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Education Minister Jason Clare,former University of Adelaide vice-chancellor Mary O’Kane and Macquarie Group chief executive Shemara Wikramanayake.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen,Louie Douvis

Labor’s landmark universities accord will be led by engineer and former University of Adelaide vice-chancellor Mary O’Kane,who will head a panel including Western Sydney University vice-chancellor Barney Glover,Macquarie Group chief executive Shemara Wikramanayake,former deputy Labor leader Jenny Macklin,Indigenous academic Professor Larissa Behrendt and former Nationals minister Fiona Nash.

The panel will report to the Minister for Education,providing an interim report on priority actions by June 2023,with a final report to be delivered by December 2023.

The accord will address major systemic challenges facing the sector,including to funding,research investment and student debt,in the biggest tertiary sector shake-up since the Bradley Review in 2008.

In a speech at the University of Sydney on Wednesday night,Education Minister Jason Clare will say he wanted the accord “to answer the tough questions”.

“I want new ideas. I want to build a broad consensus. I want this to be a something that inspires us and outlasts us. Lasting reform,” Clare will say while delivering the Bradley Oration.

Clare will lay out seven areas for review,including recommendations for new targets and reforms,recognising that more than nine in 10 new jobs will require post-school qualifications,and 50 per cent of new jobs are expected to require a bachelor’s degree or higher,according to the National Skills Commission.

The review will explore opportunities for better alignment between vocational education and training and universities.

Professor Glover said the review would centre on equity and boosting access to higher education,particularly for students from low socio-economic backgrounds.

“The minister is looking to the panel to complete the work of the Bradley review. The panel will look not just at how to attract students into higher education,but how to ensure that they’re successful,” he said.

“We need to make it easier for students to get the skills they need,either in universities or TAFE or other vocational training. I think the government is pretty clear that they’re going to be significantly supporting vocational education and training and the panel will look at the relationship between the two.”

The Bradley review was initiated by then education minister Julia Gillard in 2008,and also sought to boost university enrolments rates among disadvantaged groups.

The former Morrison government’s university reforms focused on overhauling fees,to encourage students into field of study deemed of national priority. Fees for some courses such as arts and law have been increased,while student contributions in areas of skills shortages such as education and nursing have been reduced.

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