IHEA Submission | Australian Tertiary Education Commission’s A More Joined−Up tertiary System: Discussion Paper

Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Australian
Tertiary Education Commission’s (ATEC) A More Joined−Up Tertiary System: Discussion Paper, for which
submissions are due by 22 June 2026.

Introduction
IHEA supports the objective of creating a more joined−up/connected, learner−centred and responsive tertiary
education system. Australia faces significant economic, demographic and technological challenges that will
require higher levels of educational attainment, stronger workforce participation and more flexible approaches to
learning across people’s working lives.

Achieving these objectives will require a tertiary system that enables learners to move seamlessly between
vocational education and training (VET) and higher education, access education throughout their working lives
and receive recognition for prior learning regardless of where it was acquired.

The current system continues to be characterised by historical divisions between sectors, differing funding
arrangements, inconsistent approaches to credit recognition and regulatory structures that often reflect provider
boundaries rather than learner needs. While some progress has been made through the Australian Qualifications
Framework, articulation agreements and dual sector delivery models, significant barriers remain.

IHEA believes the central objective of reform should be to create a system in which learners experience tertiary
education as a coherent ecosystem rather than as separate sectors governed by different rules, incentives and
expectations. A more joined−up system should support learner mobility, strengthen workforce responsiveness,
promote equity of participation and preserve the diversity of providers that contribute to Australia's tertiary
education landscape.

Achieving the Government's tertiary attainment ambitions, responding to emerging workforce shortages and
supporting lifelong learning will require reform that harnesses the full capacity of all high−quality tertiary
providers. This includes public universities, TAFEs, dual sector providers and independent higher education
providers, each of which contributes distinct strengths to the system.
As such, IHEA recommends that the key elements of reform must consider the following:

• Preserve provider diversity and innovation, including the role of independent providers.
• Avoid over−centralisation or regulatory burden that stifles new models.
• Ensure competitive neutrality across provider types and sectors.
• Focus on practical, scalable reforms, particularly in credit recognition, funding alignment, and
  information systems.
• Support lifelong learning through funding arrangements that are portable, learner−centred and
  sector−neutral.

IHEA emphasises that a joined−up system is not a structural merger, but rather functional integration to enable
seamless movement of students, fair funding and equal recognition of quality across sectors.