Australia’s tertiary education system faces challenges in connecting university and vocational pathways, leaving gaps in workforce readiness and skills alignment. Leading skills bodies and the Universities Accord highlight fragmentation, unclear pathways, and the need for stronger alignment between academic programs and workforce needs.
 

Join CEDA’s Unlocking Higher Education Pathways VIC to connect with tertiary education providers enabling students through improved pathways, better access to study, and fulfilling vocations in critical skills areas for a resilient and productive economy.
 

Keynote: Craig Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Skills Authority

 

Sector panel:

• Developing strong vocational education streams and innovative learning models to meet skills demands

• Transforming courses as technology evolves. Are AI and automation reshaping jobs quicker than higher education is prepared for?

• Matching skills demands of industry, from the care sector to finance and clean energy. Overcoming vocational readiness challenges, and coordinating with industry to ensure graduates are more job-ready

• Strategic harmonisation of the tertiary sector for dual alignment between universities and vocational education, with better flows & interaction between university and TAFE streams

• Where policy can improve collaboration across the tertiary sector and with industry

• Improving the pathways to higher qualifications for skilled VET graduates

• Meeting the needs of cohorts from disadvantaged secondary school markets

• Generating job-ready graduates with skills of the future that transcend good grades

• Are the right skills being taught to young people, and how are soft skills addressed?

Industry Panel:

Mish Eastman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Vocational Education and Vice President, RMIT University
Wayne Butson, Chief TAFE Officer and CEO of TAFE, Victoria University
Melanie Bish, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional), La Trobe University

Dianne Semmens, Acting Chief Education and Industry Officer, BKI
Georgette Elston, Head, Resourcing and Early Careers, BAE Systems Australia

Also being held: 
Unlocking Higher Education Pathways WA, 4 June 2026