BUILDING DIVERSITY 2000:

TRANSITION FROM VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO EMPLOYMENT FOR GRADUATES WITH DISABILITIES. FINAL PROJECT REPORT JUNE 2002

Greg Lewis B.Psych., M.App.Psych., Ph.D. Libby Drenen B.App.Sc.(OT), GD.Bus.(HRM). Marisa Tarzia B.Soc.Sc.(Human Serv.).

Edge Training Solutions PO Box 1892, Subiaco, 6904 Telephone: (08) 9388 8550 Facsimile: (08) 9388 8440 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.edge.org.au

This research was made possible by a funding grant from the Western Australian Department of Training and Employment

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NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN TERMINOLOGY New Apprentice In Australia, the term New Apprentice refers to structured work-based training courses that range from one to four years full-time and lead to a nationally recognised certificate-level qualification. New Apprenticeships include three or four year apprenticeships in traditional trades and one or two year traineeships that may or may not lead onto an apprenticeship. Group Training (Organisations) Group Training Organisations (GTO) re funded by government to employ New Apprentices and then place them with host employers who would not be able to take them on for the full term of the New Apprenticeship or be unable to provide all aspects of the required training. Approximately one in eight New Apprentices in Australia are indentured by Group Training Organisations. Registered Training (Organisations) Registered Training Organisations (RTO) is funded by government to plan, deliver and assess the training element of a New Apprenticeship. Public colleges of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) provide some 90% of all New Apprenticeship related training, with the remainder being provider by private RTOs. Competitive Employment Training and Placement (Agencies) Competitive Employment Training and Placement (CETP) agencies are funded by government to assist people with significant disabilities (intellectual, physical, sensory or psychiatric) to secure and retain paid, integrated employment in the open workforce.

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CONTENTS Introduction

4

Method

6

REFERENCE GROUP

6

Participants

5

Research Design

5

Transition phases

8

Informant groups

8

Theme analysis

10

Findings and Discussion

15

Employment outcomes for VET graduates with disabilities in WA

15

Mentoring programs for VET graduates with disabilities transiting to employment

16

Other strategies and pathways for VET graduates with disabilities transiting to employment

21

Consolidating transition strategies and pathways with minimal ongoing resource implications for the WA Department of Training

26

References

32

Appendices

33

Appendix 1: www.careertips.net.au web-site map Appendix 2: www.careertips.net.au web-site content

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INTRODUCTION In 1996, 9.7% of the general working age population participated in vocational education and training (VET). Whilst 16% of the working age population had a disability (ABS, 1998), only 1.7% participated in training in that year (NCVER, 1996). By 1998, 11% of the general working age population was participating in vocational education and training. However, participation rates for working age people with disabilities continued to lag well behind, with just 2.4% participating in training in 1998 (NCVER, 1999). The “Achieving Equitable Outcomes” report, published by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA, 1998) stated that: “People with a disability more often enrol in educational preparation, basic employment and basic employment skills programs. They are poorly represented in higher-level award courses and contracts of training.” The Australian National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training (1998-2003), “A Bridge to the Future”, has as one of its five objectives “achieving equitable outcomes in vocational education and training”. In 2000 ANTA published “Bridging Pathways: A Blueprint for the National Plan of Action for Increasing Opportunities for People with a Disability in Vocational Education and Training”, which was subsequently endorsed by the ANTA Ministerial Council. Bridging Pathways states that: • •

There is a short-fall group of more than 178,000 students with a disability who are needed to match their participation rate in VET with the general population. People with disabilities who do participate in VET are not experiencing the same training outcomes or recording the same progress or satisfaction as other students. VET students with disabilities are less likely to be enrolled in higher-level courses (Certificate III and above) than other students. VET students with disabilities are twice as likely to be enrolled in multi-field programs (pre-employment, pre-vocational, language and literacy) than other students. Participation of people with disabilities in apprenticeships and traineeships is significantly lower than that of other students. The module pass rate of people with disabilities is lower than that of other students.

• •

• •

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Bridging Pathways has established four banner goals to achieve its vision of creating a vocational education and training system that leads world’s best practice in achieving equitable outcomes for people with disabilities: 1. Opening the Door - increasing access to vocational education and training for people with a disability. 2. Improving the Learning Experience - improving successful participation and attainment in all fields of study and levels of vocational education and training. 3. Achieving Employment and Lifelong Learning Outcomes - achieving outcomes in employment and lifelong learning to allow people with a disability to make a greater contribution to the economic and social life of the community. 4. Creating an Accountable System - creating an accountable system that provides equitable outcomes for people with a disability. In October 2000, Edge Training Solutions was funded by the WA Department of Training to conduct a Building Diversity Project, the purpose of which was to identify, develop and pilot initiatives to assist graduates with disabilities in making a successful transition from the VET sector into employment in their chosen field of study. This project sought to address some of the issues associated with VET graduates with disabilities making the transition from training into employment through developing and piloting a range of specific interventions and linkages in and/or between existing programs in the training and employment sectors. The following five research questions were investigated during the project: •

•

What employment outcomes have been achieved by Western Australians with disabilities who have recently graduated from the VET sector? What effective mentoring programs are operating in Australia or other parts of the world to assist graduates with disabilities in the transition from the VET sector to open employment? What other successful strategies have been reported that assist graduates with disabilities in the transition from the VET sector to open employment? What transition pathways can be developed between the VET sector and disability employment agencies, job network agencies and industry directly? How can mentoring strategies and transition pathways be established and consolidated so that they can endure with minimal ongoing resource implications for the WA Department of Training?

