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VET & TAFE
Bridging the gap
VET and TAFE the great equaliser for African refugees .
By Wade Zaglas
Vocational education qualifications provide a raft of opportunities for disadvantaged people such as refugees , who often experience disrupted educational experiences growing up .
Such qualifications enhance job prospects and promote economic independence .
However , according to Tebeje Molla , a research fellow at Deakin University , many of these refugees view vocational education and training ( VET ) qualifications as subpar when compared with university degrees and other qualifications . According to the author ’ s article in The Conversation , “ this is a widespread issue , especially in African communities ”.
Molla states that many African parents encourage their children to enrol in university , irrespective of their interest or readiness to embark on several years of rigorous study . The end result is “ dispiriting ”, with many dropping out and not leaving with a university degree .
According to the African youth Molla has interviewed for a research project , they find VET to be not only a supportive place in which to learn , but a place “ where they have been successful ”. In light of this , Molla believes more young African migrants should be steered towards VET qualifications , and says targeted policies are essential for this to happen .
Data provided by Molla in the article highlights the problem . For instance , in contrast to their non-refugee counterparts , African youth with a refugee background “ are less likely to transition to university within five years of their arrival date in Australia ”. As Molla points out , this trend has continued for 25 years .
The stark difference between the two populations relates , to some degree , to the limited educational attainment African refugee youth possess when they arrive in Australia . In 2016 , for example , the percentage of Australian youth aged 15 years and older without any educational qualifications was only 8.5 per cent . At the same time , for non-refugee African youth the rate was only marginally higher at 10 per cent . However , for African refugees aged 15 years and over , a significant 19 per cent had no qualifications .
VET IS AN EQUALISER Molla contends that African refugees hailing from countries including Democratic Republic of Congo , Eritrea , Ethiopia , Liberia , Sierra Leone , Somalia , Sudan and South Sudan have “ considerably benefited from the VET sector ” as an “ equity pathway to university ”.
In a sense , VET provides African refuges with a bridge between the sectors , as “ low academic results at school mean a direct transition to university remains challenging ”. To illustrate the point , in 2016 there were close to 1,000 Africans from refugee background in the VET sector compared to fewer than 500 in the university sector .
As Molla explains in The Conversation piece , the majority of the African youth he interviewed in the last two years entered the Australian university sector through TAFE , the public arm of vocational education and training .
“ They said passing through TAFE helped them develop their ‘ navigational capacity ’ – their ability to plan and work towards future goals ,” Molla noted .
“ They specifically noted the supportive learning environment in TAFE institutes prepared them for independent learning . It set them up for success in university .”
Molla also highlights that African- Australian refugees are over-represented in the VET sector . According to 2016 census data , individuals born in the “ eight main countries of origin of African refugees ” comprised less than 0.3 per cent of Australia ’ s population ; however , the same group represented roughly 1.3 per cent of enrolments in VET-funded programs and courses between 2015 and 2019 .
More than 91,000 refugee-background African Australians enrolled in VET courses between 2015 and 2019 , during which 20,000 completed their courses . Conversely , nearly 11,000 African refugee youth enrolled in university degrees between 2001 and 2017 , with fewer than 2000 completing their courses over that period .
PUBLIC INVESTMENT IS CRUCIAL Molla asserts that – in a post-COVID world – Australia ’ s success or otherwise will hinge on our education system ’ s ability to adapt and respond . He also believes it “ will be critical ” that disadvantaged members of our communities do not “ slip through policy cracks ”.
“ Refugees in particular require extra support to succeed in education and training . For instance , African refugees arrive with a level of disadvantage not experienced by other cohorts of refugees ,” Molla argues .
“ For refugee youth who spent years in refugee camps with little or no education , it can be difficult to fit in a school system that operates on age cohorts . There is a need for expanding the ‘ catch-up schooling ’ that is offered for young refugees and diversifying the existing pathways to tertiary education .” ■
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