Identifying strategies for improving VET to higher education transitions for Indigenous learners

Indigenous people participate in Australian Higher Education (HE) at significantly lower rates than their non-Indigenous counterparts (Behrendt et al. 2012). National data indicates that Indigenous students are less likely to complete Year 12 compared to non-Indigenous students and that Indigenous students are less likely to gain an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) deemed necessary for HE admission (Wilks & Wilson 2015). Indigenous people are more likely to enter HE later in life (tending to be mature age students aged over 25) and less likely to gain admittance into a university based on their prior educational achievement; while their average rates of completion of HE courses are at least twice as low as those of their non- Indigenous peers (Pechenkina 2015). More Indigenous students enrol in Vocational Education and Training (VET) than in HE (Wilks & Wilson 2015). Transitions and pathways into HE are often convoluted and far from straightforward. Supporting the transition of Indigenous students from VET to HE promises to increase Indigenous HE participation (Anderson 2011; Bandias, et al. 2013) , which is particularly crucial for regional and remote Indigenous students who have completed a VET qualification (Bandias, et al. 2013). Unfortunately, VET to HE pathways are relatively uncommon with only 4.9 per cent of Indigenous students currently making this transition (Wilks & Wilson 2015). While enabling programs have received significant recent attention, the potential of the VET to HE pathway s to increase Indigenous HE participation remains largely unexplored. Our research project expands on this gap by moving research beyond the investigation of enabling programs, towards a deeper examination of additional practice-based (and evidence- informed) strategies being developed by dual-sector universities in Australia . Our research found that there is significant potential to increase VET to HE transitions among Indigenous students, if supportive tertiary education environments are present. Key factors enabling such supportive environments include: targeted outreach and engagement work; support of a clear vision where pathway options are concerned; enhanced and well-aligned policies and practice. The issue of the VET to HE pathways and transitions can no longer be ignored as a viable pathway option for Indigenous students. Further action is required to support such transitions.