This project will be coordinated by the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre, with collaborative arrangements involving a number of partner organisations through the DK-CRC Education Network. The project will look at education and training pathways and access for Indigenous people across the desert region in central Australia, with a view to generating information about successful practices across a range of pathways. This will include analysis of flexible learning, adult and community education and CDEP leading to work, with a focus on accredited vocational education and training. Products will include 'desert stories' to disseminate successful practice in similar locations. The project is being partly supported by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework.
* How effectively does VET supply match demand across the desert and respond to new livelihood opportunities? What other educational services, such as ACE, meet demand?
* To what extent are Indigenous VET students in the desert moving through to work and/or livelihood activities both CDEP and others?
* What factors, such as mode of delivery (including flexible delivery in all its definitional contexts), industry focused Training Packages, localization of content and delivery, relationships between providers and learners, existing and potential partnerships, use of local knowledge systems and processes, impact on effective educational pathways for Indigenous learners?
* What are the emerging models of flexible delivery, including those utilising ICTs, across the desert, and what are the key issues and opportunities in these models?
* What myriad of experiences and realities impact on effective provision and improved Indigenous learner outcomes in post compulsory education including VET and ACE?
* To what extent are appropriate demand-responsive approaches being employed in desert Australia by the VET system and its identified providers and by other education activities?
* What is working in VET, ACE and other educational provision across the desert and what needs to be put in place to foster successful engagement and outcomes?
* How do different jurisdictions and differences between jurisdictions (and desert factors such as mobility and small highly dispersed communities) enable or constrain educational approaches to supply and demand and new livelihoods opportunities?
* What are the current skills ecosystems and the emerging trends for developing thriving desert economies that could impact on Indigenous learners' pathways?
* How could a better informed VET system and its providers utilize identified skill ecosystems and new desert economies to have a positive impact on Indigenous learners' pathways through VET and by so doing, increase their social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being. What are the linkages between enabling, recreational, personal or community development education through ACE and other education activities, VET activities and improved livelihoods for Indigenous peoples.
This project will combine, over three stages, a review of current literature and desktop analysis, practitioner experiences and perspectives elicited through an online forum and in depth case studies of effective educational practices for desert Australia. The participants bring extended experience of working with Indigenous communities to develop demand-driven solutions for education, and will access partner experts in all desert jurisdictions.
Stage 1: Planning and preparation
- Literature review and desktop analysis
Stage 2: Data gathering and analysis - Education practitioners
- Practitioner perspectives and capacity building, Data Analysis
Stage 3: Data gathering and analysis
- Indigenous VET learners; Report writing and feedback
CAT (Centre for Appropriate Technology Inc) is a national Indigenous science and technology organization, a resource for remote communities of Indigenous peoples offering services in education, training, research, technologies, media and policy. CAT directs its efforts to assisting people to secure a sustainable livelihood where they live and plays a key role in a number of initiatives, including the Desert Peoples Centre, a partnership between CAT and Batchelor Institute and a catalyst for change in education services and outcomes to remote communities of Indigenous Peoples.
Charles Darwin University is a new university arising from the merger in early 2004 of the Northern Territory University with Centralian College in Alice Springs to form a secondary and tertiary education provider with nine campuses and centres across the NT. 25% of all research and development carried out in the Territory is conducted by the University. Research concentration and regional relevance are key features of the University's strategic approach to research activity.
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BI) has been providing tertiary education to Indigenous Australians for more than 30 years. BI is a self accrediting Higher education institute and also delivers a suite of VET qualifications to Indigenous learners with particular expertise in the areas of Indigenous health and education worker education. BI has a strong research profile in the areas of Indigenous pedagogies, developing Indigenous curriculum, innovative literacy and numeracy practices and 'both ways' philosophies. Batchelor Institute currently provides education services to Indigenous people across the country including a significant profile of services to desert Australia. BI's innovative 'mixed mode' delivery approach has improved Indigenous peoples access to education programs. The cohort of highly qualified Indigenous professionals employed within Batchelor enables rich and varied Indigenous perspectives to be brought to the research table.