• • •

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METHOD REFERENCE GROUP In the experience of most people with disabilities, the training sector and the employment sector have traditionally operated as quite separate entities, each focusing on their particular area of expertise. People with disabilities have experienced difficulty in making the transition from one sector to the other. The Project Research Team took the view that developing long-term strategic partnerships between the VET sector and employment is crucial to assisting graduates with disabilities to make a smooth and successful transition into employment upon graduating. Therefore, a key research strategy of this project was providing greater opportunities for the VET and employment sectors to work in partnership to address the needs of graduating students with disabilities transiting from VET into employment. A Reference Group, with broad representation across the two sectors, was established to guide the development of effective transition strategies for graduates with disabilities. The Reference Group comprised: Gordon Duffy

Principal Consultant, Equity and Participation, WA Department of Training

Lesley van Schoubroeck

Director, Equity and Participation, WA Department of Training

Craig Nicholas

Regional Employment Co-ordinator, WA Department of Training

Tony Vardaro

Disability Services Officer, South East Metro College of TAFE

Jaye Johnson

State Disability Liaison Officer, Post-Secondary Education

Joe Lipari

Executive Officer, Disability Services Program, Department of Family and Community Services

David Marshall

Manager, Disability Services Program, Department of Family and Community Services

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Linda Devall

Executive Officer, Group Training WA

Judith Gillies

Disability Services Officer, Challenger TAFE

Susan Robertson

Managing Director, Edge Employment Solutions

Peter Goff

Manager, Apprenticeships and Traineeships, Edge Training Solutions

The Project Research Team comprised: Dr Greg Lewis*

Executive Director, Edge Training Solutions

Libby Drenen*

Manager, Training and Recognition, Edge Training Solutions

Marisa Tarzia *

Training Co-ordinator, Edge Training Solutions

PARTICIPANTS The research project was targeted at students with disabilities who are currently enrolled in, or have recently completed, certificate to diploma level vocational studies. These studies may have been undertaken at TAFE or through a private Registered Training Organisation. RESEARCH DESIGN A range of research techniques was incorporated into the research design, based upon the research question being addressed. The techniques selected for each research question are described below. Q1.

What employment outcomes have been achieved by Western Australians with disabilities who have recently graduated from the VET sector?

This research question was addressed in several ways. Previous Graduate Destination Surveys were examined to establish a historical context for graduates with and without Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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disabilities. This context was supplemented by other surveys and reports that had been published in recent years on graduates with disabilities. A more comprehensive analysis of the Student Outcome Survey 2000 was undertaken. The Student Outcome Survey, which superseded the Graduate Destination Survey, is a national survey of students who undertook vocational education and training at TAFE in 1999. The survey (which was voluntarily completed by graduates and had a return rate of 55.8%) collected information including if the person had a disability, their field of study, type of qualification and their employment status before, during and after the course. Data was collected from TAFE graduates and students who had completed TAFE modules during 1999. A graduate was considered to be anyone that had satisfactorily completed a course of study at TAFE in 1999. A person was considered employed if they had undertaken one hour or more of work for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind in a job or business during the reference period. For the purpose of answering research question one, only information relating to Western Australian graduates has been reported in this study. The data on graduates with disabilities that was reported in the Student Outcome Survey 2000 was enhanced by asking the WA Department of Training to supply a breakdown of responses by Western Australian graduates who reported having disabilities. However, due to the relatively small respondent numbers (n = 231) some of the findings reported later need to be interpreted with caution. Q2.

What effective mentoring programs are operating in Australia or other parts of the world to assist graduates with disabilities in the transition from the VET sector to open employment?

Information regarding effective mentoring programs operating in Australia and other parts of the world was sourced largely through the Internet and published articles and reports. More than 200 Mentoring programs were identified and investigated by the researchers through the Internet. Those that had particular relevance to students with disabilities were explored in greater depth and are reported in the Findings and Discussion section. Current issues and back issues of journals that publish articles in the area of mentoring were examined for relevant information. The researchers became subscription members of the international mentoring organisation, Peer Resources Network, which provided access to a regular newsletter on mentoring initiatives and password access to the network’s on-line mentoring resources.

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The researchers also joined a number of VET related local and national networks. These networks have provided access to journal and newsletters articles and conference presentations that make reference to mentoring issues or initiatives. Q3.

What other successful strategies have been reported that assist graduates with disabilities in the transition from the VET sector to open employment?

Q4.

What transition pathways can be developed between the VET sector and disability employment agencies, job network agencies and industry directly?

The same research methodology was used for questions 3 and 4 and, therefore, they are described together. The exploration of transition strategies and transition pathways for for VET graduates with disabilities was undertaken using a “naturalistic inquiry” research design. The unique circumstances and individual nature of each VET graduate’s disability militates against the implementation of a traditional research design that tests hypotheses and yields a set of findings around an “average” VET graduate with a disability. No individual may fit that description and the validity and applicability of any subsequent recommendations will diminish as the individual is less like the “average subject”. Naturalistic inquiries possess a number of design and data collection features that set them apart from traditional empirical research. The research design for this study attempts to accommodate as many of these characteristics as are relevant to the project and practical to apply. These include: Qualitative methods: Qualitative methods are preferred over quantitative methods (although not exclusively). Grounded theory: The researchers are not working from a standpoint of knowing in advance what strategies are likely to prove most effective. Rather they will rely on the findings that emerge from the study. Emergent design: The research design will “unfold” rather than be constructed and rigidly adhered to from the outset. Personal reporting mode: Informant groups and case studies will be preferred over scientific or technical data collection.

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Tentative application: Rather than making broad generalisations about the findings, the researchers will provide a “thick description” of findings to enable readers to apply the information to their own discrete situations and settings. Transition phases Acknowledging that successful transition to employment proceeds through a series of stages, the Project Research Team chose to explore strategies that had contributed to graduates’ successful transition during each of the three discrete, but inter-dependent phases. The Training Phase:

The period from when a person selected and enrolled in a course to when the person finished their training.

The Pre-employment Phase:

The period after a person has completed their training and before commencing employment.

The Employment Phase:

The period after a person secures a position and during their employment.

