The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) has made a submission to the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) Higher Degree Redesign Project consultation, supporting the overall direction of reform while highlighting key enhancements that will be critical to successful implementation.
APAC supports the proposed move toward a single approved pathway to general registration and recognises the potential benefits of a more coherent and integrated education and training model. These include improved clarity and continuity for students, stronger quality assurance across the full education and training continuum, and better sector-wide data collection to support workforce planning and evidence-informed decision-making.
Commenting on the submission, APAC Chief Executive Officer, Mr David Ensor, said reform must also maintain a clear focus on educational quality, public safety and accessibility.
“In any health education system, there is always a dynamic tension between ensuring public safety and responding to workforce needs. The proposed reform addresses this. We support the direction of reform and the opportunity to create a more coherent pathway to registration. The success of any redesign, however, will depend on whether it can strengthen quality and public confidence while remaining accessible, sustainable and responsive to community and workforce need.”
The submission also highlights the importance of sustainable, accessible and high-quality placement learning, including the need to address placement poverty, supervision capacity, governance and site quality. It further stresses the importance of preserving accessibility for graduate-entry and mature-age students and ensuring that the redesigned pathway supports a psychology workforce that reflects the diversity of the Australian community. This includes carefully considering the design and scope of any Psychology Assistant role in light of public protection and workforce objectives.
Overall, APAC’s submission reflects support for reforms that strengthen psychology education and training while maintaining the standards and safeguards needed to sustain public confidence in the profession. APAC will continue to engage with the PsyBA, Ahpra and sector stakeholders as this work progresses.
View APAC’s full submission to the PsyBA Higher Degree Redesign Project.