Southern Cross University streamlines credit recognition across 300+ vocational pathways

• More than 300 vocational-to-university pathways streamlined to give students clearer credit into Southern Cross University degrees.
• Responds to the 2025 Jobs and Skills Report recommendations by smoothing movement between VET and higher education.
• Coincides with Jobs and Skills Australia's first regional Roadshow stop in Coffs Harbour, highlighting the region's workforce needs and future skills demand.

GOLD COAST, Australia, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Cross University is strengthening and streamlining its recognition of TAFE and vocational qualifications, improving clarity around existing pathways and enabling students to receive greater credit towards a wide range of undergraduate degrees.

The refined pathways framework draws together more than 300 formal credit arrangements already in place with TAFE and other Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). Most arrangements will grant four units of credit or more – delivered as block or elective credit – helping students reduce duplication of learning and transition more efficiently into high-demand careers.

These agreements span all major Southern Cross University faculties, including Health, Science and Engineering, Education, Business and Law, and The Hotel School, and cover qualifications ranging from Certificate IV through to Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels.

This announcement coincides with Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) bringing its national Jobs and Skills Roadshow to a regional setting for the first time tomorrow (25 November 2025). The event at Southern Cross University's Coffs Harbour will examine local workforce needs, labour market trends, and the policy settings shaping future skills development.

JSA's Jobs and Skills Report 2025^[1] confirms that more than nine in 10 future jobs will require tertiary qualifications, highlighting ongoing gaps between the VET and higher education systems.

Clearer credit arrangements and smoother movement between VET and higher education are central recommendations of the report. The Southern Cross University pathways agreements put this into practice by providing students with a more direct pathway from vocational study to a degree-level accommodation.

Professor Tyrone Carlin, Vice-Chancellor of Southern Cross University, said improving credit pathways was central to supporting the region's future workforce.

"Our mission is, and has always been, to serve our regions," he said.

"By improving the way vocational learning connects into university study, we're giving students a clearer path to the careers that sustain our communities and shape their futures. This is practical, meaningful reform that will have a lasting impact."

Quotes attributable to Jobs and Skills Australia Commissioner Barney Glover AO:

"This year we're coming to Coffs Harbour, a major regional centre, to connect with the incredibly strong professional and vocational expertise here.

"We know that the needs of our future workforce are changing and it's fantastic to see Southern Cross University empowering their students by streamlining pathways between TAFE and university.

"These efforts will create closer connections between education sectors to better match skill supply with skill demand for both existing and emerging careers."

More information about the TAFE and VET pathways to Southern Cross University can be found at TAFE to Uni Pathways with Credit at Southern Cross Uni - Southern Cross University^[2]

References

1. ^{^} Jobs and Skills Report 2025 (www.jobsandskills.gov.au)
2. ^{^} TAFE to Uni Pathways with Credit at Southern Cross Uni - Southern Cross University (www.scu.edu.au)