The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering is pleased to contribute to consultation on the National Priorities and Industry Linkage Fund (NPILF).
ATSE strongly supports the objectives of the NPILF as there is significant alignment between ATSE’s vision for a strong, diverse, and appropriately skilled STEM workforce and the NPILF’s focus on meeting the future Australian workforce requirements for STEM-skills and increasing the number and quality of Work-Integrated Learning opportunities for students in Australia.
However, ATSE finds the approach presented in the consultation paper is unlikely to achieve these objectives. This submission addresses ATSE’s key concerns with the approach and offers the following recommendations to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment:
• Separate the development of a national evidence base for WIL, STEM-skills and university-industry engagement from the NPILF.
• Develop metrics that are guided by industry and the professions.
• Investment by the NPILF should be guided by advice from industry and business, ensuring
that proven initiatives receive investment in areas of future demand.
• The NPILF should promote skills in both STEM and the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
• The impact of the NPILF should be reviewed 2-3 years after it commences.