Informant groups Four informant groups, representing graduates with disabilities and various sub-sectors of the VET and employment sectors, were established. The primary role of each informant group was to share successful strategies as well as suggest strategies that might be able to be developed to assist future graduates with disabilities into occupations that reflect their chosen area of study. The four informant groups comprised: • • •

•

VET graduates with disabilities VET disability support providers (TAFE Disability Service Officers, State Disability Liaison Officer, WADOT Access and Participation consultants) Disability employment agencies and generic employment services with experience in assisting graduates with disabilities (Competitive Employment Training and Placement providers, Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service, Job Network providers, Joblink services) Training Providers (Public and Private RTOs with experience in training people with disabilities)

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A number of individual interviews were also conducted with stakeholders who expressed an interest in being involved in the research, but had been unable to attend an informant group meeting. During these interviews participants were asked the same questions as participants in each of the informant groups. Their responses were then integrated into the data pool of the particular group they represented. VET graduates who participated in the informant group were sourced through TAFE Disability Services Officers, disability employment agencies and other disability services agencies. Graduates were first contacted by the service involved and asked if they wished to participate in the research. Because the focus of this research was graduates securing employment in their field of study, it was decided that graduates with disabilities from generic pre-vocational or multi-field courses would be excluded from this research. Thus, only graduates with a Certificate-level or higher vocational qualification were surveyed. Locating VET graduates with disabilities who had been successful in finding employment in their field of study proved to be quite difficult. This may imply that few graduates with disabilities have made a successful transition. Another interpretation may be that successful graduates with disabilities have not needed to utilise TAFE Disability Service Officers or disability employment agencies. From a disability employment agency perspective, it was apparent that staff in most agencies contacted during the course of this investigation were not certain which of their clients actually possessed a vocational qualification. The Project Research Team met with nine VET graduates with disabilities representing a cross-section of disability types and a variety of fields of study and courses, from Certificate level courses through to associate diplomas. Five graduates were currently employed in their field of study. Two graduates were employed, but believed that their position and duties did not relate to their field of study or level of qualification. One graduate was unemployed and one graduate was completing further studies after being unsuccessful in finding employment upon completing an Advanced Certificate and two Diplomas. Six graduates participated in the informant group meeting which was held in the boardroom of Edge Employment Solutions on a weekday evening (so as not to clash with their employment arrangements). Participants were provided with refreshments and offered transport assistance. Three graduates, who were not able to attend the meeting, were interviewed separately in the ensuing weeks. Graduates who were interviewed individually were asked the same questions as the informant group participants. Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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VET disability support providers were offered a morning session as all were in fulltime employment and a weekday meeting was more convenient to most prospective participants. A total of five participants attended the informant group meeting: three TAFE Disability Services Officers (all from metropolitan colleges), the State Disability Liaison Officer and an Access and Participation consultant from the WA Department of Training. Employment providers were contacted through telephone, facsimile and e-mail to seek interest from staff who had provided employment support to graduates with disabilities. All Competitive Employment Training and Placement providers, Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service, Job Network providers with Intensive Assistance contracts and Joblink services were contacted and invited to participate. A total of nine employment provider representatives attended the informant group meeting (which was held on a weekday afternoon at Edge Employment Solutions). Six of the participants were from Competitive Employment Training and Placement providers, one participant was from the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service, one participant was from a Joblink service, and one participant was an employment advocate from a large disability organisation. Two representatives (both from Competitive Employment Training and Placement providers), who were not able to attend the meeting, were interviewed separately in the following week. Representatives who were interviewed individually were asked the same questions as the informant group participants. Training providers were drawn from private Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) that specialised in the design and delivery of Certificate-level vocational training to people with disabilities. All private RTOs that appeared on the list of RTOs maintained by the WA Department of Training, and that met the above criteria, were invited by mail to join the informant group. A total of three participants attended the weekday morning informant group meeting at Edge Employment Solutions. Three representatives, who were not able to attend the meeting, were interviewed separately in the ensuing weeks. Representatives who were interviewed individually were asked the same questions as the informant group participants. Theme analysis At the informant group meetings, participants were asked to list effective strategies in each of the three transition phases (training, pre-employment and employment) that they felt had contributed to graduates’ successful transition from training into employment in Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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their field of study. Participants were then asked to list other strategies that they felt could be considered to assist future graduates with disabilities during each of the phases. Not all informant groups were asked to report effective strategies across all phases. For example, DSOs were not asked to list what strategies had proven effective in the employment phase – as they would have no direct exposure to the strategies used or the outcomes achieved. However, they were asked to offer suggestions as to what strategies might work during the employment phase. Similarly, graduates who had not yet succeeded in finding employment in their field of study were only asked to suggest strategies that might work for them. Each informant group meeting commenced with a brief overview of the research project, its purpose and the role of the informant groups in generating and critiquing strategies. Participants were provided with feedback sheets. Separate sheets were provided for each transition phase. Participants were asked to spend 15 minutes listing strategies on their feedback sheets that had proven effective in their own experience. The graduate informant group was not provided with feedback sheets as some participants would have had difficulty completing them. Instead, each participant was asked in turn to tell the facilitator what strategies had worked for them. Once participants had listed the successful strategies, they were asked in turn to share them with the group. The strategies were recorded on an electronic whiteboard as they were raised. Identical strategies that were raised by more than one participant were marked and numbered accordingly. Once all of the strategies that had proven successful were collected and recorded, participants were asked to suggest other strategies that might work for future graduates in the three stages. These suggestions were also recorded on the whiteboard. All informant group sessions were also audio-taped (with the prior permission of participants). The day following each informant group meeting, the Project Research Team met to sort the individual strategies into themes. The theme analysis process began by separating cards into different piles on the basis of what Lincoln and Guba (1985) call “look-alike” or “feel-alike” features. As cards in a pile accumulated, a covering rule and category properties were developed. Once developed each card in that provisional theme category was reviewed against the rule for inclusion. Any misfits were placed in a “miscellaneous” pile for re-allocation to another, or a new, provisional category. Once a full category set had been developed (i.e. all cards were assigned to a category from the available cards), the categories were then compared for possible overlaps or Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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over-inclusion. Some categories were divided and some were combined. At this point each category was provisionally named. Having reached agreement as to the number, nature and content of each theme category, the Project Research Team then gave each provisional category a final, suitably descriptive, title. Q5.

