Web version ACAL

November 2015

In this issue

From the President

Stories project

1. 'Stories of Resilience'

Resources

2. 'Resilience, Risk Preservation: the evolving world of adult literacies'

3. Go Digi - A national digital literacy program

Professional development

4. Research Forum: VET's role in re-skilling displaced workers

5. 'Improving Reintegration from Prison into the Community' conference

Reports

6. Investing in Workplace Literacy Pays – new report from Ai Group and ACER

7. PISA: behind the headlines and past the rankings

8. The likelihood of completing a government-funded VET program 2009-13

9. Expenditure on education and training in Australia 2015

10. Training completion rate declines for young people

11. The policy worker and the professor: understanding how New Zealand policy workers utilise academic research

12. Location, vocation, aspiration: findings from Mission Australia’s youth survey 2014

Positions vacant


From the President

Thank you to SACAL for hosting a wonderful ACAL 2015 Conference at Adelaide Zoo and allowing us to spend the evening eating with the tiger. There were opportunities to share stories and learn from others from both within and outside the literacy and numeracy field. Sue Shore presented a thought provoking Arch Nelson address, Jack Buckskin related a moving story of culture and language, and Louise Wignall presented on the final report of the NFSS Professional Standards. Gabrielle Kelly spoke about wellbeing for ourselves and the people we work with. There are a range of interesting presentations being uploaded onto the website to read.

ACAL welcomes Joyce Paliza-Benda as an ACAL cadet and is looking forward to working with Joyce over the next year. You will hear more of what she is doing soon.

To follow stories of resilient learners find the http://facebook.com/learnResilience page and to keep in touch with other practitioners join the FS Teacher Facebook page hosted by Jo Hart from WA.

We welcome Vicki Hartman from SA as the new ACAL Secretary. Vicki joins Keiko Yasukawa, Vice President and Lorraine Sushames, Treasurer and myself as the ACAL Executive for 2016. Our thanks to retiring ACAL Secretary Carol Macreadie for her support in 2015. State representatives are being appointed or re-appointed now.
Jenni Anderson
ACAL President

Stories project

1. 'Stories of Resilience'

When adults return to learning, as you know, it can have a positive effect across their whole life. People often feel stronger, more capable or their self-esteem grows in some way. They might feel more connected to others or their community, navigate the world of work more confidently or be more likely to encourage others around them to engage in learning.

ACAL's 'Stories of Resilience' project is all about adult learners telling their own stories of this kind of experience, and having their words published on the web. Many adult learners have found it motivating to share their stories with a wider audience - what about your learners?

We are looking for stories about resilience in adult learning. Your students may have already written something during the year that could be adapted or re-drafted. We are accepting written or spoken text, audio or video. This could be a good way for people to revisit their year's work. Join with us in this celebration of the learning journeys of our adult learners.

In collaboration with RaPAL (Research & Practice in Adult Literacies, UK).

Please pass on this info to anyone who may appreciate the opportunity.

Resources

2. 'Resilience, Risk Preservation: the evolving world of adult literacies'

2016 ACAL Conference

Many papers from the 2016 ACAL conference are now available thanks to the presenters.

The conference, held at the Adelaide Zoo, attracted people from all states and across the Tasman.

They said 'Thanks great conference, excellent program and some great presentations', 'Stimulating. A fresh breath. Very useful, practical, new ideas and concepts. I have conversations with strangers which were useful, valuable and enjoyable.'

Congratulations to the team at SACAL.

See papers and presentations

3. Go Digi - A national digital literacy program

We're living in a digital age but many Australians are being left behind and lack the skills to take advantage of the education, health and social benefits of being connected. 1 in 5 Australian adults are not online - that's almost 4 million people.

To tackle this, Infoxchange in partnership with Australia Post have commenced  a four year national digital literacy program with the ambitious goal of supporting more than 300,000 Australians to improve their digital skills.

The Go Digi platform has 6 components to help people around Australia realise their online potential.

More

Professional development

4. Research Forum: VET's role in re-skilling displaced workers

Wednesday 18 November, 10.00am to 4.00pm, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)

Don't miss the National Centre for Vocational Education Research's one-day research forum When one door closes: VET's role in re-skilling displaced workers. This forum will discuss the role vocational education and training plays now and into the future in assisting occupational transferability, and how policy in this area can help workers transition. Speakers include Associate Professor John Spoehr, Executive Director, Australian Workplace Innovation and Social Research Centre, University of Adelaide and Dr Andrew Scott, Associate Professor of Politics and Policy, Deakin University.

More

5. 'Improving Reintegration from Prison into the Community' conference

2 to 3 December 2015

Australia faces a growing problem with the increase in inmates and the overcrowding of correctional centres. When the prisoners are released there is a 65% chance of him/her re-entering prison. The reason for this is they have been institutionalised and are struggling to get their life back on...

More

Reports

6. Investing in Workplace Literacy Pays – new report from Ai Group and ACER

The numbers are now in and the outcome confirmed – companies that invest in developing their employee's workplace language, literacy and numeracy skills (LLN) can generate a return of 100% – 163%, according to findings of research conducted by the Australian Industry Group and the Australian Council for Educational Research. The findings, which are documented in the new report, Investing in Workplace Literacy Pays, provide a powerful case for enterprises across a variety of industry sectors, to increase the LLN skill levels of their employees. It is especially important news for manufacturing which typically performs lower than many other sectors when it comes to LLN.

More

7. PISA: behind the headlines and past the rankings

This paper from Australian Council for Educational Research examines the education areas Australia has declined in and assesses how to improve outcomes for students.

More

8. The likelihood of completing a government-funded VET program 2009-13

Australian vocational education and training statistics: the likelihood of completing a government-funded VET program 2009-13

In order to fill a gap in performance measures for the VET sector, the completion rates of government-funded vocational education and training (VET) programs commenced in Australia between 2009 and 2013 are shown in this publication. Program completion rates are presented by state and territory, program level and field of education. The corresponding subject load pass rates are also shown.

More

9. Expenditure on education and training in Australia 2015

Previous analysis by the Mitchell Institute has shown a clear disjuncture in Australia's expenditure on education and training, with spending on schooling and higher education far outstripping spending on vocational education and training.

One year on, this trend has intensified.

More

10. Training completion rate declines for young people

Lower proportions of training qualifications are being completed by young people, with the overall completion rate of students aged 25 years and under declining 5.9 percentage points, according to the latest data.

More

11. The policy worker and the professor: understanding how New Zealand policy workers utilise academic research

Policy Quarterly, Institute for Governance and Policy Studies (VUW)

Based on an online survey carried out among 230 policy workers in New Zealand ministries and agencies in early 2015, this article considers how, and to what extent, policy workers in government are utilising academic research in their everyday work.

More

12. Location, vocation, aspiration: findings from Mission Australia’s youth survey 2014

Inequality and disadvantage remain entrenched in areas of our society with intergenerational poverty becoming well-known. It is becoming increasingly common to understand that this disadvantage is concentrated in some locations.

More

Positions vacant

Mission Australia is a Christian community service organisation that helps people to build their independence. They deliver Skills for Education Employment (SEE) in NSW, NT, SA and TAS.

For positions vacant see http://careers.missionaustralia.com.au/caw/en/listing/