CIT and UC venture targets professional vocational education

Minister for Education and Training, Dr Chris Bourke, MLA today announced a collaborative venture between the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) and the University of Canberra (UC) which will deliver exciting new choices for tertiary education in the ACT.

"The announcement today follows a lengthy consultation process with both institutions and the broader community and will see two of our finest educational institutions come together to deliver new and innovative educational programs. The model will see delivery of professional tertiary vocational education, through a new entity which will be jointly owned," Dr Bourke said.

This new entity will offer associate degree and advanced diploma and diploma (AQF 5 and 6) programs in agreed discipline areas to compete with other tertiary providers and expand the education capacity of Canberra.

It will see the expansion of the ACT tertiary education market by developing new products to better cater to the ACT population and promote upskilling and workforce development. Qualifications offered will appeal equally to people currently in the workforce and to those just completing their schooling.

"Many people are daunted by the prospect of three or four years of full time study to achieve a qualification. This unique national innovation will enable students who want a stepping stone onto a University degree or those seeking a professionally focused vocational qualification, an alternative which can be completed in one or two years.

"National tertiary education reforms will increasingly place CIT and UC in competition, this venture lays the groundwork to better position the ACT to compete in the national market.

"This initiative builds on advice for closer UC-CIT collaboration by the ACT Tertiary Taskforce, the Hawke Review of the ACT Public Service and Professor Denise Bradley Report on options for UC/CIT collaboration," Dr Bourke said.

Following the Bradley Report, the ACT Government formed a Government Steering Group to provide advice on the way forward. In developing its advice, the Group consulted extensively with stakeholders, including CIT and UC and industry, unions and other representative bodies.

"For the ACT Government, this collaborative venture by the two institutions enables many of the positives of Professor Bradley's recommendation for a merger, while minimising issues of implementation.

"This is an exciting step for tertiary education, and secures Canberra's place as the Learning Capital of Australia and will deliver new opportunities for lifelong learning," Dr Bourke concluded.

The collaborative venture will proceed with the guidance of a project implementation group throughout 2012. It is anticipated that the first students would commence at the beginning of the 2013 academic year - coincidentally the year of Canberra's centenary.