How can mentoring strategies and transition pathways be established and consolidated so that they can endure with minimal ongoing resource implications for the WA Department of Training?

The methodology to research this question emerged at the research project unfolded after the recommended strategies and transition pathways had been collected, collated, described and understood. The Project Research Team was then in a position to assemble the information and resources that it was determined the various stakeholders would need to implement the recommended strategies and pathways. This stage of the research project also involved the project leader visiting Deakin University to discuss the preferred mentoring program with the program developer.

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FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES FOR VET GRADUATES WITH DISABILITIES IN WA Information collected by the Project Research Team indicated that 5,777 Western Australian graduates responded to the Student Outcome Survey (2000). The outcomes for WA graduates with disabilities were found to be generally in line with national outcomes for graduates with disabilities as reported in the Student Outcome Survey (2000). Four percent (231) of WA respondents identified themselves as having a disability by ticking the appropriate box on the survey form (three percent of respondents did not answer the question on disability). This represents an encouraging improvement on the 1.7% of working age people with disabilities who participated in VET in 1996 and the 2.4% who participated in VET in 1998. However, participation rates continue to lag well behind the 11% participation rate in VET for the general working age population. An assumption is often made that many graduates with disabilities attend TAFE for primarily recreational and socialisation purposes. Data from the survey indicate that graduates with disabilities were just as likely as other graduates to have undertaken studies at TAFE for primarily vocational reasons. WA graduates with disabilities listed their main reasons for undertaking their course as: • • • • •

to get a job (30% ), try a different career (15%), as a requirement of their current job (11%), to get a better job or promotion (7%), wanted extra skills for job (6%)

Seventy percent of all WA respondents to the Student Outcome Survey (2000) had found paid employment within six months of completing their courses. However, only 44% of the respondents with disabilities had found employment within the same period. In other words, graduates with disabilities were almost twice as likely as other graduates to still be unemployed six months after graduating from their course. Amongst those graduates with disabilities that were working, it could not be ascertained from the survey whether their employment was in a field related to their TAFE studies.

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MENTORING

PROGRAMS FOR

VET

GRADUATES WITH DISABILITIES TRANSITING TO

EMPLOYMENT

The term mentor comes from Homer’s Odyssey. Before Odysseus embarked on the first of his epic journeys, he engaged a private adviser for his young son, Telemachus. The adviser’s name was Mentor. According to Carr, Moyer de Rosenroll and Saunders (1997), there are two major approaches to mentorship: natural (informal) mentoring and (formal) mentoring. A natural mentor is the type of mentor that most people would be familiar with in their daily lives. A natural mentor is typically a person (from inside or outside the family) who plays a role in assisting an individual to establish and/or achieve their short-term or long-term goals and to deal with the challenges that arise along the way. Formal mentoring, is a planned, deliberate and more systematic approach to mentoring. Formal mentoring should build on what we know works well in informal mentoring, such as mutual respect and trust. As Carr et al (1997) argue, “For intentional (formal) mentoring to be successful, mentors must be able to demonstrate many of the skills and roles associated with natural mentoring.” Most mentoring programs generally recognise an inequality in the mentoring relationship: that the mentor is a “giver” of information, advice, guidance, support and general expertise, whilst the protégé is, by implication a “receiver” of these things. This is not to say that mentors do not get as much out of the mentoring relationship as do protégés. Rather, they get different things: less practical or instrumental and more personal and intrinsic. They get to use their own life skills and experiences to assist students with disabilities (Balatti and Balatti-Hill, 2001). They notice that their own personal skills and self-awareness levels improve (Balatti and Balatti-Hill, 2001). They find that their own skills in listening, counselling and modelling are enhanced (McKeen and Burke, 1990). They learn to relate to members of the younger generation on a more equal basis (Balatti and Balatti-Hill, 2001). They feel they have made an important contribution and experience a heightened sense of self-worth (Uninews Online, 2001). In their Bridging Model of mentoring, Rey Carr and his colleagues use the term bridging to describe the nature of the relationship between the mentor and the person being mentored (the protégé). This relationship is seen as an equal one, where both parties enter into a partnership - rather than the mentor taking the role of “wise counsellor” and the protégé as a “person in need”. This model attempts to combine the key aspects of natural mentoring with its focus on reciprocal, mutually beneficial Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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relationships and formal mentoring with its emphasis on systematic and planned guidance. For some equity groups, such as people with disabilities, mentoring may not occur naturally and a more planned and formal mentoring program may be necessary. Whilst the potential benefits of mentoring for people with disabilities are generally acknowledged, and there is widespread interest in developing such programs, the extra resources required to recruit, screen, train, match and monitor mentors for people with disabilities means that there are far fewer examples of mentoring within this group than there are for the general population. Amongst the 235 mentoring programs that were located and examined by the Project Research Team, less than 10 had a primary focus on mentoring for people with disabilities. There are even fewer examples of mentoring programs that focus on graduates with disabilities to secure successful employment outcomes. The two such programs that are most relevant to VET graduates with disabilities transiting to employment have both been developed for higher education graduates with disabilities. However, in the view of the researchers, the governing principles, operations and content of the programs are directly applicable to VET graduates with disabilities. Both programs are briefly described below. DO-IT (Disabilities Opportunities Internetworking Technology) DO-IT was established by the University of Washington to increase the success of people with disabilities (especially in the science, engineering and mathematics fields) in securing successful employment outcomes in their field of study. The disabilities of protégés in the DO-IT program include vision, hearing, learning and physical – not dissimilar to the disability representation amongst VET students. Importantly, from the perspective of the current research, mentoring is seen by the program operators as only one of an array of strategies that DO-IT uses to encourage and facilitate the pursuit of careers in these areas. Mentors, some of whom have a disability themselves, include college students, faculty staff and industry professionals. Mentors provide the following supports to their protégés: • • •

Sharing their knowledge and experiences. Introducing protégés to their valuable academic, career and personal contacts. Stimulating curiosity and building confidence by offering new ideas and experiences.

