Whether our tertiary education system can sustain, let alone improve participation levels, should be an important consideration for public policy. This presentation supporting paper showcases different scenarios of future participation in vocational and higher education in Australia. The forecasts show that governments must take a longer term view about investment in tertiary education, including balancing...

There is a mismatch between investment and opportunity in early childhood policy in Australia. The early years are a critical window for building foundations that enable all children to become creative, entrepreneurial, resilient and capable learners. Yet current policy settings are not meeting the needs of the children who stand to benefit most.

The AHPC policy paper, Investing in women’s mental health, strengthening the foundations for women, families and the Australian economy, discusses the extensive evidence that women’s mental health needs are significantly different from those of men. Certain mental illnesses are more prevalent in women, they use mental health services more frequently than men, and they want...

Overview The vocational education and training (VET) system in Australia plays a central role in the development of skills for the Australian workforce and through that role makes a critical contribution to workforce participation, productivity levels, individual’s life chances and economic and social development. The level of public and private investment in VET is therefore...

Foreword Australia has a proud record of good policymaking to improve population health. Similarly ground-breaking policy approaches are required now to cope with the profound shift in the nature of illness in recent decades. Infections and injuries have become less common; chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and mental health disorders have become...