Projects: Indigenous Engagement

The Indigenous Engagement Project is the result of a participatory workshop held in December 2004 involving representatives of the Australian Indigenous Training Advisory Council (AITAC) and the Flexible Learning Advisory Group (FLAG).

In designing the Project, workshop participants identified key lessons learned from previous work and research in this area and incorporated these into the Project design.

The Project contains three sub-projects:

• Links to employment
• Capacity building through e-learning
• Communication.

• To strengthen the role of Indigenous people and communities in shaping vocational education and training (VET) provision in very remote, remote, provincial and urban contexts.

The Project aims to achieve:

• increased demand for and delivery of e-learning in Indigenous communities through the professional development of mentors, promotion of available options and implementation of work plans that will see e-learning take-up as a sustainable option
• increased demand for and delivery of e-learning through the establishment of Indigenous community/organisation and registered training organisation (RTO) partnerships that will proactively pursue e-learning as a sustainable option.

• indigenous client satisfaction with Project processes, products & services
• indigenous participation in planning, designing, implementing & evaluating e-learning at national, State and local levels.

Two training providers have received funding to embed e-learning within Indigenous communities.

Almost AUD$500,000 has been made available through the 2005 Australian Flexible Learning Framework's Indigenous Engagement Project to ensure the long-term sustainability of e-learning within Indigenous communities.

The two successful training providers are:

TAFE New South Wales - North Coast Institute

TAFE NSW - North Coast Institute has received AUD$100,330 to provide learning and employment opportunities for long term unemployed and disadvantaged adults as well as high school Year 10/11 students from the Indigenous communities within the NSW north coast region. Training provision will include developing learners' ability to refurbish computers and to complete nationally accredited information technology courses.

In addition, TAFE NSW - North Coast Institute has received a further AUD$111,730 to strengthen existing industry links to build employment outcomes for Indigenous students. The project will modify courses and customise training products on the advice of industries. A range of support mechanisms will also be put in place to increase course completion rates, these include counsellors, mentors and literacy and numeracy support.

The Open Learning Institute (OLI) of TAFE, Queensland

OLI has received AUD$257,000 and will work with Education Queensland to promote e-learning to Indigenous people. OLI's project aims to train teachers to effectively use existing resources to encourage e-learning in Indigenous communities. In addition, four e-learning products will be developed specifically for Indigenous learners. A support network of mentors and champions will also be put in place to help promote e-learning to Indigenous learners across the State.

Rhonda Appo
Project Manager
Indigenous Engagement Project
Tel: (07) 323 54679
Mob: 0439 678412
Email: rhonda.appo@det.qld.gov.au