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• • •

Encouraging growth and achievement by providing an open and supportive environment. Helping protégés discover their talents and interests and devise strategies to attain their goals. Making suggestions to help protégés reach their academic, career and personal goals.

As stated in the Guidelines for Mentors (DO-IT, 2001), “As a guide, counselor and friend, you inspire and facilitate academic, career and personal achievements…Your role as a mentor is a mix of friend and teacher.” DO-IT encourages one-to-one communication between mentors and protégés via the Internet and also facilitates communication in small groups through use of electronic discussion lists. DO-IT has been trialing electronic mentoring since 1993. This might have particular relevance to Western Australia given the proportion of graduates with disabilities who study in rural and remote localities. The DO-IT operators’ observations of Internet-based interactions has led them to suggest (perhaps surprisingly) that mentor-to-protégé relationships conducted over the Internet are not dissimilar to those conducted face-to-face and that they perform similar functions in providing participants with psycho-social, academic and career support. Participants saw the major benefits of the Internet-based mentoring program to be: the ability to communicate over great distances quickly, easily, conveniently and inexpensively; the elimination of barriers of distance and schedule; the ability to communicate with more than one person at one time; and the opportunity to communicate with people from all over the world. Many participants also reported that people treat them equally, because they are not immediately aware of their disabilities. Negative aspects of Internet-based mentoring included difficulties in clearly expressing ideas and feelings; high volumes of messages; occasional technical problems; and lack of personal contact. The Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) Program In 2000 the University of Melbourne Disability Liaison Unit and Deakin University Disability Resource Centre jointly secured funding through the Commonwealth Department of Education Science and Training to fund a pilot mentoring program for students with disabilities.

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The Willing & Able Mentoring (WAM) program matches final year university students who have a disability with mentors in major corporations (public and private sector) in the students’ respective fields of study (Murfitt, 2002). The program involves a series of approximately eight one to two hour meetings during the second half of the students’ final year and focus their discussions on: • • • • • •

Gathering information about the career environment their protégé is heading towards. Experiencing the workplace culture (e.g. by attending a staff meeting). Clarifying the essential requirements of job roles in the workplace. Refining interview skills. Developing better skills in presenting their professional profile. Disclosure and demystifying disability and related workplace issues (e.g. workplace modifications).

Until recently, the WAM program has operated primarily in Victoria, but has already assembled an impressive stable of mentoring organisations. These include Telstra, Royal Melbourne Zoo, Royal Children’s Hospital, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victoria Police, Department of Human Services, Royal Australian Association of Architects, IBM and the Sheraton Hotel. Most of the early contacts were generated by the protégés themselves or the program developer, who is employed in the Institute of Disability Studies at Deakin University (Murfitt, personal communication). A number of the involved corporations offered mentors for other protégés in the following years. The WAM program is continuing to grow and to spread across the country. In 2002, 63 prospective protégés have signed up to be matched to a mentor (Murfitt, personal communication). Notably, protégés have signed up from all States, apart from Western Australia. Some vocational educationalists have expressed reservations about how mentors will be recruited, and by whom, as the program expands across the country. The program developers counter that recruiting suitable mentors has not proved a problem to date. Also, as the program expands, it is hoped that disability employment agencies and diversity recruitment co-ordinators will be able to recruit mentors from within their own employer networks. The WAM program has not yet been fully evaluated as it forms part of the program developer’s doctoral research – and data collection will not be completed until the end of 2002. Until then, the replicability, broader applicability and the robustness of the program will not be known.

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Whilst both of the mentoring programs described above are targeted at higher education, rather than VET graduates, each offers features that are valuable and transferable to VET graduates with disabilities in Western Australia. The DO-IT program pioneered Internet-based mentoring for graduates with disabilities, which has particular relevance to Western Australian graduates, given the proportion of graduates with disabilities who study in rural and remote localities. Establishing a State-wide program for VET graduates with disabilities was one of the major thrusts of this Building Diversity research project. An Internet-based mentoring system would enable graduates, wherever they are in the State, to communicate over great distances easily and inexpensively. The other attraction of the DO-IT program is that mentoring is one element of a package of supports that are offered to graduates with disabilities. Thus, some of the known weaknesses of Internet-based mentoring (e.g. difficulties in clearly expressing ideas and feelings, and lack of personal contact) can be counter-balanced by other more personalised forms of support. The WAM program also has a number of aspects and elements that are directly relevant to a transition support program for VET graduates with disabilities. It was developed in Australia, it is about to be trialed in several States and it offers a very structured program involving 8-16 hours face-to-face contact over eight meetings. Its other major attraction is that it attempts to work in conjunction with disability employment services to recruit mentors and, ideally, effect post-program placements for protégés with the mentors’ employers. Building closer linkages between the VET and disability employment sectors to improve transition outcomes for graduates with disabilities is another key thrust of this Building Diversity research project. The Project Research Team has made some modifications to mentoring program objectives for VET graduates with disabilities that mentors should provide to protégés based in VET settings. The objectives for VET graduates with disabilities should include: • • • • • • •

Improving the protégé’s knowledge of available services to assist with study, at work or in the wider community. Helping to instil and maintain positive attitudes in the protégé to study and work. Supporting the protégé to get through their traineeship or apprenticeship. Giving the protégé a greater sense of confidence and optimism about the future. Providing advocacy support to the protégé when problems arise. Assisting the protégé to establish and achieve study and work goals. Advising the protégé on paid and work experience opportunities. Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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• •

Improving the protégé’s job readiness, job presentation and job search skills. Helping the protégé link up with a suitable employment agency.

