This Quick Guide provides key internet links to information about: general tertiary education resources, higher education, vocational education and training (VET), international students, adult and community education, and international organisations

Carol Ey

Jonathon Guppy

English

Analysis and Policy Observatory (APO)

  
RESEARCH PAPER SERIES, 2014–15 UPDATED 3 OCTOBER 2014 
Tertiary education: a quick guide to key internet links 
Carol Ey and Jonathon Guppy 
Social Policy Section 
This Quick Guide provides key internet links to information about: 
• general tertiary education resources 
• higher education 
• vocational education and training (VET) 
• international students 
• adult and community education and 
• 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. 
• Higher Education Loan Program (HELP): a quick guide provides an overview of HELP loans available to tertiary 
students. 
Key organisations 
• The Australasian Education Directory provides a comprehensive listing of educational organisations. 
Statistics 
• Australian Bureau of Statistics—Education and Training Statistics website 
Higher education 
• The Department of Education has responsibility for higher education. The Department’s website has separate 
pages for higher education teaching and research activities. 
• The Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) provides the legislative framework for funding higher 
education institutions and providing loans to students. 
• The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is the national regulator for higher education. 
• The Higher Education Report is an annual report on programs, funding and statistics. The latest edition is 
2010. 
ISSN 2203-5249 
 
 
 
 
• Universities Australia provides a profile of each university and links to university websites. 
• MyUniversity provides students with a broad range of information about Australian universities and other 
higher education providers. 
• Australia University Rankings includes details of the major international rankings and the Excellence in 
Research for Australia (ERA) rankings. 
• Hobsons Course Finder provides university and course rankings from The Good Universities Guide, as well as 
facilities to search for courses by a range of criteria. 
• The Group of Eight have produced a number of Backgrounders and Policy Notes with information about 
aspects of the higher education system including: 
– Higher education financing 
– University Research Funding in Australia 
– Profile of Australian Education 2012 
– International students in higher education and their role in the Australian economy and 
– Changes in the composition of Australia’s higher education workforce. 
Key organisations 
• Universities Australia is the national representative body for Australian universities. This website contains 
useful links, policy documents and statistics.  
• There are four sub-groups of Australian universities: 
– the Group of Eight (Go8) is a coalition of established universities, intensive in research and comprehensive 
in general and professional education 
– the Australian Technology Network (ATN) is an alliance of five universities with strong links to industry 
– the Innovative Research Universities (IRU) is a group of seven comprehensive universities with a research 
focus and 
– the Regional Universities Network (RUN) is a group of six universities with headquarters in regional 
Australia. 
• The National Tertiary Education Union represents employees in the tertiary education sector. 
• The National Union of Students is the national representative body for university students. 
• The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations aims to protect and further the interests of postgraduate 
students.  
Statistics 
• The Australian Government’s Higher Education Statistics Collection includes current and time series data on 
students and staff and summary data on admissions and offers. The Finance Publication series provides 
information on university finances. 
• Graduate Careers Australia conducts research into the outcomes and experiences of higher education 
students and graduates including graduate employment and earnings. 
• The Higher Education Reports website includes the annual Higher Education Report 
• Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR cut-off scores are available for some states: New South Wales 
(includes the Australian Capital Territory), Victoria (have to search by course), South Australia (see 
Universities Semester 1,Table X, ‘Year 12 cut-off scores’) and Western Australia. 
Vocational education and training (VET) 
• The Department of Industry has responsibility for VET and its website provides access to information about 
Australian Government VET policies and programs.  
• The Annual National Report of the Australian Vocational Education and Training System includes an overview 
of the national VET system, an analysis of the system’s performance and key statistics, and a summary of 
Australian, state and territory government developments. The latest edition is 2011. 
 
 
Tertiary education: a quick guide to key internet links 2 
 
• The annual Report on Government Services, published by the Productivity Commission, provides an overview 
of the VET system, key statistics and funding information. 
• The Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations (IGA), agreed to by the Council of 
Australian Governments, provides for the Australian Government’s National Skills and Workforce 
Development Specific Purpose Payment (SPP). 
• The National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development (NASWD), formulated as part of the IGA, 
defines the objectives, outcomes, outputs and performance measures and the roles and responsibilities that 
guide the Australian and the state and territory governments in the delivery of services across the skills and 
workforce development sector. 
• The annual National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development: performance report is a report on 
governments' progress against the agreed objectives and outcomes of the NASWD. 
• There are two National Partnerships associated with the NAWSD—the National Partnership Agreement on 
Skills Reform and the National Partnership Agreement on Youth Attainment and Transitions. 
• The Australian Skills Quality Authority is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and 
training sector.  
• 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. 
• My Skills has a range of information about training options and providers, and includes statistics on student 
enrolments and outcomes. 
Key organisations 
• The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) undertakes research and evaluation in VET 
and related areas. 
• The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) is the national industry association for 
independent providers of post-compulsory education and training. 
• The Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency is an independent statutory body, providing advice to the 
Minister for Industry on Australia’s current, emerging and future workforce skills needs and workforce 
development needs. 
• TAFE Directors Australia—provides links to TAFE Institutes. 
• The Australian Education Union is the major union representing TAFE teachers. 
Statistics 
• Annual National Report of the Australian Vocational Education and Training System 
• National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development—performance report  
• National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) is the major collector and publisher of statistics 
on the VET system. 
• The annual Report on Government Services, published by the Productivity Commission, provides key statistics 
and funding information. 
• VET FEE-HELP Annual Statistical Report 
State and territory government websites 
Australian Capital Territory 
• ACT Education Directorate, Training and Tertiary Education  
• New South Wales  
• Department of Education and Communities, State Training Services 
• TAFE NSW  
 
 
Tertiary education: a quick guide to key internet links 3 
 
Northern Territory 
• Department of Business, Vocational Education and Training 
Queensland 
• Department of Education, Training and Employment, Training Queensland  
• TAFE Queensland 
South Australia  
• Department of State Development 
• TAFE SA 
Tasmania 
• Skills Tasmania 
Victoria 
• Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Further Education and Training 
Western Australia  
• Training WA 
International students in Australia 
• The Department of Education has responsibility for international education policy.  
• The Department of Immigration and Border Protection administers student visas. 
• 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.  
• Australian Education International (AEI) is an Australian government agency that works to develop and 
support the Australian international education and training industry.  
• 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 
• AEI’s International student data website reports on overseas enrolments in all education sectors. 
• The Department of Immigration and Border Protection publishes a range of student visa statistics. 
Adult and community education 
• Adult Learning Australia is the national peak body for the adult and community education sector. 
• Tap into Learning Today (TILT) provides information on lifelong learning programs and initiatives. 
• Ministerial Declaration on Adult Community Education— July 2002 declaration of the then Ministerial Council 
for Vocational and Technical Education which was reaffirmed in December 2008. 
International organisations 
• Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Directorate for Education—Skills beyond 
Schools 
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)—Education for the 21st Century: 
– higher education 
– technical and VET 
Statistics 
• Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators provides comparative data on the education systems of member and 
partner countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Latest edition is 2014.  
• UNESCO Institute for Statistics 
 
 
Tertiary education: a quick guide to key internet links 4 
 
United Kingdom 
• Department for Business, Innovation & Skills—responsible for higher education and further education and 
skills. 
• Higher Education Funding Council for England 
• Higher Education Statistics Agency  
© Commonwealth of Australia 
 
Creative Commons 
With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, and to the extent that copyright subsists in a third party, this publication, 
its logo and front page design are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia licence. 
 
 
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