Staffing data 2020 & expectations for the future

Adam Frogley, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Director

University staffing data for 2020 was released in December. In keeping with previous years, there has been a strong increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) academic and professional staff nationally, and across institutions in most States and Territories. While this is positive, expectations for employment growth from 2021 and beyond are very different.

Annual university staffing data is reported in numbers (headcount) and full-time equivalent (FTE) and provides a snapshot of full-time and part-time staffing in March each calendar year. A&TSI staffing is reported separately to data for all staff, and like the all-staff data, is separated into both number and FTE.

A&TSI staffing in both academic and general/professional roles have risen for sixteen out of the past twenty years. In those years where A&TSI employment decreased, this decrease was directly influenced by government policy of the day.

In 2006, the Howard Government's Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements (HEWRRs) and changes to AbStudy directly influenced A&TSI staff employment and student enrolments.

The current state of the Australian higher education sector is influenced by COVID-19, coupled with a Federal Government who have ensured assistance provided to other industries during

the initial stages of the pandemic, was not available to Australian universities. This has resulted in the loss of dedicated academic and general/professional staff, many of whom were already in insecure employment.

COVID-19, job losses & the Job Ready Graduates package

COVID-19 has been devastating for the Australian higher education sector. The loss of staff, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, is simply inexcusable and could have been averted through specific, targeted support to the sector. Rather than assisting and supporting, the Federal Government chose this time to implement the Jobs Ready Graduate package.

The Jobs Ready Graduate package targets courses in the areas of arts, performing arts, humanities, and commerce, deeming those fields to be of less importance to Australian industry, and therefore subject to increased course costs. While initial student enrolment data has seen numbers maintained or increased in those targeted subject areas, it is simply too early to determine the total impact of the Jobs Ready Graduate package upon student enrolments.

By way of example, full-year 2018 university student data showed fifty-one percent of A&TSI commencing and total students were studying in the areas of arts, performing arts, humanities, and commerce. Enrolment growth in these areas has been consistent over a 14-year period.

It must be recognised that the Jobs Ready Graduate package provides a total of 1,400 Commonwealth Supported Places for A&TSI students in rural and regional areas. Although, the increase in Commonwealth Support Places will be of little impact if enrolments into those targeted course areas are significantly reduced because of higher course fees.

How this will impact A&TSI employment is yet to be seen, yet what is certain, is if enrolments into those study areas begin to reduce, universities will seek to cut staffing in these areas.

With a potential loss of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in the years to come, it is feared A&TSI staff will carry this loss directly, with consequential impacts for their families and communities. ◆