Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Communique for MCTEE meeting 20 November 2009

Ministers agreed on key reforms and structures to improve the quality and integrity of Australia’s tertiary education sector and agreed to steps to mitigate the current economic climate.

• MCTEE meeting Communiqué - 20 November 2009 ( PDF 24KB | RTF 97KB)
  

Inaugural meeting of MCTEE

Today’s inaugural meeting of the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) was held at a time of difficult economic conditions which demand the adoption of decisive improvements to the nation’s employment, training and productivity agenda.

• Inaugural meeting of MCTEE - 28 September 2009 - Communiqué ( PDF 31KB | RTF 70KB)

About MCTEE

As a result of a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) decision on 30 April 2009, Ministers agreed to a realignment of roles and responsibilities for the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) and the Ministerial Council for Vocational and Technical Education (MCVTE).

MCEETYA is being replaced by the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA), and the Ministerial Council of Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) replaces MCVTE

At a joint meeting of MCVTE and MCEETYA on 12 June 2009, Ministers agreed to MCTEE commencing from 1 July 2009. A realignment of responsibilities and functions for MCTEE now includes a broader, cross-sectoral role for the council.

Responsibilities and Functions

As agreed by COAG, MCTEE has responsibility for:

• Higher Education
• Vocational Education and Training
• International Education (non school)
• Adult and Community Education
• The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
• Employment
• Youth policy relating to participation in tertiary education, work and workforce productivity

MCTEE is the key decision-making body and has overall responsibility for the national tertiary education and employment system and has the following key functions:

• Setting the national priorities and strategic policy directions for the tertiary education sector to meet the skills needs of the Australian economy
• Establishing streamlined arrangements for national consistency and harmonisation of the VET and Higher Education sectors (while respecting the distinct mission of each sector)
• Allocations under the National Training System Funding Pool
• Maintaining strong industry leadership of and engagement in the tertiary sector
• Overseeing the work of the Australian Qualifications Framework Council in strengthening the Australian Qualifications Framework
• Engaging with all associated bodies, councils and ministerial companies to ensure the effectiveness of policy and strategies for the tertiary sector
• Responding to business, industry and stakeholder advice on issues impacting on the tertiary sector
• Setting national research priorities

In the spirit of closing the gap for Indigenous Australians, MCTEE with MCEECDYA will have as a key objective to improve education and employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

Ministers with employment responsibilities will be called together, as appropriate, as part of the new MCTEE to establish effective working relationships between employment and education and training services.

MCTEE Membership

Membership of MCTEE comprises Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers with responsibility for tertiary education and employment.  MCTEE is chaired by the Commonwealth Government Minister.

Current membership is as follows:

MCTEE meetings

MCTEE meets at least once a year and business is also conducted by correspondence and the out-of-session process.  Video and teleconferencing options are also available if necessary.  Council may also meet in conjunction or jointly with MCEECDYA on cross-sectoral issues

The locations of meetings are agreed on a rotational basis. 

MCTEE governance structure and arrangements

MCTEE is supported by a range of advisory groups and support structures.  These are currently being reviewed to ensure they align with the new national reform agenda and to eliminate duplication of effort, with a view to new arrangements being operational by November 2009.

The review will cover advisory groups, taskforces and time-limited and task defined action groups under MCTEE’s areas of responsibility.

The National Senior Officials Committee (NSOC), established under the former Ministerial Council will reflect the new portfolio responsibilities of MCTEE. The Committee meets at least four times a year and provides advice on national strategic policy directions, makes decisions under delegation from the Ministerial Council and administers and monitors the national tertiary education and employment system.

Current action groups reporting to NSOC:

• Adult Community Education (ACE) Action Group - Terms of Reference and Membership
  (  PDF 36KB |  RTF 144KB )

The former Ministerial Council also established several companies that provide advice and services of mutual benefit and interest to the Commonwealth, States and Territories:

• National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)
• Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Australia Ltd

MCTEE Secretariat

The MCTEE Secretariat is a small Independent Secretariat, jointly funded by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments to provide support to the work of MCTEE and NSOC.

The MCTEE Secretariat is hosted within the Queensland Department of Education and Training (DET) and is located in Brisbane.  QLD DET’s VET Policy Development unit provides payroll and administrative support to the MCTEE Secretariat on behalf of the Commonwealth, States and Territories.

All communications with MCTEE should be directed through the MCTEE Secretariat, via email or post, marked to the attention of the MCTEE Secretary.  Where communication is directed to the MCTEE Chair, a copy should be forwarded to the MCTEE Secretariat, for information and record purposes.
 

Contact details

• Secretary to MCTEE & NSOC: (Dr) Peter Whitney
• Phone: 07 3227 8656
  
• Fax: 07 3227 8651 
  
• Email: MCTEESecretariat@deta.qld.gov.au
  
• Postal Address:
• Post Office Box 15033,
  City East,
  Brisbane QLD 4002 
  
• Street Address:
• Level 2,
  Central Plaza 2,
  66 Eagle Street,
  Brisbane QLD 4000