Leadership and personal finance are the focus of TROY’s two free online classes this summer

Whether you’re interested in building valuable leadership skills to propel your career or are interested in learning principles to protect and grow your wealth, Troy University is ready to help those who want to make a commitment to their future by offering two free courses this summer.

TROY’s online courses have been ranked among the country’s best by U.S. News and World Report. The University is known for emphasizing the importance of developing strong leaders and its leadership program is one of the best in the nation. Beginning July 11, TROY will offer a free online, four-week course entitled an Introduction to Leadership. This course presents a rare opportunity for participants to learn how to lead from a global perspective while incorporating self-evaluation in order to gain a better understanding of how to lead effectively.

“We believe that universities are responsible for building the leaders of tomorrow and that is a commitment we do not take lightly,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor. “Our mission is to develop leaders who are well equipped to meet the challenges of today’s world. These two free courses are an excellent introduction to all we offer at Troy University while giving participants the chance to learn valuable life skills.”

New for 2022, TROY is offering a free personal finance course entitled Your Life, Your Success — Money Management and Financial Wellness which is designed to give students an overview of financial principles that will help them succeed. Students will learn about budgeting, filing taxes, different types of loans and insurance products, and an overview of investment options. This course will be offered in two tracks beginning July 11; one for a general audience and one for young adults.

The courses are open to anyone and do not require enrollment in TROY to participate. Participants who enroll at Troy University can earn three credit hours for each course as a general elective or minor course. The courses run for four weeks and end on Aug. 8. To earn academic credit, students must pass a challenge exam at the end of the courses. Current TROY students who participate must have less than 15 hours of university credit to receive academic credit for passing the challenge exam. Register at: troy.edu/freeclass.

For more information, please visit here.

World skills competition promotes vocational education exchange

The first World Vocational College Skills Competition has kicked off in China’s Tianjin Municipality and Jiangxi Province.

At the Jiangxi division, 125 contestants of 36 teams from 28 countries will participate in two competitions: information security management and evaluation, and virtual reality design and production.

“The competition provides us with a platform to show our ability and an opportunity to learn from and communicate with others. I hope it can prove my value and find my shortcomings,” said Azam John, a student from Tajikistan studying at Shenzhen Polytechnic in south China.

Themed “Skilled Youth, Shining Future,” the first World Vocational College Skills Competition will take place between Monday and Saturday. The competition in Tianjin and Jiangxi opened on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.

For more information, please visit here.

More Pakistani vocational institutes to partner with Chinese counterparts: HEC Chairman

“The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is formulating and improving the policy for dual degree programs in Pakistan. I look forward to the first China-Pakistan dual degree program officially approved by HEC which will be launched at Karakoram International University”, said Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of Pakistan’s HEC in a meeting with a delegation from Tang International Education Group led by Director & Executive President Max Ma.

For more information, please visit here.

How to optimise the private sector’s engagement in TVET

The role of the private sector is crucial in the creation of a demand-driven Technical and Vocational Education and Training, or TVET, system that contributes towards the achievement of national goals.

A system that aims at quality skills development through a combination of classroom-based training and practical experience in the workplace demands greater cooperation with the private sector as such an arrangement could yield a multitude of benefits.

Quality TVET, obtained through enhanced collaboration with the private sector, not only helps trainees to acquire the necessary skills, but can also lower the likelihood of mismatching qualifications with labour-market demands.

Various studies indicate that the practical experience TVET trainees get at companies supports the transition to the labour market and offers them the opportunity to have better access to jobs.
Practice-oriented training is also believed to be motivational in providing a more beneficial working environment and creating a positive attitude toward practical training.

Engaging the private sector in training partnerships is, thus, not only an important undertaking in its own right, but also has strategic importance in improving the relevance, working modalities and contributions of the TVET system.

For more information, please visit here.

Who is vocational education training for? Data shows over 84% Indian didn’t get any

Vocational and technical training has been the central pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious skill building mission since 2015. It is also the feature that will drive India’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat push. But data reveals that despite the government’s high-priority, the uptake for vocational and technical training has been surprisingly low. It is no wonder that many commentators are saying this has been languishing in neglect and needs to be infused with some ‘gati shakti‘. In 2020-21, over 84 percent of Indians between 12-59 age group did not receive vocational and technical training.

