Year 12 students are revising hard ahead of the upcoming Higher School Certificate examinations starting on   October 12. The golden formula of the HSC and a university degree is considered as the first tier route to career success. So the pressure is on for the Year 12s. However, this pressure is misplaced. Many career paths do not require a university qualification. Times are changing. 
Employers are seeking a greater diversity of skills. And the new federal Education and Training Minister, Simon Birmingham, has stated his intentions for shaking up his vast education portfolio.
Minister Birmingham's comments from earlier this week, that there are many excellent career paths that didn't involve going to university, are extremely refreshing. Particularly, given the longstanding emphasis on university degrees being a measure of future career success.
His appointment promises to have a positive impact on Australia's education sector, particularly on the status of vocational training.
Vocational education lays a pathway towards many roles historically seen as the domain of a university graduate. It's high time that alternative options, such as private higher education or TAFE, are recognised for achieving successful career outcomes. Vocational training is progressive education for employment, rather than the outdated notion of it being a tier two offering.
Vocational training is not for those that can't make university. Instead, it is training that often offers a faster and more progressive career success, compared to many university degrees.
We need to encourage availability and information about all education and training options available to high school graduates.
We need to celebrate the professions, the vocational trades as well as the unusual ones. Be it accounting, web design or an alphabet of options in between, students need to understand that there are a vast array of qualifications out there to help them make their mark on the world.
Technical, practical and vocational education has an important role to play in the future job market, giving students the edge by providing them with the skills, experience and clear progression routes they need to excel.
Private tertiary education is relatively new to Australia and has not yet gained the status and reputation of public institutions such as university. This needs to change.
A private college course is a great alternative to university study. The private higher education sector specialises in offering education pathways to a variety of potential students. Whether from regional areas, needing to schedule their studies around work or family commitments, or looking for something different from the standard university experience; private higher education students often benefit from greater learning outcomes than those struggling to qualify from universities.
The future of work, the talent of Australia, and Australia's productivity in the coming years lie with Minister Birmingham's appointment. Australia needs his office to be transformational, both in the public and private education arenas.
Amjad Khanche, Founding Director and CEO of The Australian Institute for Professional Education (AIPE)