Refugee access and participation in tertiary education and training: final report to the Adult and Community Education Board (ACFE) and the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC), June 2008

Australia has a growing refugee population of about 12,000 people a year who gain entry into Australia through its humanitarian program. The motive for this research stems from the recognition that this sector of the population has distinct needs but there is little research into the experiences and needs of refugees in tertiary education and training in Australia or overseas. Although guides for teachers dealing with refugees have been produced, these are both dated and deal with classroom situations rather than policy issues. Work in this area has been undertaken overseas, but this does not take into account specific circumstances surrounding the Australian tertiary education sector. In addition, while some Victorian educational institutions have developed special programs for refugees there has been no comprehensive mapping and evaluation of these. The main research questions addressed in the research are: 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?; and What policies and programs need to be developed to better advance refugee access to higher education and training?