Building a Unified Tertiary Education System: Trends and Propositions to Provoke Discussion

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This article discusses some of the macro-trends impacting and changing the post-secondary or tertiary education landscape across Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. It argues that ongoing geopolitical and geo-economic shifts, demographic transitions, and an ageing population, technological and digital revolutions leading to increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and virtual reality (VR), alongside policies and strategies for sustainable green and blue economies, are radically reshaping our societies. Such is the scale of change occurring and anticipated that radical changes are required in the way tertiary education is currently designed, delivered, assessed, organized, governed, and funded. Yet, our systems and institutions operate largely as if they were still catering to a small elite while reinforcing social stratification. Programs supporting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), however, serve both as an entry point to post-secondary education and direct access into the category of “mid-level” or “middle-skill” occupations. In this context, the article discusses the concept of a tertiary ecosystem, and then introduces some initiatives being introduced in different countries. It concludes with proposing some principles that could underpin a more integrated, future-focused, relevant, and civic engaged learner-centered tertiary system—focusing especially on the opportunities and benefits of TVET/community colleges (CC). Lessons learned from OECD countries can help inform post-secondary education in the United States and elsewhere.

See for full article (open access) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cc.70011