Submission to Senate Inquiry into Technical and Further Education (TAFE) in Australia
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Submission Paper
Submission to Senate Inquiry
into Technical and Further
Education (TAFE) in Australia
Prepared by the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA)
March 2014
Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA)
Unit 1, No. 4 Phipps Close
Deakin ACT 2600
(02) 6282 5755
admin@fecca.org.aus
Submission Paper
Contents
About FECCA ................................................................................................................3
Summary of Recommendations ....................................................................................4
Introduction ....................................................................................................................5
False Economies – The Competitive Training Market Funding Model ........................ 7
Ensuring Access and Equity – TAFE Multicultural Education Coordinators and
Multicultural Access and Outreach Centres ................................................................. 9
TAFE and access to the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) ............................. 10
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................11
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Submission Paper
About FECCA
The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) is the national
peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)
backgrounds. FECCA provides advocacy, develops policy and promotes issues on
behalf of its constituency to government and the broader community.
FECCA supports multiculturalism, community harmony, social justice and the rejection
of all forms of discrimination and racism, so as to build a productive and culturally rich
Australian society.
FECCA’s policies are designed around the concepts of empowerment and inclusion, and
are formulated with the common good of all Australians in mind.
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Submission Paper
Summary of Recommendations
FECCA forwards the following recommendations for consideration through the Inquiry:
• that the Inquiry and its related investigation go beyond TAFE to examine the VET
sector more broadly, and the extent to which it is effective in enabling students
from all backgrounds to gain qualifications for all types of employment and
specific skills to assist them in the workplace.
• that there is a need for strict adherence to principles of access and equity
through the quality delivery of education and training, preferably facilitated by
TAFE institutes that receive adequate government support and funding.
• that education is offered through government supported institutions to best
enable the provision of affordable and high-quality education, as well as
transparency to ensure adherence to equity and diverse principles.
• that there is a need for revision of the recent fee increases for TAFE students.
Pricing the delivery of TAFE out of certain fields of study is neither an efficient
nor effective strategy to equip individuals with the necessary education and
training to contribute back to society and the economy in a positive way.
Government support is imperative to ensure that TAFE education and training
remains accessible and affordable.
• that the Multicultural Education Coordinator model and Multicultural Access
Centres should be replicated Australia-wide as a means through which to
facilitate greater CALD participation in TAFE and VET programs. FECCA
believes that these mechanisms are integral to providing specialist English and
cross-cultural support to ensure high levels of CALD student satisfaction and
course completion.
• that the Commonwealth Government increase funding for AMEP (and its support
for TAFE facilities to effective provide AMEP training) to allow for increased
hours and re-structuring of classes in line with English language and cultural
needs of students. This will respond to issues of illiteracy and other specific
issues faced by refugees and newly arrived immigrants, and enable TAFE to
more effectively deliver AMEP training.
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Submission Paper
Introduction
FECCA is committed to the view that Technical and Further Education (TAFE) is an
effective mechanism through which to assist disadvantaged Australians to actively
participate in the community, through facilitating access to vocational education and
training pathways that allow for increased employment and welfare potential.
FECCA recognises employment as a cornerstone issue for culturally and linguistically
diverse (CALD) communities in Australia on the basis that employment is an enabler not
only of financial stability, but also social cohesion, self-esteem, independence, the ability
to gain stable housing, opportunities to build and maintain English language skills,
greater systems knowledge and overall, a greater sense of community belonging and
personal wellbeing. The subsequent connection between TAFE’s role in facilitating
pathways to sustainable employment and an individual’s ability to achieve the
aforementioned opportunities is thus of fundamental importance to FECCA, as per its
relevant to FECCA’s constituency—CALD Australians.
FECCA believes that TAFE forms an integral part of the cultural, social and economic
fabric of our society and is crucial to the development of skills in our economy and in our
local communities. Based on ongoing consultations with people from CALD communities
around Australia, FECCA is aware that TAFE is often the first point of call for many
immigrants, and particularly those who have recently arrived in Australia and are from
new and emerging community (NEC) groups that are seeking access to fundamental
skills and training opportunities as an immediate stage of their settlement journey1.
FECCA’s support of TAFE and the services that it offers is based upon the belief that
post-compulsory vocational education provides opportunities for people from CALD
backgrounds to increase their engagement with future education, employment and the
wider community.
Given that TAFE and the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector, more broadly,
disproportionately attract more disadvantages learners than any other sector 2, it is of
vital importance that the services provided by TAFE are not compromised or revised in
such a way that they adversely impact upon those who benefit most from them and
access them on the basis of greatest need.
1
Marrickville Multicultural Interagency Submission to the Inquiry into the role of Technical and Further Education System
and its Operations, 2013, page 3.
2
Skills for All Australians, 2011, ‘Skills for Labour Market Participation – Better Support for Disadvantaged Australians’.
