Mission-Driven Adaptability in a Changing National Training System

Abstract

This case study of an adult and community education provider based in far north Queensland describes its capacity to balance various iterations of public policy against its vision for the future of Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islanders. Community-controlled organisations wanting to contribute to economic and social development in regional/remote Australia through the use of formally recognised vocational education and training have adjusted to at least three major sociopolitical changes at the national policy level since the early 1990s. These include redefining equity, marketising the delivery of public services and increased centralisation. The contemporary orientation of vocational education and training as part of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy has become a highly prescriptive and heavily centralised mechanism for the establishment of employment outcomes. This has been framed as an obligation and right of Australian citizenship as opposed to the other wellbeing and personal development benefits of education. This registered training organisation has navigated four burdensome (re)definitions of equity that have made planning and delivery of true lifelong training objectives difficult. The provider has embraced the marketisation of the sector and navigated other policy changes in order to provide the services and knowledge set out in the college mission statement.

Training for Life and Healing: The Systemic Empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men and Women Through Vocational Education and Training

“…But concurrently, WBBC staff are not operating within an illusionary field in which there is an assumed ‘equality of power’ between teacher and student. In talking with staff, it is very apparent of their awareness of the power relations that operate both to situate teacher–student relationships as well as WBBC's place in the Australian training sector apparatus (Guenther et al, 2016; Zoellner et al, 2016). While they hold the firm view that an education is beneficial to individuals so that they can improve their own lives (V. Joseph et al, personal communication, 2014), universalised solutions are known by the College not to work (Miller, 2005; Zoellner et al, 2016).…”

“…In talking with staff, it is very apparent of their awareness of the power relations that operate both to situate teacher–student relationships as well as WBBC's place in the Australian training sector apparatus (Guenther et al, 2016; Zoellner et al, 2016). While they hold the firm view that an education is beneficial to individuals so that they can improve their own lives (V. Joseph et al, personal communication, 2014), universalised solutions are known by the College not to work (Miller, 2005; Zoellner et al, 2016). Within the limits of a structured course and its conformity to external forms of quality and standard assessment, they treat every person as a person, ready when they are able to take what is on offer (V. Joseph et al, personal communication, 2014).…”

“…Within the limits of a structured course and its conformity to external forms of quality and standard assessment, they treat every person as a person, ready when they are able to take what is on offer (V. Joseph et al, personal communication, 2014). They resist the pressure to compel students to undertake training, take on personal debt to do so and for completion ‘no matter what’ (Zoellner et al, 2016). WBBC could almost be described as operating within a set of institutions and training systems as a point of resistance.…”

“…The approach had high levels of involvement from staff in the planning, conduct and analysis phases to ensure that all data were informed by the perspective of ‘local’ and ‘insider’ knowledge (Eversole, 2003; Wallerstein & Duran, 2006), and grounded in the experience of the course students, trainers and College administrators. Two trainers (LB and ET) became co-evaluators, as they were actively investigating their own practice within the research process (Kennedy-Lewis, 2012) and College administrators have been active in the production of subsequent research activity giving presentations at conferences and roundtables, collaborating with others and contributing to the generation of an active and ongoing research agenda (Guenther et al, 2016; Guenther et al, 2017b; Zoellner, Stephens, Joseph, & Monro, 2016). Muhammad et al (2015) reminds us of the need to be reflexive of the researcher relationships to the specific research project.…”

The changing balances of equity, control and market choice in the Indigenous vocational education and training sector

“…Indigenous controlled training organisations provide a real option for Indigenous students. However, the precarious nature of funding that result from the constantly changing policy environment and micro-management-type control of funding contracts limits the full potential of their reach into the training sector to better service the perceived needs of Indigenous Australians in a culturally appropriate manner (Zoellner, Stephens, Joseph, & Monro, 2016).…”