APESMA has called on the Rudd government to reduce tertiary fees for technical professions, with its annual survey revealing a significant proportion of graduates in technical professions seek work overseas to avoid repaying HECS.
APESMA chief executive officer, Chris Walton, said over 60% of respondents to the APESMA 2008 Graduate Employment Survey intend working overseas within five years, and predicted their employment opportunities would remain strong globally.
“The skills crisis in the technical professions remains real, not just here but world-wide. But Australia may not reap the benefit to the economy because of its lack of investment in education,” Walton said.
“A break from repaying HECS was important for almost 20% of graduates in choosing to work overseas, indicating tertiary funding policy is driving them overseas where different taxation systems liberate them from student debt.
“APESMA welcomed changes this year to the Higher Education Support Act to reallocate science degree fees for 2009 in the national priority band, but reductions should also apply to engineering degrees, whose graduates are also in under-supply.
“Technical graduates in particular are financially burdened by student debt, with undergraduate fees virtually double humanities fees at an average of $30,000,” Walton said.
“If unaddressed, the skills crisis will affect Australia’s economy and capacity to deliver on infrastructure, water and climate change projects.
“Federal Labor’s election promise to immediately address critical skills shortages and deliver an education revolution in higher education must include cutting high tertiary fees.
“Exorbitant higher education fees provide short-term savings, but ultimately they deplete Australia’s labour market, knowledge and capacity for innovation.
“Australian industry will continue losing the potential of students educated by our tertiary institutions until disincentives to working here are removed,” Walton said.
