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The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA ) has taken aim at the Albanese government, claiming that a large number of employees are going to be without work due to the international education policy.
ITECA has claimed that the Australian government is failing to act in the best interests of workers in the international education sector, as their recently announced 2025 caps on the number of international skills training students will have a terrible impact on workers in the sector.
“College closures are now inevitable, and ITECA members lay the blame squarely at the feet of Australian government politicians responsible for international education policy,” said Troy Williams, ITECA chief executive.
“The impact of these cuts on the number of international students able to come to Australia is staggering, with up to 300 independent colleges expected to close. Their employees will lose their jobs, as will other employees in colleges that will have to scale down to survive.”
ITECA and other independent resources can often springboard international students into key industry sectors such as aviation, aged care, and healthcare. However, their main concern is the workers who are involved in the sector, claiming the Australian government is, in fact, turning its back on these workers.
“There is a widespread and chilling belief within the ITECA membership that Australian government politicians simply do not care about the livelihoods they are destroying,” Williams said.
“ITECA is working collaboratively with Departmental staff to mitigate the worst impacts on RTOs that deliver quality student outcomes. However, there is only so much that can be done while Australian government politicians issue directives and say how international students are pushing up housing costs, a widely debunked false narrative.
“Sadly, the current approach of the Australian government to international education is opposed to these outcomes.”
According to ITECA, the Australian government needs to rethink its approach to consider the impact on the sector more completely, restoring an evidence-based approach to policymaking.
“The most sensible thing to do, given the proximity to the 2025 academic year, would be to delay the commencement of the caps for at least six months. This allows the Australian government to be transparent in its methodology and develop a sustainable approach that supports quality RTOs and the people they employ,” said Williams.
As the threat of job cuts arises for workers in the international education sector, the government will face continued backlash – especially if these proposed student caps go ahead.
Kace O'Neill
Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.
