Current challenges to social inclusion in VET: embedding foundation skills, employing socially inclusive pedagogies, engaging learner voice Trevor Gale Professor of Education Policy and Social Justice, Deakin University Social Inclusion and VET in a Patchwork Economy. 16 th Annual National Conference, Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET), Monash Conference Centre, Monash University, Friday 26 October 2012.

NVEAC’s aspiration: to embed equity into the DNA of the VET system

NVEAC’s Equity Blueprint Creating Futures: Achieving Potential through VET Reform areas 1. Adopting a sustainable investment approach to funding VET 2. Measuring and reporting performance in terms of how the system deals with those who experience disadvantage 3. Building the capability of the VET workforce 4. Embedding support for foundation skills development 5. Embedding pathway planning and partnerships as part of the VET system 6. Listening to the voice of the learner when designing the VET system and continuously improving its services Some current ‘concerns’ RA4: embedding foundation skills RA3: employing socially inclusive pedagogies RA6: engaging learner voice

Foundation skills should be … … integrated and contextualised within meaningful vocational contexts. … supported by models of good practice within a Companion Volume, including: vertical integration of foundation skills units across all levels of the AQF; and strategies for integrating and contextualising foundation skills within vocational qualifications. Foundation skills are embedded in VET delivery across all AQF levels Learners are able to acquire and apply foundation skills in the context which is relevant to their needs. … embedding and contextualising foundation skills across all AQF levels in VET RA4: embedding foundation skills

“Stand-alone foundation skills development programs will continue to be available through existing accredited courses as well as the new Foundation Skills Training Package to ensure that learning products address the foundation skills needs of various learner cohorts” (National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults, SCOTESE, 2012: 17).

Foundation skills as context-independent “One [type of knowledge] is the context- dependent (or everyday, commonsense) knowledge that people develop in the course of their everyday lives. Context- dependent knowledge can be practical, such as knowing how to repair a mechanical or electrical fault or how to find a route on a map. It can also be procedural, as in sets of regulations for health and safety or manuals for operating machines (Gamble, 2006). Context- dependent knowledge … enables the individual to cope in the world that he or she is a part of. It deals with particulars that arise in everyday life but provides no reliable basis for moving beyond those particulars. The second type of knowledge is context-independent knowledge. This is the conceptual knowledge that is not tied to particular cases and therefore provides a basis for generalizations and making claims to universality. Unlike context-dependent knowledge, it provides a reliable basis for moving beyond particulars and therefore beyond one’s experience. It refers to knowledge that is codified, tested, and elaborated by specialist communities” (Young 2008, pp ).

RA3: employing socially inclusive pedagogies “There are still concerns about whether the VET workforce has the necessary skills to meet the needs of disadvantaged learners and there is still no unified national framework or strategy for building VET workforce capability” (Equity Blueprint 2011: 29). The next review of the Certificate IV TAA should result in “a greater focus on teaching, pedagogy, how people learn, diversity and inclusiveness“ and “a greater emphasis on broader knowledge of pedagogy, classroom management, understanding learners, student diversity, and student engagement” (Wheelahan & Moodie 2011: 35, 38) The objective of this project is to identify the pedagogic knowledge necessary to train and teach disadvantage learners, particularly teaching principles and strategies that facilitate these learners’ successful engagement in VET, but also socially just teaching principles and strategies in education contexts more broadly (i.e. schooling and higher education) as these have application in VET contexts.

Towards a framework of socially inclusive pedagogic knowledge for VET Gale, T. (2010) Putting social inclusion in its place: Three principles for pedagogic work. Keynote Address, Pathways 10 Conference. Theme: "Creating space for people with disabilities in tertiary education". Southbank Institute of Technology, Brisbane, 2 December 2010.

RA6: engaging learner voice Learner voice as … Feedback Representation Advocacy Engagement NVEAC commissioned report: ‘Closing the Loop’ “There is a widespread understanding that, in general, the voices of learners in VET are seldom sought or heard in Australia. Student engagement may or may not be working at a lecturer/teacher/trainer-to- student level, but from a system perspective, as we have emphasized, there is general agreement from industry training boards, VET teachers, institution managers, student representatives, policy makers and researchers that ‘we are not doing that well’” (Golding et al. 2012: 72).

‘Ladder of Participation’ (Rudd, Colligan, Naik 2006: 11)

Voice involves an ongoing exchange of narratives with others – a process of negotiation rather than simply hearing in a tokenistic manner Our lives are not composed of just one narrative – learner representation and advocacy rarely include the diversity of voices and views they try to represent (risk of essentialising) Voice requires resources – practical and symbolic – if it is to be recognised/valued by others – systems and structures are needed to enable voice to be genuinely heard, as existing arrangements don’t allow for this. Voice speaks from our embodied histories – engaging with learner voice involves appreciating and understanding working class knowledges, ways of knowing, world views etc. and power relations between the dominant and marginalised Voice is denied when social relations are organised in ways that privilege some voices over others – 3 aspects: 1.Some voices/knowledges are privileged in social systems [such as VET] while others are marginalised (silenced); 2.Current arrangements hear certain voices [e.g. industry] more than those of learners, or some learners’ voices more than others’ (e.g. disadvantaged); 3.If we assume a singular voice among disadvantaged learners then only the loudest will be heard – the voice that is heard will be partial. Learner voice as engagement Sellar, S., & Gale, T. (2011). Mobility, aspiration, voice: A new structure of feeling for student equity in higher education. Critical Studies in Education, 52(2),

NVEAC Project: Integrating learner voice in VET Aims to identify the key leverage points where the learner voice can be built into VET systems to influence: learning approaches content of learning institutional practice

Professor Trevor Gale Deakin University

References Gale, T. (2010). Putting social inclusion in its place: Three principles for pedagogic work. Keynote Address, Pathways 10 Conference. Theme: “Creating space for people with disabilities in tertiary education”. Southbank Institute of Technology, Brisbane, 2 December Golding, B., Lavender, P., Angus, L. & Foley, A. (2012). ‘Closing the loop’. Listening and responding to learner voice in Vocational Education and Training in Australia: Principles and models for effective practice. Final Report to NVEAC. University of Ballarat. 30 April. IBSA. Foundation Skills Training Project Scoping Project. projects/news/tabid/112/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/424/Foundation-Skills-Training- Package-Scoping-Project.aspxhttp:// projects/news/tabid/112/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/424/Foundation-Skills-Training- Package-Scoping-Project.aspx NVEAC. (2011). Equity Blueprint, Creating Futures: Achieving Potential through VET. Rudd, T., Colligan, F. & Naik, R. (2006). Learner voice: A handbook from Futurelab. Bristol: Futurelab. SCOTESE. (2012) National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults. Sellar, S., & Gale, T. (2011). Mobility, aspiration, voice: A new structure of feeling for student equity in higher education. Critical Studies in Education, 52(2), Wheelahan, L. & Moodie, G. (2011). The quality of teaching in VET: final report and recommendations. Young, M. (2008). From Constructivism to Realism in the Sociology of the Curriculum. Review of Research in Education, 32(1), 1-28.