Revealed: Shock plunge in numbers going to uni
Schools and hospitals are facing a staffing crisis, with a hefty decline in the number of school leavers applying to start university courses in the sectors, a university boss warns.
Griffith University ViceChancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said student numbers had plummeted across the university sector with health and education worst affected.
“Unfortunately we are seeing a real decline in higher education in this country, in the state and even more pointedly in the city,” Professor Evans told the audience at a Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce event on Wednesday.
“We have had three years of decline of Australian students starting to come into universities.
“And off that low base this year, across Queensland, a five per cent decline of QCAT applications.
“In Brisbane that’s just three per cent, not great, but manageable.
“Here on the Gold Coast it’s eight per cent.
“And the biggest falls are in nursing, health services and teaching. Absolutely critical areas.”
Professor Evans said Queensland could not rely on bringing in people from overseas to fill the gap, instead needing to produce more homegrown graduates.
“The universities and the TAFEs here have been doing a great job of doing that, historically,” she said.
“But we are seeing a really substantial decline and we really have to reverse that.”
Prof Evans said much of the decline could be attributed to the low unemployment rate on the Gold Coast, which allowed students to go straight into employment after school.
However she cautioned young people what might look like a good wage at 18 may not seem so attractive at 30.
Professor Evans also revealed universities had also seen a levelling off in the number of international students signing up after a
“big spike” last year.
“The contribution we make to the community is through education and at the moment that is looking pretty grim this year,” she said. GC AT LARGE P38