Engagement with Community
The new Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2025 have introduced the requirement that the RTO learning environment fosters a culturally safe learning environment for First Nations people. To promote a culturally responsive learning environment for First Nations vocational learners, we will review various strategies and the value of engagement and partnership with local community.
These suggestions originate from my enriched experiences as a non-Indigenous trainer with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from many nations and working alongside First Nations trainers. These suggestions are also not an exhaustive list of possibilities to explore with your team and will vary from learner cohort to learner cohort, as First Nations cultures and students are not a homogenous group, and success strategies must be locally contextualised.
Engagement with Community
One of the key strategies for supporting First Nations vocational learners is through engagement and partnership with local communities. When communities, trainers, and learners work together, it creates a harmonious environment conductive to effective learning that is beneficial to both the learners and their communities. This collaboration is particularly important when the training content is connected to local knowledge, experiences and cultures.
Training on Country
First Nations learners have the right to remain on Country for their vocational education. In many communities, success in learning is as much a collective outcome as an individualistic one, as learners work collaboratively, share information, and value kinship. Good practice in vocational education and training focuses on meeting the needs of the learners, with this approach learners maintain community connections while studying, leading to increased retention and completion.
Community-Based Learning Opportunities
Engagement with First Nations communities and organisations can lead to community-based learning opportunities. These training programs should incorporate local projects that address community needs that are identified by the community, integrate local cultural practices, and contribute to community development. The learning process may also incorporate community-based knowledge, and opportunities for families and communities to be involved in the learning journey.
Community-Based Learning may include mentoring between Elders and learners, opportunities for Elders to share knowledge and wisdom, and to provide direction on cultural protocols, and ways of knowing. This reinforces a culturally safe learning environment and an opportunity for involving First Nations role models and mentors to provide guidance, education, and inspiration for the learners.
Partnerships with First Nations Communities and Organisations
Developing formal partnerships with local First Nations communities and organisations offers the opportunity for regular consultation with community leaders regarding educational needs and priorities. This collaborative decision-making process ensures that the training programs are meaningful, strengthens a culturally responsive learning environment, and contribute towards course progression. These joint initiatives benefit both the learners and their communities.
Skills for Local Jobs
Aligning vocational programs with opportunities within the local labour markets of First Nations communities can improve completion rates due to the employment opportunities and pathways. Work placements with First Nations businesses can help vocational learners secure employment and contribute positively to the value of vocational education in the community.
The success of First Nations learners is not only about individual achievement but also about strengthening relationships with and serving the community. RTOs need to commit to working alongside communities to provide quality vocational education on Country. This collaborative approach will create the teamwork, trust, and respect needed for successful program outcomes.
In this series, we will continue to explore supporting culturally responsive learning environments, shaping organisational culture, staff cultural competence and the need to increase employment of First Nations trainers and support staff in RTOs. For more articles on supporting First Nations vocational learners, please visit https://www.harrisstyles.com.au/news-advice/.
References
Cameron, R., Stuart, L., & Bell T. (2017). Race based inequalities for Indigenous Australians’ participation and engagement in VET: a targeted review of the research. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 69(3), 311-332. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2017.1289553
Guenther, J., Bat, M., Stephens, A., Skewes, J., Boughton, B., Williamson, F., Wooltorton, S., Marshall, M., & Dwyer, A. (2017). Enhancing training advantage for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners. NCVER. https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/enhancing-training-advantage-for-remote-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-learners
Guenther, J., Disbray, S., & Osbourne, S. (2015). Building on ‘Red Dirt Perspectives: What Counts as Important for Remote Education? The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 44(2), 194–206. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2015.20
Hearn, S., & Kenna, L. (2020). Spending for success: identifying ‘what works?’ for Indigenous student outcomes in Australian Universities. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2020.27
United Nations. (2007). United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf
Wilks, J., Dwyer, A., Wooltorton, S., & Guenther, J. (2020). ‘We got a different way of learning’: A message to the sector from Aboriginal students living and studying in remote communities. Australian Universities Review, 62(2), 25-38. https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/INFORMIT.398466108983059
