Advertise on podcast: What now? What next? Insights into Australia's tertiary education sector

In this episode of the podcast Claire outlines the changes the government has made to international education since the release of the Migration Strategy in November 2023, as well as the newly announced changes and the recent statement from the Opposition leader. Links mentioned in the episode include: Visa prioritisation status: https://www.education.gov.au/managed-system-international-education/resources/visa-prioritisation-statusMinister Burke's Press Club speech: https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/TonyBurke/Pages/speech-national-press-club-17092026.aspxDepartment of Home Affairs summary of recent changes: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/changes-to-student-visa-application-rules-500-590Claire's analysis of the impact of restrictions on students bringing family with them to Australia: https://clairefield.com.au/international-education-changes/Coalition statement: https://www.liberal.org.au/2026/10/06/liberals-and-nationals-australia-first-migration-plan-cut-the-numbers-raise-the-standardsIntergenerational report 2026: https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/p2026-797917-fs.pdfMigration Strategy: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-strategyBaird Review: https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20100325061710/http:/aei.gov.au/AEI/GovernmentActivities/InternationalStudentsTaskforce/ReviewESOSAct.htmContact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire explores the sector's response to the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. Claire examines the key evidence given by representatives from across the sector who appeared before the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee on Monday 24 August 2026. The Senate Committee is due to hand down its final report on the legislation on 3 September 2026 - it will be available on the Senate website: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/OpeningDoors The Senate website is also where you can find the submissions made to the inquiry and the transcript of evidence given during the hearing.  If you prefer to watch, rather than read, the evidence given to the hearing you can watch it on the parliamentary You Tube streaming portal: https://www.youtube.com/live/AFe_dX9W8Bk?si=2jYu2JB3FufrSP7I The research by the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) showing the use of an ATAR "as a predictor of university success is questionable for low SES and [First in Family] background students facing disadvantage, and is not as crucial as other factors” is available at: https://www.acses.edu.au/atar-scores-a-weak-predictor-of-individual-student-performance/ Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode Claire is joined by the CEO of Powering Skills Organisation, Anthea Middleton, to discuss skills for the energy sector and the changes happening within it. As Claire notes in her introduction to this episode - energy is the second major transition (alongside AI/technology) the Australian economy is going through and she welcomes more voices on the podcast to discuss the skills transition that's happening in energy (get in touch if you have initiatives to share). During the interview Anthea also mentions a new report from PSO: the Electrician Workforce Capacity Study - you can find it on their website: https://poweringskills.com.au/publications/electrician-workforce-study/ Claire also mentions in her introductory comments the analysis she's been doing of enrolment trends in the VET sector (government-funded students and their courses and the fee-for-service activity). If you missed her recent webinar and your organisation is a subscriber to Claire's updates on the sector you can access the recording for free, if you're not (yet) a subscriber then there's a small fee to access the webinar recording. Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire spoke with Natalie Turmine, CEO of Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA) and Emma King OAM, CEO of HumanAbility, who head up the Jobs and Skills Councils responsible for: Arts, Personal Services, Retail, Tourism and Hospitality (SaCSA), andAged and Disability, Children’s Education and Care, Health, Human Services, Sport and Recreation (HumanAbility)In their discussion Emma and Natalie referred to the following: The Australian government's announcement about expanding the Commonwealth Prac Payment: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/government-expands-paid-prac-strengthen-medicareThe amazing wonder of Uluṟu: https://northernterritory.com/gb/en/uluru-and-surrounds/destinations/uluruQualifications reform (this isn't the visual Claire referred to during the interview but helps explain how the reforms will work): https://youtu.be/untAGEvOvXkHumanAbility's work on 'Earn While You