HistoryIn June 1993, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) amalgamated a number of ministerial councils in order to optimise coordination of policy making across interrelated portfolios. One of the combinations involved merging three previously existing councils – the Australian Education Council (AEC), the Council of Ministers of Vocational Education, Employment and Training (MOVEET) and the Youth Ministers Council (YMC) – to form the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA). MembershipMembership of the Council comprises State, Territory, Australian Government and New Zealand Ministers with responsibility for the portfolios of education, employment, training and youth affairs, with Papua New Guinea, Norfolk Island and East Timor having observer status. View list of members Functions and ResponsibilitiesThe areas of responsibility covered by the Council are pre-primary education, primary and secondary education, vocational education and training, higher education, employment and linkages between employment/labour market programs and education and training, adult and community education, youth policy programs and cross-sectoral matters. This work is taking place in close interaction with the Ministerial Council for Vocational and Technical Education (MCVTE), which has specific responsibility for many aspects of vocational education and training. Functions of the Council include coordination of strategic policy at the national level, negotiation and development of national agreements on shared objectives and interests (including principles for Australian Government/State relations) in the Council's areas of responsibility, negotiations on scope and format of national reporting on areas of responsibility, sharing of information and collaborative use of resources towards agreed objectives and priorities, and coordination of communication with, and collaboration between, related national structures. MCEETYA MeetingsCouncil meets at least once each year, and generally no more than twice each year. Video- and tele-conferencing are used at other times where necessary to consider particular matters.
Council occasionally issues information statements/press releases which are authorised by the Chair and which summarise major decisions taken at the most recent meeting. View list of available information statements. The Council, which meets at least once a year, is chaired in rotation for a calendar year by each of the member governments. MCEETYA Advisory and Support StructuresThe Council is supported by a group of senior officials who meet regularly as the Australian Education Systems Officials Committee (AESOC). AESOC is directly responsible to the Ministerial Council for the execution of Ministerial Council decisions. The Council is also supported by a number of taskforces and working groups convened as needed for particular tasks. These taskforces have prescribed timeframes and reporting arrangements and are reviewed annually by AESOC. Council has also established several companies as cooperative ventures that provide services of benefit to all education authorities. A number of advisory and reporting groups oversee the implementation of policies and initiatives of the Council. The Council is serviced by a small independent Secretariat which is located in Melbourne and is funded by all member governments. The MCEETYA Organisational Structure can be downloaded here. |
