On 19 June 2020, Education Minister Dan Tehan MP unveiled a major package of reforms for Australia’s higher education sector.

The package includes significant changes to the way courses are funded and has a major focus on increasing university access and attainment for people living in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. The Government says the reforms will create “job-ready graduates in the disciplines and regions where they are needed most”.

This page will collate IRU media releases, submissions and other updates related to the Job-Ready Graduates package.

IRU media releases (Job-Ready Graduates Package)

• Expansion for university places major step ahead – but watch out for the unintended consequences, 21 Jun 2020
• IRU calls on Parliament to amend and pass Job-Ready Graduate legislation, 1 Sep 2020
• Higher education red tape has doubled since 2004, 5 Sep 2020
• Making the most of Job-ready graduates, 9 Oct 2020

IRU in the news (Job-Ready Graduates Package)

• Innovative Research Universities call for funding reform, The Australian, 28 September 2022
• Research hit from Australian funding changes, Times Higher Education, 22 Jun 2020
• Cost of IT degrees to drop 20 per cent, ACS Information Age, 23 Jun 2020
• Nation’s largest universities say Dan Tehan’s reforms could cut their funding by stealth, The Australian, 18 August 2020
• Australian universities call on government to reduce proposed fee increases and increase number of places, Guardian Australia, 18 August 2020
• Unis demand government retreat on fee hikes and student failure crackdown, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 August 2020
• Senate crossbenchers join push to send Coalition’s uni funding bill to inquiry, Guardian Australia, 1 September 2020
• Australian legislation: prospects of inquiry rise despite knockback, Times Higher Education, 1 September 2020
• University funding overhaul forced to Senate inquiry, Sydney Morning Herald, 3 September 2020
• Graduates bill threatens research funding and divides universities, Australian Financial Review, 21 September 2020