Available at:
http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications/skills_for_all_australians/chapter7_skills_for_labour_market_participation.html
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Submission Paper
Recognising the issues outlined above, there a subsequently three core premises that
underpin the structure and content of the submission that follows:
1. TAFE provides a vital service for people from CALD backgrounds, providing
affordable and accessible training to enable self-improvement and increased
life, settlement and employment prospects.
2. FECCA acknowledges that governments have invested a large amount in
TAFE over the years, but is concerned that the positive effects of this
investment may be reversed through the implementation of short-sighted
reforms based upon economic and cost-saving arguments that will have
limited long-term benefit.
3. It is FECCA’s hope that this Inquiry will address many of the challenges
facing TAFE through highlighting the importance of its core services and the
need for it to be adequately supported by all governments. This is in contrast
to the current trend that appears to be emerging, of government outsourcing
the delivery of VET and encouraging privatisation, which is having the
associated effect of creating an artificial competitive training market.
FECCA recommends:
• that the Inquiry and its related investigation go beyond TAFE to examine the
VET sector more broadly, and the extent to which it is effective in enabling
students from all backgrounds to gain qualifications for all types of
employment and specific skills to assist them in the workplace.
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Submission Paper
False Economies – The Competitive Training Market Funding
Model
FECCA is concerned by recent reports that government funding for TAFE across
Australia has been cut by 19 per cent over the past ten years 3. In this context, FECCA
highlights the need for caution to be exercised with regard to the assumption that the
private sector is always more efficient that the public sector concerning the delivery of
core services.
As previously noted, FECCA acknowledges the significant resources and investment
that governments have channelled into TAFE and the VET sector to date to ensure the
provision of quality skills and education. FECCA is concerned that redirecting
government funding away from TAFE, and subsequently supporting a privatised model
of VET delivery, will have a significant adverse impact upon the quality of education
provided at TAFE level.
From a CALD perspective, FECCA is specifically concerned that governments’
commitment to the principles of access and equity in the provision and assessment of
quality education may not be adhered to, should education and training be outsourced to
the private sector. In this context, FECCA specifically highlights recent examples of
cases throughout Australia where the quality and content of training offered by private
institutions has been called into question by private colleges offering training and
education opportunities that have few checks and balances in place to assure quality 4.
FECCA is particularly cautious that private institutions may lack the capacity or
competency to provide specialist literacy support and adequate structures to assist
people with disabilities or limited English language skills, thus limiting the potential of
CALD people to fully benefit from the services provided. FECCA is aware of examples
that have emerged, for instance, of private institutions screening applicants for suitability
for TAFE courses without referring unsuccessful applicants to appropriate education
options such as TAFE literacy and Numeracy programs (foundation studies) to ensure
they are given the fullest potential and opportunity to receive training and education 5.
3
Australian Education Union, 2013, ‘What do Cuts to TAFE Mean?’ Available at:
http://stoptafecuts.com.au/files/9713/7220/1463/Factsheet_What_do_cuts_to_TAFE_mean_July_2013.pdf
4
TAFE Directors Australia, 2013, ‘Quality in a New Open Market ‘National Entitlement’ System of Vocational Education
and Training: How can this be Achieved?’ Available at:
http://www.tda.edu.au/cb_pages/files/TDA040_Position_paper_Quality_v2.pdf
5
TAFE Community Alliance Submission to TAFE Inquiry 2013, page 7.
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Submission Paper
FECCA recommends:
• that there is a need for strict adherence to principles of access and equity
through the quality delivery of education and training, preferably facilitated by
TAFE institutes that receive adequate government support and funding.
• that education is offered through government supported institutions to best
enable the provision of affordable and high-quality education, as well as
transparency to ensure adherence to equity and diverse principles.
In addition, FECCA is concerned with governments’ recent decision to increase student
fees for TAFE. FECCA is aware that some TAFE courses now cost students more than
university courses, often at costs well in excess of $10,000 6, thereby positioning TAFE
out of the reach of many people in CALD communities. Moreover, whilst acknowledging
that Commonwealth support may be available to students through the VET Fee-Help
student loan scheme, FECCA cites its concern that many recently arrived immigrants
are not eligible for higher education loans.
For those from CALD backgrounds that are eligible, there is the potential for prospective
students to be dissuaded from perusing training and education on the basis of not
wishing to accrue debt, as well as the potential for some to accumulate a substantial
debt in the event that sufficient information is not provided on the implications for loan
repayments and other important details. FECCA fundamentally believes that education
should remain affordable and accessible to ensure that individuals have the best
opportunity to access vital skills and training that will ultimately facilitate their
advancement.
