Refugee access and participation in tertiary education and training

The need to develop best practice models that could assist higher educational and training organisations in the delivery of services to refugees was identified during discussions between the Institute for Community, Ethnicity and Policy Alternatives (ICEPA) at Victoria University (VU), the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC), and the Department of Education and Training (DET) in 2003. In 2004, ICEPA undertook research on behalf of the VMC and DET to identify best practice in refugee access to education and training. The main research questions addressed in the research were: What factors assist and impede refugees from accessing and completing tertiary education programs? How can higher education and TAFE providers develop the employability of students from refugee backgrounds? What initiatives have facilitated and improved access and participation in education and training by refugees? How should such initiatives be evaluated? What policies and programs need to be developed to better advance refugee access to higher education and training? The research focused on Victorian tertiary institutions (TAFE and higher education) that had demonstrable experience in providing targeted programs for refugee students. The research focused on two dual-sector higher education bodies (Victoria University and RMIT) and two standalone TAFE institutes (Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE and Goulburn Ovens Valley TAFE, Shepparton), with data being collected in both TAFE and higher education divisions. Show less