Enrolments in FEE-FREE Uni Ready Courses are set to jump by nearly 30 per cent next year compared to 2022 levels, giving more people the skills they need to start a university degree.
Next year, 29,000 students are expected to enrol in these free short courses which act as a bridge between school and university.
The extra places were announced by the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC). The ATEC was established by the Government this year to drive long-term reform of the higher education system.
The ATEC said there was strong support for these courses from the sector, with nearly all higher education providers requesting to increase delivery of these courses.
Source: ATEC 2027 mission based compacts and allocations Outcomes Report
Enrolments in these courses have jumped by 21 per cent between 2022 and 2026. Next year they are set to jump another 7 per cent.
The Universities Accord recommended a major increase in funding for these short courses which help prepare people for university.
That is why the Government is investing an extra $1 billion over the next ten years to expand access to these courses, including nearly $190 million next year.
This puts the Government on track to reach the target of increasing the number of students doing these bridging courses by 40 per cent by 2030 and doubling the number of students by 2040.
Another key reform to help more people go to university is the Government’s $70 million investment to double the number of University Study Hubs.
In the first half of this year, 10,000 students used a Study Hub. This was an increase of over 50 per cent in the last year.
Over half of these students were studying health or education courses.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:
“In the future, more jobs will require more skills.
“Almost one in two Aussies in their 20s or 30s today has a university degree. But not everywhere. Not in the western suburbs of Sydney where I grew up.
“The Universities Accord says that by 2050, 80 per cent of the workforce will need a uni degree or vocational qualification.
“The only way to hit that target is to break down that invisible barrier that stops a lot of people getting to uni.
“The bridging courses help us break down that barrier. So do the Study Hubs we are setting up across the country which bring university closer to home for more people.
“This helps kids get the skills they need to do a uni degree. And it’s free.
“It’s helping to make sure that no one misses out on the chance to become whatever they want to be.
“This will mean we have more teachers, more nurses, more scientists, more engineers, more of the skills Australia needs.”