OTHER

STRATEGIES AND PATHWAYS FOR

VET

GRADUATES WITH DISABILITIES

TRANSITING TO EMPLOYMENT

The informant groups described in the Research Design section were formed to address questions 3 and 4 of the research project. Participants at each informant group meeting were asked to share what strategies that had found to be effective in assisting graduates with disabilities to gain employment in their field of study. Participants were first asked to describe strategies that had actually been utilised and worked for graduates with disabilities (“effective strategies”). They were then asked to suggest other strategies that they thought might work (“suggested strategies”). After collating their responses into general themes, the following strategies emerged from the various informant groups across the training (Tables 1-2), pre-employment (Tables 3-4) and employment phases (Tables 5–6). Effective Strategies during the Training Phase Table 1a. Theme analysis of effective transition strategies utilised during the training phase - as reported by nine graduates (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • • • • • •

Lecturer support (8) Relevant work experience (4) Individualised training and assessment (3) Peer support (3) Appropriate training equipment (2) Employment agency support (2) Self-motivation and self-sufficiency (2) Appropriate course selection (2) Parental support (2)

Table 1b. Theme analysis of effective transition strategies utilised during the training phase - as reported by five VET disability support providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • •

DSO linking with external agencies (4) Individualised training & assessment (3) Relevant work experience (3) Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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• • • • • • •

DSO support to lecturer (3) Funding for tutors, interpreters, equipment etc. (3) DSO building student self sufficiency (3) Using external mentors (2) DSO as case manager (3) Ongoing guidance with course & careers (2) Disability awareness training for TAFE staff & other students (1)

Table 1c. Theme analysis of effective transition strategies utilised during the training phase - as reported by six training providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • • • • • • •

Flexible training (14) Integrated & holistic approach to training (6) Flexible curriculum (5) Develop the person’s social & personal competencies (5) Goal setting & career planning (4) Flexible assessment (4) Linking students to other training or employment (4) Work-based learning/work experience (3) Mentoring students throughout training(1) Advocating for student (1)

Suggested Strategies during the Training Phase Table 2a. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the training phase - as reported by nine graduates (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • • • • •

Access to relevant work during training (8) Ongoing guidance with courses & careers (7) Job search skills training (3) Information about employment agencies (3) Access to technology (2) Individualised training (1) Access to job search officer at TAFE (1) Marketing people with disabilities (1)

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Table 2b. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the training phase - as reported by five VET disability support providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Job search skills training (8) DSO networking with employment providers (4) Appropriate selection/training of tutors, interpreters, note-takers etc. (4) Relevant work experience (3) Pre-enrolment course advice (2) Internal mentors (within TAFE) (2) Industry mentors (2) Graduates with disabilities as role models (2) Graduates with disabilities as mentors (2) Acknowledging alternative pathways to employment (2) Increase funding for equipment, interpreters & tutors etc. (1) Feedback to DSOs re: student outcomes (1) Increase the number of DSOs (1) TAFE to set an example by employing people with disabilities (1) Publicity that is inclusive of people with disabilities (1)

Table 2c. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the training phase - as reported by six training providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • • • • • •

Develop VET & Employment sector partnerships(4) Build partnerships with community (2) More flexible funding arrangements (3) Better networks and co-operation with VET sector (public & private) (3) Job search training (1) Build personal competencies, not just industry competencies(1) Trainers to have experience training people with disabilities and industry skills (1) Appropriate pre-vocational counselling & career information (2) Develop a Virtual College (share resources & information) (1)

Table 2d. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the training phase - as reported by eleven employment providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • •

VET/employment providers arranging relevant work experience (9) Supporting lecturers (6) Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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• • • • • •

Building VET/employment provider partnerships 6) Job search training skills (3) Improve DSO support to students (3) Career information (2) Appropriate course advice (2) Promoting student competence & self sufficiency (1)

It is apparent from Tables 1 and 2 that all four informant groups share very similar views as to what could and should be done for students with disabilities to improve their prospects of successfully completing their courses of study and making the transition to employment. The availability of appropriate information and advice about courses and careers is seen as crucial from the outset, so that students begin on the right pathway. Choosing the most suitable Registered Training Organisation should include a consideration of its willingness and capacity to offer an individualised and flexible curriculum, training and assessment. Students themselves should be supported in a manner that enhances their motivation, social competencies and self-sufficiency. Lecturers need to be given information about disability and supported in adjusting their training delivery and assessment. Students should be linked with mentors as soon as possible during their studies and registered with an appropriate disability employment agency as their studies progress. Disability employment agencies should assist students to secure relevant work experience and provide any necessary on-the-job supports. Students should be provided with practical information and advice about effective job hunting while still studying. Effective Strategies during the Pre-employment Phase Table 3a. Theme analysis of effective transition strategies utilised during the preemployment phase - as reported by nine graduates (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • •

Relevant work experience (5) Self promotion & initiative (5) Family/friend networking (4) Employment agency support (2) Using Internet & newspaper (1)

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Table 3b. Theme analysis of effective transition strategies utilised during preemployment phase - as reported by eleven employment providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • • • • • •

Building job search competency, motivation & self sufficiency (8) Marketing graduates’ qualifications (4) Preparing job-seeker for interview (4) Marketing graduates relevant work experience (4) Utilising natural supports (2) Building partnerships with major employers (2) Pursue work-based traineeships (2) Industry mentoring (1) Graduate mentoring (1)

Suggested Strategies during the Pre-employment Phase Table 4a. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the pre-employment phase - as reported by nine graduates (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • •

Employment agency support (5) Guidance with transition (2) Better use of family/friend network (1) Access to Internet (1) Continue to develop skills (1)

Table 4b. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the pre-employment phase - as reported by five VET disability support providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • •

Have an expansive view of career options (8) Adopt & maintain a positive approach (6) Adopt life long learning habits (2)

