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 October 2008
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NEWS AND VIEWS
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POST-COMPULSORY EDUCATION AND REFUGEE YOUNG PEOPLE
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In recent years the terms ‘global knowledge economy’, ‘human capital’ and ‘inclusion’ have become increasingly popular amongst policy makers. They refer to the growing importance of education and training in a changing labour market. Numerous policy statements and initiatives have been developed and couched in more current terms of ‘social and economic participation’ for all. Governments of all levels have been industriously holding inquiries to improve responses to a range of issues. In the last three months alone, CMY has responded to five inquires and/or reviews. One of the common themes across the responses has been the theme of education and training strategies for migrant and refugee young people.
In the past, young people who left school before completing year 12 or similar could find entry level jobs and importantly, jobs that were full time. In today’s labour market, the successful completion of year 12 is critical in gaining a sustainable foothold in the labour market. Current statistics show that unemployment is relatively low for young people. However, a large number of positions are part-time, casualised and pay poorly. Refugee young people are amongst those groups of young people more vulnerable to becoming excluded from fully participating in economic opportunities that are still on offer.
Equitable and accessible education for newly arrived young people is a particular concern. CMY has trialled and advocated various initiatives over the years to engage young people and their families in understanding the education system. It has also worked with the education sector to influence policy, making it more responsive to the needs of newly arrived young people. In the last two years, it has worked closely with stakeholders from the education sector, settlement services, newly arrived communities and the youth sector to bring the issue of newly arrived refugee young people in the post compulsory age group to the attention of policy makers. The risk of not adequately addressing this issue is the slide into entrenched social and economic disadvantage for this group of young people.
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Settlement
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Victoria is the second highest settlement location in Australia, settling approximately 42,854 arrivals (combined Migration and Humanitarian Program) in the years 2002-03 to 2006/07. 17,064, or 39 per cent of the State’s overall intake, consisted of humanitarian entrants as compared to an average of around 38.4 per cent at the national level.
Between 2002 and 2007, approximately 17,000 refugees settled in Victoria through the Refugee and Humanitarian Program. Each year over 30 per cent of the intake was of school age when they arrived.
Between 2002 and 2007, entrants originating from Africa made up just over 57 per cent of the total humanitarian intake for Victoria. Sudan was the main country of birth in this period, comprising almost 39 per cent of all humanitarian entrants. In 2006-07 there has been a rise in entrants from Asia (including Afghanistan) making up around 45 per cent of entrants. In the same year, there was a significant increase in arrivals from Burma/Myanmar (approximately 21 percent of humanitarian arrivals).
In recent years, there has been a marked trend for more dispersed settlement as refugees have made both an initial and a second move to outer-metropolitan and rural areas as a result of sponsorship, joining existing communities or in search of more readily available and affordable housing or employment.
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Young people’s experience of education
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A significant number of young people with the following profile have resettled in Australia in the last five years:
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- Long period of time (5 to 10 years) in refugee camps or first country of asylum;
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- High exposure to war and war related trauma prior to arrival; and
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- Significant experiences of physical and psychological deprivation.
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Some of the immediate and correlating effects on the individual include:
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- Low levels of formal education that has been significantly disrupted;
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- Very low levels of numeracy and literacy skill in their first language;
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- Limited vocational skill base relevant to the Australian labour market;
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- Limited work histories/work experience prior to arrival; and
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- Limited exposure to, and understanding of, complex service systems and institutions in Australia.
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Most post compulsory age newly arrived refugee young people have had severely disrupted schooling prior to arrival in Australia. Faced with the prospect of having only one or two years to learn written and spoken English and acquire basic learning skills, many refugee students are not able to meet the expectations common for their age groups in post-compulsory education.
Those under 16 years of age with severely disrupted schooling face similar challenges and are ill prepared for undertaking the pathway to completing secondary school. Many find it increasingly difficult as they progress through the middle years and become disengaged from school at the post-compulsory stage.
