In June 2026, DASSH made a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training inquiry into Australian university graduates, following the referral of the inquiry by the Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP in March 2026.

Our submission highlights that graduate employment outcomes should not be reduced to questions about the value or quality of university education alone. Graduate outcomes are shaped by broader labour market conditions, changing employer expectations, technological change, equity barriers and national skills policy settings.

Drawing on evidence from the Australian Universities Accord, QILT surveys and the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, DASSH highlights the growing importance of transferable capabilities such as analytical thinking, communication, creativity, adaptability and lifelong learning. The submission notes that Australia needs more graduates to meet future workforce demands and that policy settings should support participation, attainment and graduate success.

DASSH’s submission makes three key recommendations:

• Sustainably reform current student contribution funding settings under the Job-Ready Graduates Package (JRG). The continuation of JRG is leaving cohorts of graduates with high levels of student debt influencing career pathways, access to further study and financial independence.

• Increase investment in graduate transition and employability initiatives including partnerships between universities, industry and community organisations that support work-integrated learning, regional employment pathways and lifelong learning opportunities.

• Strengthen support for broad-based university disciplines including Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (HASS) and Creative Arts. Recognising their critical role in developing transferable capabilities, foundational and adaptive skills, and long-term national workforce resilience.

The submission also cautions that ongoing pressure on higher education, including disciplinary and program closures, risks undermining Australia’s future skills pipeline and graduate outcomes at a time when the Universities Accord has identified the need for significant growth in tertiary participation and attainment.