Learn': https://humanability.com.au/research---workforce/research-projects/earn-while-you-learn-research-project.aspxSaCSA's new data dashboard: https://sacsa.org.au/data-dashboardSaCSA's Creative Workforce Scoping Study: https://sacsa.org.au/projects/creative-workforce-scoping-studyHolmesglen's Home and Community Care Centre of Excellence: https://www.holmesglen.edu.au/about-us/news/Holmesglen-leads-new-Centre-of-Excellence-for-home-careChisholm Institute's Digital, AI and Technology Centre of Excellence: https://www.chisholm.edu.au/news-and-events/news/news/new-digital-centre-of-excellenceIKEA's decision to retrain and redeploy 8,500 staff displaced by AI/automation: https://www.pymnts.com/news/artificial-intelligence/2026/ikea-turned-8500-call-agents-into-design-consultants/Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire is joined by Prof. Michelle Trudgett, DVC Indigenous Leadership, Western Sydney University. Here are the links mentioned in the interview: Know your worth: valuing Indigenous leadership positions in Australian higher education https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2026.2670000Indigenous Centre of Excellence at Western Sydney University: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/western-growth/icoeMother and three children embark on shared journey to becoming Indigenous doctorsIRU (now 2050 Alliance) analysis of the impact of Job-ready Graduates funding: https://iru.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Impacts-of-the-Job-Ready-Graduates-policy-and-options-for-reform-IRU-analysis.pdfThe GO Foundation: https://www.gofoundation.org.auContact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire is joined by Alex White, the CEO of the Victorian TAFE Association, to discuss a new research report and Alex's broader insights into VET and the public TAFE sector. The VTA's new TAFE Employment Outcomes report is available on their website: https://vta.vic.edu.au/employment-outcomes-report/ Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire is joined by the founder and CEO of Voyage, Matthew Donlon, to discuss student perceptions of and questions about studying in Australia, how they are reacting to conflict and global uncertainty and what they want from institutions as AI reshapes the graduate jobs market. The Voyage website is: https://myvoyage.io/app/thesocialsource And details of the the recent change made by the UK government to international education are at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universities-face-ban-on-international-students-over-visa-abuse Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire is joined by Prof. Phillip Dawson from CRADLE at Deakin University. During the episode you'll hear them mention the following resources: The Castlereagh Statement: https://castlereagh.ai/Research on academic cheating by Prof. Guy Curtis and colleagues: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40979-026-00215-z (open access)Prof. Dawson's LinkedIn post with the AI glasses: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/philldawson_you-designed-an-interactive-oral-assessment-share-7454689736088109056-zZMo/?His research with Dr Thomas Corbin & Sue Sharpe on AI wearables and teaching/assessment: https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2026.2661367 (open access)TEQSA's GenAI knowledge hub: https://www.teqsa.gov.au/guides-resources/higher-education-good-practice-hub/gen-ai-knowledge-hubProf. Margaret Bearman's research: https://experts.deakin.edu.au/40465-margaret-bearman/publicationsThe 'drive an F1 race car with your mind' video https://youtu.be/UC_fQa2cmd0?si=on7i9u1dbUw729oDThe 'control a drone with your mind' video: https://youtu.be/LSUr-C6JLYA?si=1SLeQpe_SF595OW- Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire is joined by Rishen Shekhar to discuss his experiences in the Australian international education sector and where it needs to head to next. Here are links to some of the articles and reports Rishen discusses: Jon Chew 'Implications of rising inexplicable student visa rejections' https://thekoalanews.com/implications-of-rising-inexplicable-student-visa-rejections/IEAA Agent Quality Research Project: https://ieaa.org.au/IEAA/research/Publication/2026/IEAA-Agent-Quality-Research-Project.aspxEric Knight 'Education agent commission ban won't cut course hopping. Here's what will: https://www.themandarin.com.au/308521-education-agent-commission-ban-wont-curb-course-hopping-heres-what-will/Minister directs French universities to raise fees for international students: https://monitor.icef.com/2026/04/france-directs-universities-to-charge-higher-tuition-fees-to-non-eu-students-starting-september-2026/Keri Ramirez 'Visa Cost Increase: The Quiet Rise of a $735 Million Revenue Stream' https://thekoalanews.com/visa-cost-increase-the-quiet-rise-of-a-735-million-revenue-stream/Universities Australia factsheet: https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/publication/international-education-a-sector-worth-backing/Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire is joined by Prof. Kevin Ashford-Rowe, Pro Vice Chancellor Learning and Teaching at QUT and Dr Erin Jancauskas, Chief Academic and Partnerships Officer at Online Education Services (OES) to discuss how we can assure learning and encourage aspiration as AI transforms teaching and learning.  