University of Canberra vice-chancellor Bill Shorten has raised the prospect of much closer ties between UC and the Canberra Institute of Technology, including greater integration of vocational and university education.

Shorten said UC wanted to explore how the two institutions could work more closely together, arguing previous discussions about closer alignment represented “unfinished business”. UC already has pathways with CIT and says greater collaboration could make it easier for students to move between vocational and higher education.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare backed examining the idea.

“We need to break down the artificial barrier between TAFE and uni,” he said. “Closer collaboration could make it easier for students to get the qualifications they need.”

Shorten said closer alignment could include simpler pathways and greater recognition of prior learning for students across Canberra and regional NSW, as well as opportunities to reduce duplication in systems and administration.

The proposal comes as UC pursues what it calls “tertiary harmonisation” as part of its Reconnected Plan, while CIT is undergoing an independent governance review following a series of controversies and the resignation this week of CEO Dr Margot McNeill.

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