If fewer people are receiving VTT (vocational and technical training), then this calls for a greater awareness campaign, like other flagship programmes such as Swachh Bharat. With a Covid-battered economy, India can’t afford to go slow on a programme that has tremendous potential to catapult both the manufacturing and services sector.

For more information, please visit here.

Whether you’re interested in building valuable leadership skills to propel your career or are interested in learning principles to protect and grow your wealth, Troy University is ready to help those who want to make a commitment to their future by offering two free courses this summer.

TROY’s online courses have been ranked among the country’s best by U.S. News and World Report. The University is known for emphasizing the importance of developing strong leaders and its leadership program is one of the best in the nation. Beginning July 11, TROY will offer a free online, four-week course entitled an Introduction to Leadership. This course presents a rare opportunity for participants to learn how to lead from a global perspective while incorporating self-evaluation in order to gain a better understanding of how to lead effectively.

“We believe that universities are responsible for building the leaders of tomorrow and that is a commitment we do not take lightly,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor. “Our mission is to develop leaders who are well equipped to meet the challenges of today’s world. These two free courses are an excellent introduction to all we offer at Troy University while giving participants the chance to learn valuable life skills.”

New for 2022, TROY is offering a free personal finance course entitled Your Life, Your Success — Money Management and Financial Wellness which is designed to give students an overview of financial principles that will help them succeed. Students will learn about budgeting, filing taxes, different types of loans and insurance products, and an overview of investment options. This course will be offered in two tracks beginning July 11; one for a general audience and one for young adults.

The courses are open to anyone and do not require enrollment in TROY to participate. Participants who enroll at Troy University can earn three credit hours for each course as a general elective or minor course. The courses run for four weeks and end on Aug. 8. To earn academic credit, students must pass a challenge exam at the end of the courses. Current TROY students who participate must have less than 15 hours of university credit to receive academic credit for passing the challenge exam. Register at: troy.edu/freeclass.

For more information, please visit here.

The first World Vocational College Skills Competition has kicked off in China’s Tianjin Municipality and Jiangxi Province.

At the Jiangxi division, 125 contestants of 36 teams from 28 countries will participate in two competitions: information security management and evaluation, and virtual reality design and production.

“The competition provides us with a platform to show our ability and an opportunity to learn from and communicate with others. I hope it can prove my value and find my shortcomings,” said Azam John, a student from Tajikistan studying at Shenzhen Polytechnic in south China.

Themed “Skilled Youth, Shining Future,” the first World Vocational College Skills Competition will take place between Monday and Saturday. The competition in Tianjin and Jiangxi opened on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.

For more information, please visit here.

“The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is formulating and improving the policy for dual degree programs in Pakistan. I look forward to the first China-Pakistan dual degree program officially approved by HEC which will be launched at Karakoram International University”, said Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of Pakistan’s HEC in a meeting with a delegation from Tang International Education Group led by Director & Executive President Max Ma.

For more information, please visit here.

The role of the private sector is crucial in the creation of a demand-driven Technical and Vocational Education and Training, or TVET, system that contributes towards the achievement of national goals.

A system that aims at quality skills development through a combination of classroom-based training and practical experience in the workplace demands greater cooperation with the private sector as such an arrangement could yield a multitude of benefits.

Quality TVET, obtained through enhanced collaboration with the private sector, not only helps trainees to acquire the necessary skills, but can also lower the likelihood of mismatching qualifications with labour-market demands.

Various studies indicate that the practical experience TVET trainees get at companies supports the transition to the labour market and offers them the opportunity to have better access to jobs.
Practice-oriented training is also believed to be motivational in providing a more beneficial working environment and creating a positive attitude toward practical training.

Engaging the private sector in training partnerships is, thus, not only an important undertaking in its own right, but also has strategic importance in improving the relevance, working modalities and contributions of the TVET system.

For more information, please visit here.

Vocational and technical training has been the central pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious skill building mission since 2015. It is also the feature that will drive India’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat push. But data reveals that despite the government’s high-priority, the uptake for vocational and technical training has been surprisingly low. It is no wonder that many commentators are saying this has been languishing in neglect and needs to be infused with some ‘gati shakti‘. In 2020-21, over 84 percent of Indians between 12-59 age group did not receive vocational and technical training.