In the episode they discuss the following reports and articles: OES - Assurance of Learning Positioning PaperNeeded Now in Learning and Teaching - 'When teachers become builders: Vibe coding and the future of educational technology' - James Bedford, UNSW CollegeThe Castlereagh Statement - A cross sector call to action on Australian education and training in the age of AIContact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire is joined by three senior leaders at the Analytics Institute of Australia (Pankaj Goel, Sarthak Goel and Rolf Baum) to learn about what it's like leading an international private higher education provider as the sector goes through a number of policy changes, as well as educating and preparing students for work in an AI-era. During the interview - Sarthak references TEQSA's new Revised Academic Integrity Toolkit: https://www.teqsa.gov.au/about-us/news-and-events/latest-news/revised-academic-integrity-toolkit-now-available Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire is joined by the CEO of Canberra Institute of Technology, Dr Margot McNeill, to discuss some of the key reforms in VET including: TAFE Centres of ExcellenceNational Qualifications Reformthe National TAFE Network women in leadership, andwhy we need to shift from RPL to "recognition of prior experience".Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode Claire is joined by Prof. Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice Chancellor Global, Culture and Engagement at the University of Melbourne to hear his views on what's happening in Australian higher education from both a domestic and international perspective. In her introduction to the episode Claire briefly reflects on the recent Senate Committee hearing into the legislation to introduce the new Australian Tertiary Education Commission. If you're interested you can view a full replay of the hearing on the Senate's You Tube channel. And if you're interested in the University of Melbourne's submission on the ATEC legislation, or any of the other submissions, you can find them on the Senate website. Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire unpacks all of the submissions to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee's inquiry into the "Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025 and a related bill". If you want to read any of the submissions you'll find them on the Senate website: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/ATEC2025/Submissions   Also in this podcast episode Claire shares a few details (much more to come) on two big new initiatives she'll be launching this year - one focussed on VET data and the other on AI. Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au

In this episode of the podcast Claire shares insights from three recent events she's attended: GITEX Global where she learned about: the Canadian government's approach to "sovereignty not solitude" in an era of AI, and Canada's LLM (Cohere), the new Open University of Kenya, Estonia's successful digital economy, the UAE's LLM (Falcon), the Abu Dhabi government's TAMM app, G42's Global AI Institute with Microsoft, Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute, and the UAE's Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI (and here's the IMF's ratings of countries by GDP per capita)National Summit on AI and the Future of Australian Education - if you're not familiar with the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools it's making a big difference in the schools sectorDigital Education Council's Global Summit - the chart that DEC CEO Alessandro Di Lullo shared "the scariest chart in the world" from Derek Thompson writer at The Atlantic (using data from the US Federal Reserve), DEC's Ten Dimension AI Readiness Framework. Danny Bielik spoke with Claire in Episode 117 of the podcast and Prof. Himanshu Rai joined Claire in Episode 122 And details of The Economist's upcoming AI Innovation Asia summit. Contact Claire: Connect with me on LinkedIn: Claire FieldFollow me on Bluesky: @clairefield.bsky.social Check out the news pages on my website: clairefield.com.auEmail me at: [email protected]  The ‘What now? What next?’ podcast recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s traditional custodians. In the spirit of reconciliation we are proud to recommend John Briggs Consulting as a leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous engagement. To find out more go to www.johnbriggs.net.au