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Selected Works of Melissa Marshall
Presentation
Enhancing Training Advantage for Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Learners
Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference (2016)
  • John Guenther
  • Melodie Bat
  • Anne Stephens
  • Sandra Wooltorton
  • Janet Skewes
  • Bob Boughton
  • Frances Williamson
  • Melissa Marshall
  • Anna Dwyer
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Abstract
Participation in vocational training is strong among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from remote communities. However, completion rates for courses are low—on average, about 80% of participants drop out. What would it take to turn a training system in remote Australia around so completion rates exceed attrition? What would it take to make remote training programs more effective or transformative for trainees and communities? These are questions posed by a research project funded by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, conducted by researchers from five jurisdictions. The researchers examined data from five different training programs considered successful in terms of retention and employability outcomes. One finding was that success is not dependent on employment outcomes. Another finding was that course completion is only one factor contributing benefit to learners. A third finding is that for some courses, employment leads to training, not the other way around. This paper then problematizes the notion of transformative adult education in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. To be transformative training systems do not need to be efficient (in terms of completion rates). However, to be transformative means ensuring that participants and communities benefit in ways that matter to them.
Keywords
  • Cultural education,
  • two-way learning,
  • vocational education
Disciplines
Publication Date
May 29, 2016
Citation Information
Guenther, J., Bat, M., Boughton, B., Dwyer, A., Wooltorton, S., Skewes, J., . . . Stephens, A. (2016). Enhancing training advantage for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Learners. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research in Education, Melbourne.
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC_BY International License.