In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Federal Government has announced a relief package, which means they are funding six-month higher education certificates in ‘priority areas’ – one of which is engineering.
We have been busy designing industry-oriented online undergraduate certificates and graduate certificates to help those already working in the engineering field, or those who want to enter the engineering field, retrain or upskill.
For a small contribution, you will be able to earn a short qualification from EIT in the areas of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial automation engineering, and civil and structural engineering.
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said this package was designed to give those affected by the coronavirus an opportunity to upskill or look at different career options for the future.
“We’re slashing the prices of degrees and diplomas in short courses to enable people, rather than binging on Netflix, to be able to binge on studying –areas where we need people, and we’re going to need people, as we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
This means that Australians can use their time in lockdown to gain new skills and knowledge in in-demand areas, so they are ready to rejoin the workforce post-coronavirus. However, you don’t need to be affected by the pandemic to take advantage of this opportunity to gain a new qualification.
Mr. Tehan said the government has encouraged education providers to develop courses in areas that will give students the required skills after the coronavirus pandemic.
“There’ll be an offering of short diploma-style certificates, and, also, an expansion of graduate certificates. So, these are six-month courses. You could either use them to reskill, or you can use them to change careers, or just to start learning.
“So, if your life’s been turned upside down because of the coronavirus, and, you think, ‘Okay, I might want to change careers,’ then this is a real opportunity, for the next six months, to take on board one of these short courses.”
These online short qualifications are known as micro-credentials and have become increasingly popular in recent years. Researchers from Edith Cowan University and Flinders University suggest this is because these short courses are able to align themselves with industry needs through collaboration and deliver targeted skills that are required in the workplace.
At EIT, we will be offering a choice of eight online qualifications supported by the Australian Government via a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). This means the government will pay for part of the course, while students will only have to contribute $500. Eligible students can defer their student contribution payment through FEE-HELP.
These qualifications will be delivered via our unique online delivery methodology, which allows students to connect with each other and their lecturer in real-time during the live and interactive tutorials. State of the art technologies, such as remote laboratories and simulation software, enable students to gain practical knowledge that can be immediately applied in the workplace.
These new courses will only be available to Australian/domestic students and will begin in June 2020.
