Learning Capital: an integrated tertiary education system for the ACT

The report "Learning Capital: an integrated tertiary education system for the ACT" from the ACT Tertiary Education Taskforce has been released by the ACT Government Department of Education and Training. The report recommends an integrated education system for Canberra. Unfortunately the impact and credibility of the report is undermined by the way it has been distributed as a poorly formatted PDF document with a restrictive licence. Modern education happens using online communications with accessible, efficient communications. Those preparing this report are doing it from an outdated perspective, not suited to Canberra's needs. For one proposal for integrated education see: "Broadband for a Broad Land: Envrionment and Education".

Table of Contents
A vision for tertiary education in the ACT 1
Recommendations at a glance 5
The work of the Taskforce 7
The Tertiary Taskforce consultation process 17
Recommendations in detail 19
Commitment 19
Committee – A Tertiary Education Steering Committee 20
Connections 22
Communication 25
Capitalising on economic opportunities 27
Career and Workforce Development 28
List of references 31 ...

A vision for tertiary education in the ACT

The Taskforce proposes that the tertiary education system in the ACT unite to form a coherent network of providers of excellence, from small private training providers to large, research-intensive universities. The Taskforce vision is of a fully integrated system of independently excellent institutions that collectively and
collaboratively offer world-standard vocational and higher education.

It is a vision of a smorgasbord of educational offerings from which students at every stage of their life can choose, putting together programs that meet their personal and professional needs, drawing from as many educational institutions in the network as they need,
with no administrative hurdles. This would create an ‘education without borders.’...

Recommendations at a glance

1. ACT tertiary education providers form a fully integrated system.
2. ACT tertiary education providers commit to achieving the vision of a learning capital.
3. An ‘ACT Tertiary Education Steering Committee’ be established.
4. Capital region employers further build partnerships with education providers.
5. ACT Government supports tertiary providers to engage in increased collaboration.
6. CIT and UC investigate new ways to collaborate, based on robust business planning and supportive evidence.
7. Develop a ‘tertiary information portal’ and other communication strategies to provide consolidated information on tertiary education.
8. Promote Canberra as Australia’s learning capital and an international education city.
9. Industry and professions in Canberra and the region partner with ACT education providers to drive initiatives that promote the economic development of the region.
10. Canberra further positions itself as an education services hub.
11. Enhance the quality and scope of career counselling for everyone in the ACT.
12. ACT Government promotes improved workforce planning and development to support enhanced strategies in the capital region.

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From: "Learning Capital: an integrated tertiary education system for the ACT", ACT Tertiary Education Taskforce, ACT Government Department of Education and Training, 2011