 |
- Effective research into access and equity in vocational education
and training (VET) requires a
methodology that sheds light on both who is missing out on VET and why they
are missing out.
- Specific sub-groups of young people systematically miss
out on VET; structural barriers also stand in their way. Young people most
likely
to miss out on VET in the late 1990s were those with disabilities,
those still living at home, those from single-parent families, and
those from
families with a history of parental unemployment.
- Patterns of disadvantage
in accessing post-secondary education and training operate quite
differently for VET by comparison with university.
The VET system has made substantial gains in improving access and
equity over the last 20 years, while access and equity with regard
to university
has deteriorated.
- The notion of disadvantage which has informed VET
policy-making needs to be reconceptualised. There are major
shortcomings in viewing disadvantage
in terms of abstract 'client groups'. Target groups
for VET equity initiatives need to be specific groups of individuals
who
face multiple disadvantages.
- Striking a balance between the pursuit
of social and economic outcomes is essential for the success of
community-based initiatives designed
to address access and equity in VET. Indeed, for individuals who face
multiple disadvantages in accessing VET, the pursuit of social outcomes
should take precedence, and be recognised as an important stepping
stone to the achievement of economic outcomes.
- A number of community-based
initiatives are improving access and equity for groups typically
excluded from the VET system. These initiatives
seek to overcome the barriers associated with the individual characteristics
of people excluded from VET and the structural barriers associated
with the institutional setting.
| |
 |
