectors need to be clearly defined and understood.
2. The Extent to Which Those Roles should Overlap with Universities
There should not be any overlap of roles between institutes of technical
and further education and universities. An overlap of roles suggests inefficient
use of resources and obscures the intrinsic role of each.
As already stated, the role of institutions within the tertiary education
sector should be complementary with the outcomes of education for graduates
of the vocational area of technical and further education and the higher
education sector made clear.
Role overlap of institutes of technical and Rather education with universities
creates a number of concerns. Firstly, the educational outcome of vocational
training is different to that of professional education. If there is overlap,
the question arises as to whether on the one hand there is the infrastructure
to support professional education within the vocational education sector,
such as an established programme of research, and, on the other hand whether
the outcomes of the educational programme offered within the higher education
sector is at the standard expected of a university. It may lead to a situation
where the demand for Australian education could be affected by the perception
of potential students that the institution, and its ability to provide
a course of a standard commensurate with potential career prospects, is
in doubt.
In addition, overlap of the roles has implications for funding as limited
resources for education are spread even more thinly,
Rather than overlap, Rather development of credit transfer arrangements,
or recognition of prior learning, should be supported. Where a direct
relationship exists between a course in the vocational sector and one
in the university sector, there should be appropriate consultation to
ensure pathways through articulation or partnerships are provided This
should include consultation with, and advice from, the professional regulatory
bodies that accredit courses leading to an authorisation to practice in
the selected area.
Nursing courses are currently offered in both institutes of technical
and further education and universities. 'Me undergraduate degree and post
graduate programs are offered in universities, and enrolled nursing programmes
are offered in institutes of technical and further education. These nursing
courses are currently appropriately placed as the preparation for graduates
of each programme, that is, the expected vocational and professional outcomes,
are different.
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