Table 4c. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the pre-employment phase - as reported by six training providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • •

Comprehensive hand over from training to employment provider (1) Use linkages with RTOs for ongoing skills development (1) Use Training Providers to validate persons competencies (1)

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• • • •

Raise industry awareness of graduates with disabilities (1) Educate students about disclosure of disability (1) Acknowledge training done and use it as a starting point for job search. (1) Have an open mind about where skills can be used/transferred (1)

Table 4d. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the pre-employment phase - as reported by eleven employment providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • • • • • • • •

VET/ employment provider co-ordination (10) Linking students with employment provider (5) Appropriate career counselling (4) Whole of government/provider co-ordination (4) Careers expo for students with disabilities (3) Providing individualised support (2) Building job search competency & self sufficiency (2) Drawing on graduates’ knowledge & skills (2) Further learning & skills development (1) Post-graduation vocational assessment & planning (1) Develop a good knowledge of industry (1)

Tables 3 and 4 indicate that all informant groups see the timely linking of students with an appropriate employment provider as the most important transition strategy in the post-graduation, pre-employment phase. The role of the employment provider in supporting graduate job seekers with disabilities is seen as being different to that of supporting non-graduate job seekers, in that the focus should be more on building independent job search competencies and self-sufficiency. Employment agencies also need to more deliberately and effectively market graduates’ qualifications and relevant work experience to prospective employers. Graduates’ families and friends can play a networking and motivating role in the job search phase. This is especially important, given that two-thirds of jobs secured by people with disabilities in Australia are secured through family and friends (Lewis, Robertson and Drenen, 2001). Graduates will continue to profit from ongoing career counselling and industry mentoring, and should be encouraged to have an expansive view of career options and to maintain a positive attitude and approach.

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Effective Strategies during the Employment Phase Table 5a. Theme analysis of effective transition strategies utilised during the employment phase - as reported by nine graduates (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • •

Self initiative (8) Supportive co-worker/mentor (6) Supportive employer supervisor (3)

Table 5b. Theme analysis of effective transition strategies utilised during the employment phase - as reported by eleven employment providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • • •

Educating & training employers (4) Promote worker competence & self sufficiency (4) Individualised flexible support (4) Facilitate natural supports (3) Utilising adaptive technology in the workplace (3) Promote career development (2)

Suggested Strategies during the Employment Phase Table 6a. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the employment phase - as reported by nine graduates (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • •

On the job support & backup (3) Employee self motivation/self sufficiency (3) Disability awareness training for employers & co-workers (2) Advising employers about workplace modifications (2) Informing employers of equal employment opportunity obligations (1)

Table 6b. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the employment phase - as reported by five VET disability support providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • •

Maintain a positive & flexible approach (4) Pursue social acceptance & inclusion (3) Communicate workplace needs to employer (2) Do further studies (1) Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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Table 6c. Theme analysis of suggested transition strategies that could be utilised during the employment phase - as reported by eleven employment providers (numbers in brackets refer to number of individual responses in each category). • • • • •

Providing on going support (3) Promote worker competence & self sufficiency (3) Monitoring on the job performance (3) Utilising assistive technology (1) Promote career development (1)

Tables 5 and 6 reveal a continuing focus on promoting worker motivation, competence and self-sufficiency once the graduate does secure employment. This needs to be backed up by individualised and flexible on-the-job support from the disability employment agency. The key thrusts of this support should be: pursuing social inclusion and natural supports in the workplace; educating co-workers and supervisors about performance-related aspects of the graduate employee’s disability; communicating workplace needs to the employer; and utilising adaptive technology in the workplace. The graduate employee should also be encouraged to maintain a career development and lifelong learning focus. CONSOLIDATING

TRANSITION STRATEGIES AND PATHWAYS WITH MINIMAL ONGOING

RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WA

DEPARTMENT OF TRAINING

What is most apparent from both the literature and the views of the various informant groups and stakeholders is that there is no one strategy or model that will deliver the transition outcomes that VET graduates with disabilities seek and require. Further, different strategies and different providers play greater or lessor roles depending on the stage of transition from training to employment. From the perspective of the current research, it is interesting that mentoring was not seen by the informant groups as a stand-alone transition panacea. Rather, it was seen as one of a suite of strategies which, if implemented in a planned and co-ordinated way, would improve the transition outcomes for graduates with disabilities. Several strategies ran through all of the transition phases. The availability of accurate and timely information and advice about courses and careers is seen as crucial from initial course selection right through to post-placement career development. Running parallel to the availability of good information, and entirely dependent upon it, is supporting students/graduates/employees in manner that enhances their motivation, competencies and self-sufficiency.

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The interface between the VET and employment sectors was also seen as a key to improving transition outcomes. Disability employment agencies need to project themselves into the VET arena and assist the students with disabilities to secure work experiences, develop job search skills, identify suitable occupations, and locate industry mentors. Ideally, disability employment agencies should also become active in the secondary school system, supporting students to undertake school-based traineeships as a prelude to VET or higher education studies, work-based traineeships or apprenticeships. In the VET phase, other players come to the fore who will be crucial to students with disabilities successfully completing their courses of study and transiting smoothly to suitable employment. The Disability Service Officers have an important role to play in informing students of accommodations, equipment and other resources that can help to remove structural and learning barriers. They can also play a key role in assisting students with disabilities to approach lecturers, address any concerns and communicate their specific needs. Finally, the Disability Service Officers are in an ideal position to establish connections between individual students and appropriate employment services. As the student moves through the post-graduation, pre-employment phase and into the employment phase, the employment service progressively becomes the predominant player. The graduates with disabilities informant group were emphatic that they wished to be acknowledged as graduates by employment services and to have their qualifications taken into account in the job search process. After a suitable position has been secured, the employment agency’s focus should be on assisting the graduate employee to take advantage of natural supports in the workplace; communicate workplace needs to the employer; utilise adaptive technology in the workplace; and to pursue career development and lifelong learning opportunities. The employment agency may also provide on-the-job support as required. The challenge for this project was how to deliver all of the information and resources to all of the different stakeholders in a format and manner that is accessible, current, relevant and valuable – but also meets the WA Department of Training requirement that there be minimal ongoing resource implications. The solution found by the Project Research Team was to construct a web-site with dedicated sections for school leavers with disabilities, VET students with disabilities, career advisers, VET lecturers, disability employment agencies, employers and mentors that provides practical suggestions and proven strategies that each can implement to improve transition outcomes for graduates with disabilities. The web-site has been provisionally titled “www.careertips.net.au” to emphasise the focus on graduate Building Diversity Project 2000: Final Report

