This new publication from NCVER highlights the important policy issue of providing effective pathways to sustainable employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples. While sustainable employment can be defined in a number of ways it will be demonstrated by six months or more of continuous employment for the purposes of this research.
The transition from education to employment does not occur at the same rate for ATSI peoples as for non-Indigenous Australians, and – according to NCVER’s paper – “the difference in employment rates between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous Australians has remained substantial.”
Highlighting some of the findings
The research found that “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who commenced a VET program in 2016 had an increased likelihood of achieving sustainable employment compared with those who had not commenced a VET program in 2016. The outcomes were similar irrespective of whether students had completed (19% more likely) or not completed (21% more likely) a VET program. This suggests “that VET participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is important in its own right.”
In addition, “when compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who had commenced a VET program in 2016 had an increased likelihood of achieving sustainable employment (17% higher for completers, 15% higher for non-completers).”
Finally, “the following personal and training characteristics had the strongest effects on the likelihood of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples achieving sustainable employment:
- “Those residing in the least disadvantaged areas (high score on Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage) were up to 320% more likely to achieve sustainable employment than those residing in areas of high disadvantage”
- “Those who were an apprentice or trainee were 150% more likely to achieve sustainable employment compared with non-apprentices or trainees, noting that employment is an inherent element of an apprenticeship or traineeship”
- “Students who were enrolled at a TAFE institute or university were up to 30% more likely to achieve sustainable employment than those enrolled at a private training provider or community education provider”
- “Those who were enrolled in a Certificate IV were 100% more likely to achieve sustainable employment compared with those enrolled in a Certificate II or Certificate III,” and finally,
- “Students aged 15—19 years old were more likely to achieve sustainable employment than those in older age groups.”
Other findings of interest
- Funding source is an influence. The research found that “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who commenced a fee-for-service VET program in 2016 were 40% more likely to obtain sustainable employment compared with those who commenced a government-funded program.”
- Field of study has an influence too. “Studying a program in Engineering and related technologies had the most positive effect (60% more likely) on the likelihood of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples achieving sustainable employment from VET, compared with the baseline field, Management and commerce.” However, there was less benefit for students in the agriculture, environment and related studies and architecture and building fields of education, who were 10—20% more likely than baseline students to achieve a sustainable employment outcome. (But there was still a benefit.) In contrast, Information technology and Mixed field programs were 40% less likely to lead to sustainable employment.
- The type of training has an influence: “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples enrolled in accredited VET qualifications were 30% more likely to achieve a sustainable employment outcome when compared with those enrolled in training package qualifications.
Finally, the paper considers some of the challenges ATSI people face in obtaining sustainable employment, and the nature of their employment and other conditions are not always conducive to sustainable employment, including being more likely:
- to be employed as casuals and contractors
- to experience conflicts between work, family and community responsibilities, especially in workplaces that are not culturally aware/sensitive.
