The rapid growth in demand for university-trained personnel over recent years has mainly been filled by growth in the skilled migration program. The authors argue that more domestic students should be trained. The Coalition Government does not agree. It claims that 'unmet demand' from prospective university students has been met and that additional subsidised places are to be created. This article scrutinises these claims and concludes that they are not correct. The authors point to a shortfall in domestic higher education training. Over the period 1995-96 to 2005-06 there has been little or no growth in domestic undergraduate commencements (growth has been primarily among full fee paying overseas students), but massive growth in persons employed in the managerial, professional and associate professional occupations. For the future it is essential that there be parallel growth in domestic training in higher education. This implies a need for additional subsidised places many times larger than have been offered in the Coalition Government's recent announcements and budget decisions. It will also require an attack on the disincentives students contemplating attending university now face.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/daniel_edwards/15/