Somali students in VET: some factors influencing pathways

Somalis living in Australia have a very high participation rate in vocational education and training (VET). Findings from Equity Research Centre research conducted in 2007 indicated that for many Somalis, aspirations to attain a university education and a professional career are high. However, achieving these goals often involves a pathway through the VET system, and for some this pathway is more complex than for others. One of the unintended findings from this research project, conducted with Somali Victorian TAFE students, potential students and their families, is that in practice, post compulsory educational choices for Victorian based Somalis appear to be heavily dependent on three key factors. These factors are the age and educational attainment of the person at the time the educational system broke down in Somalia (between 1987 and 1991), the educational experiences of the person in the years between leaving Somalia and arriving in Australia, and the age at which the person arrived in Australia. This paper explores the critical relationship between these factors which, in a high number of cases, could be calculated in advance to determine the post compulsory educational pathway to employment available to Somali individuals. Whilst it was also found that other factors such as gender, social grouping, rural or urban place of origin, financial role and position in the family also have a strong influence in Somali post compulsory educational choices, our unintended research findings suggest that individuals who do undertake VET study in Australia are heavily influenced in their choice of pathway by the limitations imposed on them by the three factors outlined above. These factors are considerations for this generation of Australian based Somali in the choices they are likely to face in their educational and career planning. They are also potentially considerations that post compulsory educational providers should be aware of in providing advice and guidance for Somali students.

Published abstract.

Available papers from the 11th Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) Conference are indexed from TD/TNC 92.459 to TD/TNC 92.499 and from TD/TNC 92.701 to TD/TNC 92.716. Show less