Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

This is a very important aspect of the reforms that Senator Back has asked about, because the government has accepted the recommendation to expand the demand-driven system to higher education diplomas, to advanced diplomas and to associate degrees. These qualifications, in many cases, are stand-alone qualifications, but they also equip students for the jobs of the new economy. Some of them also help students to study in areas which are very important to promote—the uncapped support for diplomas of modern languages, for example, which help to promote language study, which we all know is so important to Australia's future. Perhaps most importantly, higher education diplomas and other sub-bachelor qualifications provide thousands of students with a pathway into university they currently do not have. That enables them to enter a degree course and prepares them to do their university degree studies as well as they possibly can. Those pathways into university can truly transform the lives of those Australians. (Time expired)