If fewer people are receiving VTT (vocational and technical training), then this calls for a greater awareness campaign, like other flagship programmes such as Swachh Bharat. With a Covid-battered economy, India can’t afford to go slow on a programme that has tremendous potential to catapult both the manufacturing and services sector.

For more information, please visit here.

Whether you’re interested in building valuable leadership skills to propel your career or are interested in learning principles to protect and grow your wealth, Troy University is ready to help those who want to make a commitment to their future by offering two free courses this summer.

TROY’s online courses have been ranked among the country’s best by U.S. News and World Report. The University is known for emphasizing the importance of developing strong leaders and its leadership program is one of the best in the nation. Beginning July 11, TROY will offer a free online, four-week course entitled an Introduction to Leadership. This course presents a rare opportunity for participants to learn how to lead from a global perspective while incorporating self-evaluation in order to gain a better understanding of how to lead effectively.

“We believe that universities are responsible for building the leaders of tomorrow and that is a commitment we do not take lightly,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor. “Our mission is to develop leaders who are well equipped to meet the challenges of today’s world. These two free courses are an excellent introduction to all we offer at Troy University while giving participants the chance to learn valuable life skills.”

New for 2022, TROY is offering a free personal finance course entitled Your Life, Your Success — Money Management and Financial Wellness which is designed to give students an overview of financial principles that will help them succeed. Students will learn about budgeting, filing taxes, different types of loans and insurance products, and an overview of investment options. This course will be offered in two tracks beginning July 11; one for a general audience and one for young adults.

The courses are open to anyone and do not require enrollment in TROY to participate. Participants who enroll at Troy University can earn three credit hours for each course as a general elective or minor course. The courses run for four weeks and end on Aug. 8. To earn academic credit, students must pass a challenge exam at the end of the courses. Current TROY students who participate must have less than 15 hours of university credit to receive academic credit for passing the challenge exam. Register at: troy.edu/freeclass.

For more information, please click here.

An important reminder regarding first aid training:

HLTAID001-HLTAID008 should no longer be delivered by any provider after July 1, 2022.

For more information, please click here.

The visa backlog must be addressed to allow migration to be harnessed to combat skill shortages plaguing the country, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Mr Albanese hosted his first National Cabinet meeting on Friday, where state and territory leaders directly raised the issue of fast-tracking targeted migration with him.

The migration program is still suffering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic with visa backlogs placing immense pressure on the Department of Home Affairs.

For more information, please click here.

Australian students have turned away from university degrees in favour of trades and vocational courses, the latest census data has revealed.

In 2021, 177,032 more students were completing vocational studies, which included courses offered by TAFE and private training providers, compared to 2016. In that same time period, there were just 24,824 more people studying at university.

Vocational students made up 7.8 per cent of all Australian students in 2021, up from 5.9 per cent in 2016 and 7.3 per cent in 2011.

Meanwhile, universities enrolled 15.4 per cent of students in 2021, compared to 16 per cent in 2016 and 14 per cent in 2011.

The census data also showed that vocational students are getting older, with 63 per cent aged 25 and older in 2021 compared to 57 per cent in 2016.

Women were far more likely to be enrolled at university than men, making up 58 per cent of students, compared to 56 per cent in 2016.

For more information, please click here.

At a national level, the question is: what is the link between education and growth?

That is a question the Productivity Commission is grappling with in the context of our 5-year Productivity Review. It’s not simple and to show why I want to start two claims: one bland and one more controversial.

The bland one is that education is fundamental to equipping people for the high skill jobs of a modern economy. (Among its many other benefits.) The controversial one centres on our prospects for future growth and it is this: it is not clear that high levels of education are making us any more innovative. Because the glaring paradox of our age is that we have never been more highly educated and we have the lowest productivity growth in 50 years.

How can this be, and what should we do about it? I think the challenge that it poses is that education and research, like most good things, have a tendency towards diminishing returns. The policy question is how we might break out of that tendency.

For more information, please click here.

World University Rankings 2022

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 include more than 1,600 universities across 99 countries and territories, making them the largest and most diverse university rankings to date.

The table is based on 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across four areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

For more information, please click here.

