It’s been three years since the Morrison Government introduced the Job-ready Graduates policy to universities, but has it worked? Indiana Hardwick reports.

Introduced in 2021, the much-trumpeted job ready graduates policy led to significant fee hikes for students studying humanities.

The policy was designed to drive interest in programs that match labour demand by increasing the cost of degrees in the area of Arts, Communication and Society and Culture.

It effectively doubled the price of these degrees while halving the cost of others.

Despite price hikes, the popularity of humanities has only increased with rises in enrolment across Australian universities including high ranking Monash University.

Released in February this year, the Australian Universities Accord review of the tertiary education system found that only 1.5% of students changed their enrolment to courses they wouldn’t have studied before Job Ready Graduates.

It called for the program to be replaced and instead suggested a focus on raising the accessibility of higher education to meet future demand.

Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare says the accord will drive this change.

“It will help us build a better and fairer education system where no one is held back, and no one is left behind.”

An ineffective deterrent?

Did the Job-Ready Graduates program influence students at the University of Newcastle?

The students we spoke to said they had not heard of the program, nor did they change their enrolment because of it.

Bachelor of Media and Communication student Nathan Winslow says he actually did the opposite.

“I did change from an education degree to this,” he said.

“I got through two years of my Education degree and realised that if I’m going to be underpaid and overworked by the Department of Education I might as well do something that I’m going to be underpaid and overworked that I enjoy like film.”

“About three years ago is roughly when I changed,” he said.

However, despite its failure as an incentive, students Alex Hatty and John Thomas say there could be other ways to encourage students into high-demand industries.

“Having paid placements. I know my sister is doing Allied Health, she is doing 45 weeks of placement and that is all for free,” said Alex.

“I think there does need to be something different done because I think people need to be exposed to what those degrees are like in a way that doesn’t involve commitment,” said Thomas.

“If you’re not sure, you’re not going to commit to a degree just because its less money.”

“It speaks to the fact that you have got the surrounding supports to see what these programs are about.”

With the Government’s proposal to change the indexation of HECS introduced to parliament, Education Minster Clare has shared a willingness push for a reduction in degree costs as “something we would ask them to look at”.