technical and vocational education should be strengthened for the benefit of the regional industry and underrepresented groups models for linking postgraduate students with the local industry include the knowledge transfer partnership scheme in the united kingdom that has improved the competitiveness of the companies through introduction of some form of innovation or new technology and around of postgraduate associates are offered jobs in the companies the universities and colleges should focus their concerted efforts on challengedriven innovation on the key issues in the region such as water health and social challenges stemming from the multicultural population and use the region as a laboratory for research and knowledge transfer