What new gov’t in Australia means for int’l education

Industry leaders and experts are looking forward to working with the new government in Australia to usher in a recovery for the international education sectors in the country. Last week, Universities Australia, Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia and Independent Higher Education Australia welcomed Jason Clare on his appointment as minister for education.

Along with addressing the skills shortages for degree-educated workers, conducting Australia’s research and helping to tackle the challenge of climate and energy transition, universities can “find ways to navigate through a challenging geopolitical landscape and the sensitivities in our region”, chief executive Catriona Jackson reminded.

ITECA added that new minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor can “look to the nation’s independent skills training sector with confidence as it leads on several key measures of employer and student satisfaction”.

“We look forward to working with Ministers O’Connor and Clare as we look towards a more integrated tertiary education system, one in which the skills training and higher education sector operate as one yet retain their separate strengths and identities,” Troy Williams, ITECA chief executive, noted.

For more information, please click here.

Young workers wired in to become most in-demand tradies in Australia

Electricians are among the most in-demand tradespeople in Australia, according to the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). And employers find it difficult to attract suitably qualified and experienced tradespeople.

With growth projected in the construction and infrastructure sectors and a strong uptake in renewable energy, the skills shortages only look likely to worsen.

For more information, please click here.

UK losing ground on international PhD student recruitment

The UK is losing ground to Germany, Canada and Australia in attracting international doctoral students despite its success in recruiting Chinese postgraduates, a new study says.

While the UK remains the biggest destination for PhD students outside the US, the overall number of international doctoral candidates has fallen by 5 per cent, or about 2,400 students, since 2016 to 48,579 in 2019, according to a Universities UK report published on 9 June.

The number of European Union-based doctoral students has fallen even more sharply, with EU entrant numbers in 2020-21 – 3,320 – down 22 per cent compared with 2013.

Meanwhile, international doctoral numbers rose in Germany and Canada by 63 per cent and 34 per cent – to around 30,000 and 18,000 in 2019 – respectively compared with 2013. Over the same period, the UK’s numbers rose by just 2.7 per cent.

Those trends saw the UK’s market share of international doctoral numbers fall from about 21 per cent to 19 per cent between 2013 and 2019, despite significant growth from China, from where entrant numbers have increased by 22 per cent since 2017-18, standing at about 3,800 in 2020-21.

For more information, please click here.

Australian PM under pressure to increase migrant intake to address dire worker shortage

New Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under pressure to lift the nation’s migration intake cap due to a dire shortage of workers that is forcing some businesses to restrict hours and services.

Before the pandemic, Australia easily filled its annual quota, which has been set at about 160,000 permanent migrants a year since 2017.

But Australia’s strict international border closures from 2020 until earlier this year disrupted flows of skilled migrants as well as short-term arrivals such as international students and working holidaymakers.

As a result, Australia has experienced a sharp drop in its number of foreign workers, just as its economy has been surging and labour demands are at record highs.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed on Wednesday (June 8) that there were about 420,000 vacant jobs across the country, accounting for 2.8 per cent of all jobs – the highest level on record.

Unemployment is currently at 3.9 per cent, the lowest rate since 1974.

For more information, please click here.

Australian visa backlog keeping engineers out of country amid skills shortage

The engineering job vacancy rate has increased 97% in 12 months, something the main industry body, Engineers Australia, fears could have a “catastrophic” impact, including by delaying major infrastructure projects relied upon for the nation’s economic recovery.

The wait times for the 476 visa – designed for recent engineering graduates who want to live, work or study in Australia for up to 18 months – has blown out to a staggering 41 months since 2018.

For more information, please click here.

Aus: $110m student housing opens in Adelaide

The building, which can accommodate 725 students, is one of Adelaide’s tallest at 118 metres and features study spaces, outdoor terraces, a gym, cinema, communal kitchens and lounges.

Yugo, a global student housing operator that launched last year in a merger of three of GSA’s brands, is managing the accommodation.

The company says it has seen “positive interest” in Yugo Adelaide City, with 90% of students arriving from international locations.

For more information, please click here.

Swinburne climbs 25 places to Top 300 globally

Swinburne University of Technology has climbed 25 places to number 296 in the QS University World Rankings 2023, claiming a coveted Top 300 spot.

