The second recent research report from the NCVER on foundation skills in VET, First Nations and migrant learners’ experiences with foundation skills courses, offers valuable insights into why First Nations and migrant learners enrol in foundation skills courses and why some disengage before completion.
Understanding learners’ motivations is clearly important and the research finds differences between these two groups of learners.
First Nations learners tend to enrol in VET to:
- learn new skills
- achieve their study and career goals
- to complete a certificate
- gaining access to food, and
- as a reason to “get out of the house”.
And the researchers also note that “First Nations learners viewed foundation skills training as beneficial to their communities and believed it could be a stepping stone to more First Nations-run businesses.”
Whereas migrant learners are interested in:
- finding employment
- gaining advocacy and agency
- understanding Australian culture, slang and accents
- building social interactions, and
- helping achieve other goals including passing citizenship tests or as part of their visa or residency requirements.
VET trainers can therefore better engage their students by connecting course content to learners’ personal goals and making the benefits of completing a course more explicit.
A recurring theme in the research is that non-completion for these two groups of students is not necessarily linked to dissatisfaction with their training. Most learners – whether they complete their qualification or not – report positive experiences with their teachers and course content.
Instead, barriers such as health issues, long travel times, social and work influences, and caring responsibilities often disrupt attendance. VET teachers should be aware that learners may be highly motivated but unable to continue due to these external pressures, and to the extent possible VET providers need to offer additional flexibility and support to these learners.
Learners in both cohorts emphasised the value of empathetic and responsive trainers. Migrant learners appreciated it when teachers adapted content to their interests and First Nations learners valued culturally respectful delivery. Teachers should also consider trauma-informed practices and incorporate well-being support, particularly when working with migrants affected by past conflict, and/or First Nations learners having to undertake Sorry Business or manage other cultural obligations.
The report also suggests practical steps teachers can take to improve engagement. These include increasing conversation practice, adapting materials to different learning levels, and including community-relevant content.
For First Nations learners, integrating learning on Country and involving First Nations trainers or translators can enhance cultural safety. For migrant learners, grouping students by prior educational level at enrolment can improve classroom cohesion as well as minimising “repetitive content” for advanced learners. Other recommendations included covering more topics on Australian life, traditions and history and students also suggested using teachers from different cultural backgrounds to help learners adapt to English spoken with different accents and to foster greater understanding of diverse groups and others with migrant backgrounds.
Finally, VET teachers are encouraged to collaborate with coordinators and support staff to improve learner attendance and outcomes. Suggestions include using yarning circles to build rapport, working with program staff on cultural induction, and ensuring learners have access to appropriate support services.
While not all barriers are within a teacher’s control; being aware of them – and actively working to mitigate their effects through flexible, responsive teaching – can make a critical difference to student success.
