Appointment of Unique Student Identifier Registrar and opening of new office

Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education, Senator Michaelia Cash has welcomed the appointment of Ms Janette Dines as the new Student Identifier Registrar.

 

Minister Cash said Ms Dines will take up the position from 15 April 2019, for an initial three-year term, overseeing the operation of the Unique Student Identifier (USI) nationally.

 

“Ms Dines has a long career in a variety of senior public sector roles and her depth of experience in managing diverse stakeholder relationships stands her in good stead to lead the work of the USI,” Minister Cash said.

 

“Ms Dines joins the USI office team at an important time. The new Adelaide office will open shortly, having relocated from Canberra as part of the Government’s decentralisation agenda.

 

“As announced in the Budget, the Government will expand the USI initiative from vocational education and training to all higher education, replacing the Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number currently provided to higher education students. This will reduce red tape for providers and give students access to a simpler, more streamlined tertiary identifier.

 

Minister Cash thanked the outgoing Registrar, Mr Jason Coutts, for his leadership of the USI since its January 2015.

 

“Under Mr Coutts’ stewardship, the USI has grown to almost 10 million users and around 1 million transcripts of nationally recognised training have been accessed,” Minister Cash said.

 

The establishment of the USI office in Adelaide will occur in two phases throughout 2019 – the call centre functions will relocate first by mid-April, with the remaining support functions relocated by the end of the year.