The latest rankings success follows a period of significant growth and achievement for Swinburne, with the university rising more than 200 places in the QS rankings since 2015.

The result confirms Swinburne’s place in the Top 1% of universities globally in both the QS rankings and the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Swinburne’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Karen Hapgood said, “Swinburne is a young university with a long history and we are proud to be building a prototype of a new and different university.

For more information, please click here.

Australia has second-worst skills crisis in developed world

Australia is experiencing the second most severe labour shortages in the developed world, according to the latest OECD economic outlook, reinforcing calls for immediate government action to fix the skills crisis.

A record almost 3 per cent of all jobs were vacant in the March quarter, with 420,000 out of about 15 million positions waiting to be filled, according to data released by Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.

For more information, please click here.

Make research integrity training mandatory, say 73% of Australian researchers

The results of the first national survey to investigate research integrity in Australia, a collaboration between the Australian Academy of Science and publisher Springer Nature, indicate broad support for mandatory research integrity training. The survey found that whilst 68% of respondents stated that their institution offered research integrity related training and 50% stated it was mandatory, 73% felt that such training should be mandatory for all those holding a research position.

Key findings from the survey include:

• When asked to describe Research Integrity, including practices related to it, 86% of the responses focused on positive research traits, the most popular being ethical, honest and transparent. Under 10% of responses made statements related to research misconduct.
• 68% of respondents indicated that their institution provided training on research integrity, with 88% of institutional management responding in the affirmative, as compared to 72% of senior researchers, 69% of mid-level researchers and 65% of early-career researchers.
• Current training has a greater focus on policy and guidance than practical skills, yet eight of the top ten subjects that respondents felt would be most beneficial related to practical data-related topics such as data storage and management.
• A quarter of those surveyed felt that there was a research integrity problem in their field, but this concern was disproportionately distributed, with many more researchers from the life sciences indicating concern than those from the physical sciences.

For more information, please click here.

The results of the first national survey to investigate research integrity in Australia, a collaboration between the Australian Academy of Science and publisher Springer Nature, indicate broad support for mandatory research integrity training. The survey found that whilst 68% of respondents stated that their institution offered research integrity related training and 50% stated it was mandatory, 73% felt that such training should be mandatory for all those holding a research position.

Key findings from the survey include:

• When asked to describe Research Integrity, including practices related to it, 86% of the responses focused on positive research traits, the most popular being ethical, honest and transparent. Under 10% of responses made statements related to research misconduct.
• 68% of respondents indicated that their institution provided training on research integrity, with 88% of institutional management responding in the affirmative, as compared to 72% of senior researchers, 69% of mid-level researchers and 65% of early-career researchers.
• Current training has a greater focus on policy and guidance than practical skills, yet eight of the top ten subjects that respondents felt would be most beneficial related to practical data-related topics such as data storage and management.
• A quarter of those surveyed felt that there was a research integrity problem in their field, but this concern was disproportionately distributed, with many more researchers from the life sciences indicating concern than those from the physical sciences.

For more information, please click here.

Australia is experiencing the second most severe labour shortages in the developed world, according to the latest OECD economic outlook, reinforcing calls for immediate government action to fix the skills crisis.

A record almost 3 per cent of all jobs were vacant in the March quarter, with 420,000 out of about 15 million positions waiting to be filled, according to data released by Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.

For more information, please click here.

Swinburne University of Technology has climbed 25 places to number 296 in the QS University World Rankings 2023, claiming a coveted Top 300 spot.

The latest rankings success follows a period of significant growth and achievement for Swinburne, with the university rising more than 200 places in the QS rankings since 2015.

The result confirms Swinburne’s place in the Top 1% of universities globally in both the QS rankings and the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Swinburne’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Karen Hapgood said, “Swinburne is a young university with a long history and we are proud to be building a prototype of a new and different university.

For more information, please click here.

The building, which can accommodate 725 students, is one of Adelaide’s tallest at 118 metres and features study spaces, outdoor terraces, a gym, cinema, communal kitchens and lounges.

Yugo, a global student housing operator that launched last year in a merger of three of GSA’s brands, is managing the accommodation.

The company says it has seen “positive interest” in Yugo Adelaide City, with 90% of students arriving from international locations.

For more information, please click here.