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This paper is part of a project designed to investigate the extent to which urban communities that include significant populations of disadvantaged citizens are engaging in community-based strategies centred on learning and the contribution of vocational education and training (VET) organisations. Four case studies based in urban areas in four different states were undertaken as part of the research approach. Each case study examined a specific initiative that met the criteria for a ‘learning community’ and involved at least one VET organisation. This paper describes the formation of a learning community in the Campbelltown area in New South Wales, the challenges to its creation, and its concept and form.

This paper is part of a project designed to investigate the extent to which urban communities that include significant populations of disadvantaged citizens are engaging in community-based strategies centred on learning and the contribution of vocational education and training (VET) organisations. Four case studies based in urban areas in four different states were undertaken as part of the research approach. Each case study examined a specific initiative that met the criteria for a ‘learning community’ and involved at least one VET organisation. This paper examines the development of a learning community in Loganlea, a small disadvantaged community located south of Brisbane. Overcoming considerable barriers, a learning community involving a range of organisations has grown, undertaking community development work aimed at improving the sense of community and providing some long term hope and future for the residents.

This paper is part of a project designed to investigate the extent to which urban communities that include significant populations of disadvantaged citizens are engaging in community-based strategies centred on learning and the contribution of vocational education and training (VET) organisations. Four case studies based in urban areas in four different states were undertaken as part of the research approach. Each case study examined a specific initiative that met the criteria for a ‘learning community’ and involved at least one VET organisation. This case study focuses on the Youth Issues Working Party of the recently established South-East Local Learning and Employment Network (SELLEN) in the Dandenong region of Victoria. Using processes that meet the criteria of a learning community, the SELLEN and its Youth Issues Working Party is finding ways to elicit significant and meaningful contributions from young people to enable it to achieve its goals. The paper covers the concept and form of the learning community, strategies being created to develop the concept, how these strategies link in with general community capacity building, the outcomes for disadvantaged groups and individuals, and how the initiative will be evaluated.

This paper is part of a project designed to investigate the extent to which urban communities that include significant populations of disadvantaged citizens are engaging in community-based strategies centred on learning and the contribution of vocational education and training (VET) organisations. The project included a research forum on urban disadvantage and learning communities at which invited speakers were asked to contribute an account of their experience and understanding of learning communities to ‘focus on implications for the role of VET in building learning communities’. The author draws on his experience of VET/community partnerships to consider three related issues: the emerging phenomenon of community partnerships and learning communities; disadvantage in urban Australia; and vocational education. It is concluded that there is a policy trend towards encouraging the development of a community approach to the provision of postcompulsory education and training. The greatest obstacle to developing new models of education and training that will erode barriers to participation is adherence to old ownership values in relation to institutions, courses, students and funding. The author suggests that initially, change is likely to occur through communities developing their own ‘full service capacity building approach to education, training and employment’ with VET and institutional providers forming part of ‘complex regional mosaics’.