We can deliver pizzas, but, can and should VET 'deliver' education?

Abstract

In the recent past, claims have been made that VET operators have failed to 'deliver' quality job-ready graduates with the skills required by industry (see Committee for Economic Development of Australia, 2016). This raises a number of questions: who is accountable for 'delivering' quality job-ready graduates for industry? As Australia's prominent public VET provider, should TAFE bear a major part of this responsibility? How do we 'deliver' quality graduates anyway? Likewise, educational provision in VET (and in other sectors) is often couched in terms of 'delivery'.