Research

Summary page

Research

Project no: nr1018

Publication title: The funding of vocational education and training for students with disabilities.

In 2000 over 62 000 vocational education and training (VET) students reported that they had a disability, which is about 5% of the student population. Many of these students face considerable challenges when undertaking their studies since their disability may include chronic illness, intellectual disability, physical disability or a combination of disabilities.

The aim of this study was to investigate how the vocational education and training system currently allocates funds to support students with a disability and what other funding models may provide more effective support. The study involved interviews with 51 people in each of the states and territories, and at national level, including those with responsibility for funding issues within the states and territories, as well as with representatives of various registered training organisations (public and private).

At present, governments provide general funding to training providers. They also make available additional funding for special purposes, including the occasions when students have particular support needs. The current funding arrangements facilitate the participation of considerable numbers of students with disabilities and provide support for capital works; for example, to improve student access to buildings and other facilities, and to make resources available for other services such as interpreters, note-takers or ergonomic furniture.

Resources are limited, so it is important to look at funding models to ensure that funds are spent efficiently in order to encourage more people with a disability to participate in education and training, and to ensure that they achieve what they want out of the training - whether it is a job, or skills and knowledge for personal interest, or improvement of some other aspect of their lives.

The report identifies four funding options and outlines the strengths and weaknesses of each. These funding options range from continuing current arrangements; making modifications to current arrangements (such as waiving or reducing fees or providing better support); making available additional base funding so that providers have an incentive to expand their course offerings and increase the range of support for people with a disability; and using a casemanagement approach, which essentially means a more holistic approach to supporting the needs of people with disabilities by focussing on all of their needs - not just their vocational education and training needs.

The report also proposes two sets of criteria that can be used for assessing funding options and makes observations about the extent to which current funding models in Australia meet these criteria. One set of criteria is drawn from Devlin (2000) which assessed models for funding students with disabilities in higher education. It considers the following four questions:

Does the funding follow the student from one education or training provider to another?
Does the funding provided reflect the actual costs of providing support to each individual student?
Does the funding model limit administrative costs?
Do the funding model and accountability requirements take account of the value which institutions place on their autonomy when deciding their internal affairs?

The other set of criteria, taken from Burke (cited in Selby Smith et al. 2001), related to assessing funding models in VET generally. These can be applied to students with a disability. The three criteria are:

Do funding arrangements encourage more education and training to be undertaken?
Do funding arrangements promote efficiency; that is, do they help to achieve the maximum output from the resources made available?
Do funding arrangements promote access and equity objectives?

The report notes that factors such as the type, level and location of the course, the type and severity of the disability, the needs of people with disabilities who have not yet entered VET, and the interaction between VET study and other aspects of the lives of these students all need to be considered when selecting a preferred model for funding. The report also notes that the transitions, for example, from school to VET or from VET to employment, can cause particular difficulties for students with a disability.

The report provides important information for those who manage training institutions and who are committed to making the learning environment more supportive for people with a disability. VET can help them achieve their aspirations and gain benefit and reward from their study, and funding models need to assist in this.

There is a volume 2, that contains the state reports and is available only in PDF format which can be downloaded from the NCVER website.