FECCA recommends:
• that there is a need for revision of the recent fee increases for TAFE
students. Pricing the delivery of TAFE out of certain fields of study is neither
an efficient nor effective strategy to equip individuals with the necessary
education and training to contribute back to society and the economy in a
positive way. Government support is imperative to ensure that TAFE
education and training remains accessible and affordable.
6 Australian Education Union, 2013, ‘What do Cuts to TAFE Mean?’. Available at:
http://stoptafecuts.com.au/files/9713/7220/1463/Factsheet_What_do_cuts_to_TAFE_mean_July_2013.pdf
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Submission Paper
Ensuring Access and Equity – TAFE Multicultural Education
Coordinators and Multicultural Access and Outreach Centres
As indicated by the table below, TAFE caters to an enormously diverse group of
students, including those from CALD backgrounds, all of whom should have adequate
access to the full spectrum of services that TAFE offers.
Comparisons between the Proportion of Disadvantages Students in
VET and Higher Education 7
VET Sector (%) High Education Sector (%)
Indigenous 4.3 0.8
Non-English Speakers 12.1 3.8
People with Disability 5.9 4.1
Low Socio-Economic
29.2 15
Background
On the basis of this diversity, and in particular reference to the large proportion of TAFE
students from non-English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB), FECCA recommends the
need for continued support of the role of Multicultural Education Coordinators, who can
assist people from CALD backgrounds with services ranging from interpretation, advice
on courses designed to improve English language skills, advice on recognition of
overseas skills and qualifications, advice on eligibility to TAFE courses, tutorial support
for English, maths, science and other vocational subjects and courses, as well as
examination advice.
FECCA is deeply concerned by reports of Multicultural Education Officer positions being
removed throughout states in which they currently operate, given the vital role that they
play in assisting large numbers of people from CALD backgrounds through the delivery
of tailored and customised multicultural education courses, special purpose English
support, and cross cultural and employability skills-development 8.
7
TAFE Community Alliance Submission to TAFE Inquiry 2013, page 3.
8
Marrickville Multicultural Interagency Submission to the Inquiry into the role of Technical and Further Education System
and its Operations, 2013, page 1.
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Submission Paper
The Multicultural Access Centre (MAC) model is also effective in the provision of student
information and resources on English language, adult literacy and numeracy, dealing
with racism, cultural diversity and cross-cultural communication, multicultural education,
workplace training and migrant studies, and FECCA strongly advocates the need for the
continued (and increased) support for such facilities.
FECCA recommends:
• that the Multicultural Education Coordinator model and Multicultural Access
Centres should be replicated Australia-wide as a means through which to
facilitate greater CALD participation in TAFE and VET programs. FECCA
believes that these mechanisms are integral to providing specialist English
and cross-cultural support to ensure high levels of CALD student satisfaction
and course completion.
TAFE and access to the Adult Migrant English Program
(AMEP)
FECCA wishes to acknowledge the importance of the services offered by TAFE
institutes throughout Australia through provision of the Adult Migrant English Program
(AMEP) that is geared towards facilitating successful settlement for immigrants and
refugees across Australia.
English language proficiency is fundamentally linked to good settlement outcomes.
Conversely, a lack of English language proficiency inhibits the opportunity for new
immigrants and refugees to fully participate in Australian society. Improvements to the
delivery of AMEP may serve to reduce the social exclusion experienced by new
immigrants and refugees as a result of limited English language proficiency. Ensuring
our English language settlement programs are operating as effectively as possible will
provide long term economic benefits and savings to government by helping to facilitate
the effective settlement of immigrants and enable them to participate productively in our
economy and the broader community.
FECCA has consistently received feedback from its constituency and stakeholders that
the AMEP program lacks sufficient flexibility and funding to cater to the diverse needs of
learners accessing the program. Immigrants and refugees come to Australia with vast
differences in their pre-migration experiences as well as levels of literacy, numeracy,
education and English language proficiency. The current structure of the AMEP needs to
be further tailored to give immigrants and refugees the best possible opportunity to
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Submission Paper
become proficient in English to subsequently allow for increased employment
opportunities and effective settlement.
FECCA recommends:
• that the Commonwealth Government increase funding for AMEP (and its support
for TAFE facilities to effective provide AMEP training) to allow for increased
hours and re-structuring of classes in line with English language and cultural
needs of students. This will respond to issues of illiteracy and other specific
issues faced by refugees and newly arrived immigrants, and enable TAFE to
more effectively deliver AMEP training.
Conclusion
FECCA strongly encourages governments to continue support for TAFE, given the role
that it plays in providing a unique and important service to all Australians through the
provision of quality education and training.
FECCA highlights that through government-supported TAFE institutions, those
accessing training and education services, including Australians from CALD
backgrounds, can be assured of reliability, availability and quality in the provision of
services that they are accessing.
FECCA is grateful for the opportunity to contribute its submission and associated
recommendations to the Inquiry.
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