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independence, choice and self-sufficiency. The site map for the my-job web-site appears in Appendix 1 and the full text appears in Appendix 2. The my-job web-site could be linked to the WA Department of Training’s own very successful “AccessAllAreas” web-site (which is the most visited site operated by the department) enabling web visitors with disabilities and other interested parties to easily find and utilise the disability-specific site. The intention would be to design the site such that it had a similar contemporary look and feel to the AccessAllAreas site. Application will need to be made to the WA Department of Training for a one-off grant to construct and manage the web-site until the end of the 2004 academic year. In addition to co-ordinating the construction of the web-site, the Project Research Team could undertake the following tasks to give the transition initiative the greatest reach, impact and responsiveness: •

• •

• •

•

Work with the WA Department of Training to identify appropriate links to other web-sites (e.g. the TAFE web-site, the Apprenticeships and Traineeships web-site, the Disability Services Commission web-site). Produce and distribute a brochure through all TAFE outlets, and private RTOs with known disability involvement, promoting the my-job web-site. Respond to enquiries from web-site visitors through an e-mail and telephone link on the my-job web-site by providing information, advice and/or referrals to appropriate agencies. Maintain and update the my-job web-site to ensure that all information on the website remains accurate and current. Provide regular reports to the WA Department of Training on number of visitors to the site, number and source of enquiries received through the site (e.g. people with disabilities, lecturers, mentors), types of enquiries received through the site and action taken in response to enquiries. Undertake an evaluation of the my-job web-site at the end of 2004 and provide a report to the WA Department of Training.

The my-job web-site would follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, as recommended by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. The guidelines are designed to make web content accessible to people with disabilities.

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The following benefits will flow from the project: •

•

•

•

•

• •

•

•

•

The my-job web-site will provide a reference point, information source, advice service and referral system for a wide range of users, not the least students with disabilities. The my-job web-site is designed for and will be valuable to school-leavers with disabilities, VET students with disabilities, career advisors, TAFE and private RTO lecturers, TAFE disability service officers, disability employment agencies, employers and mentors – all key players in improving transition-to-work outcomes for students with disabilities. The my-job web-site will be designed with access and ease-of-use for people with disabilities in mind, by following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. As such it will serve as a model for other accessible web-site design ideas in the VET sector. The my-job web-site will be equally accessible to students with disabilities in metropolitan, rural and remote localities, thereby helping to break down the dual disadvantage of disability and isolation experienced by many non-metropolitan students with disabilities. The my-job web-site will have a direct link for students wishing to join the Willing & Able Mentoring program, which the current Project Management Team hopes to be able introduce to VET students with disabilities in 2004. The my-job web-site will remain accurate, up-to-date and relevant because it will be maintained by the Project Management Team. The my-job web-site will give the WA Department of Training an important extension to its successful AccessAllAreas web-site, enabling the department to better cater for the particular needs and interests of intending and current students with disabilities. The WA Department of Training will receive valuable strategic information on issues confronting VET students with disabilities from around the State and strategies used to resolve them. The WA Department of Training will gain comfort in the knowledge that, in addition to its network of Disability Service Officers in TAFE, there is an additional service in place to provide additional information, advice and referral assistance to VET students with disabilities. As a consequence of the my-job web-site, more people with disabilities will choose more suitable VET courses in the first instance, will be taught by more disabilityaware lecturers, will be better equipped to plan their own successful transition to employment, and will have better access to mentors and disability employment agencies in making that transition more smoothly and successfully.

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REFERENCES ABS (1998) Disability, Ageing and Carers: Summary of Findings for 1998. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics. ANTA (2000) Bridging Pathways: Blueprint for Implementation. Brisbane: Australian National Training Authority. ANTA (2001) Annual National Report of the Australian Vocational Education and Training System, Volume 1. Brisbane: Australian National Training Authority. DO-IT (2001) Opening Doors: Mentoring on the Internet. www.washington.edu/ doit/Brochures Balatti, J. & Balatti-Hill, N. (2001) Cairns Youth Mentoring Scheme: Interim Evaluation Report. Centacare. Cairns, Queensland. Carr, R., Moyer de Rosenroll D., & Saunders, G. (1997) Mentorship: The Bridging Model. Peer Resources. Victoria, British Columbia Lewis, G. M., Robertson, S.K., & Drenen E.A. (2001) Finding a Job, Keeping a Job. Perth: Proem Publications. Lincoln, Y.S. & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. California: Sage Publications McKeen, C. & Burke, R. (1990). Mentor Relationships in Organisations: Issues, Strategies and Prospects for Women. Journal of Management Development. Vol 8, No 6 (pp 33-42) Murfitt, K. (2002) Willing and Able Mentoring Program. www.geocities.com/ wamprogram/program.htm NCVER (1996) Students with Disabilities. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research. NCVER (1999a) Australian VET Statistics. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research. NCVER (2000) Student Outcome Survey 2000: National Report. National Centre for Vocational Education Research

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UniNews Online (2001) Students Benefit from Mentoring Program. UniNews Online. February. University of Melbourne. Melbourne, Victoria.

APPENDICES Specific appendices referred to in the report are available from the Project Director, Dr Greg Lewis, at [email protected]

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