In 2005, around 2,060 refugee and humanitarian entrant students, aged 16 years and older, were enrolled in government secondary schools. This increased to 2,482 students in 2006, is an increase of 18.2 per cent. It is largely due to the larger intake of humanitarian entrants. In 2007, enrolments for this cohort declined slightly to 2,332.
Victoria’s education system is structured on a linear pathway built through achieving a series of interdependent outcomes. Success in secondary school is predicated on an individual having completed primary school, and post compulsory education and training are modelled on students who have completed all, or a significant amount of, secondary education. Many may need to take time out from education to help build their family’s economic resources and find it difficult to re-enter education and training when they are ready to do so.
Older adolescents from refugee backgrounds are currently provided with a twelve-month period in a language school before being placed within the mainstream education system at a level commensurate with age rather than ability. Subsequent high drop out rates, disengagement from the mainstream and welfare dependency are the increasing outcome of this process.
Disengagement occurs despite the fact that many young people with refugee experiences often have very high aspirations in terms of education and employment. Many have articulated a strong sense of wanting to take every opportunity Australia has to offer to learn, succeed and be able to ‘give back’ to those who have helped them on their journey, both in Australia and overseas.
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Transition to employment
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The financial circumstance of newly arrived families is a factor in the decision making process for those 16 years and older. Family units are often financially disadvantaged in the first few years of re-settlement. The incentive to leave school and/or training is high as this group of young people often feel pressured or have the desire to find employment as soon as possible to help out. Given they have little or no work experience and are unskilled, they are often frustrated with insecure part time jobs with low pay and little opportunity to improve their employment prospects.
Much of the current Australian literature suggests that employment outcomes for refugees of all ages are poor, especially through the early settlement period. At the same time, the pathways back into education or training is complex to negotiate and not as flexible given their limited education background. It is a system of that is not particularly well integrated nor easily navigated.
The ‘work first’ nature of the Job Network model where it puts job seeking/Job Network requirements before other considerations, makes it inflexible and tend to close off options for further education and training. It is not particularly effective in providing young refugees with the particular assistance they require. The incentive payment model tends to reward employment placements over non-employment type activities.
Many of the young people and service providers that CMY consulted with spoke about the inflexibility and complexity of Job Network systems and processes. Many thought that, generally, Job Network providers did not have the skills and experience or time to work effectively with refugee young people. This is particularly relevant where the assistance required to place a newly arrived refugee young person into suitable employment may require more intensive strategies due to language and literacy barriers, and a refugee young person’s limited understanding of systems and processes.
CMY welcomes the various government inquires and will continue to contribute to them and continue to advocate through other avenues. We call for better co-ordination and leadership in government to take on the challenge of ensuring inclusion for this group of young people.
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Australian Youth Forum launched
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CMY applauds the Federal Government’s decision to establish the Australian Youth Forum.
The AYF will focus on involving young people in direct communication with the Government through a number of initiatives, including forums; outreach visits by Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis; and a Youth Engagement Steering Committee. The first of the forums is scheduled to take place in February 2009.
The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) has been awarded $400,000 of annual funding to fill its role as the sector’s peak body more effectively. A website for the AYF has also been established; it is in its early stages of development at the moment, but promises to be an interactive tool that will aid in the consultation process.
The AYF replaces the National Youth Roundtable, which had been established by the Howard Government in 1998 after the defunding of the then peak body, the Australian Youth Policy and Action Coalition (AYPAC). The Roundtable had been criticised during its existence by youth organisations and young people for being a much smaller, narrower and more controlled consultative process.
CMY is pleased to see the establishment of the AYF, and for the first time in over ten years funding for a peak body for youth issues at the national level. The provision of funding to AYAC provides a vehicle for independent advice and communication to Government on a formal basis. This is an important first step by the Federal Government to rebuilding the youth sector and to giving voice to the views and concerns of young people at a national level.
CMY, as the convenor of the National Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (NYMAN), looks forward to the opportunity for partnership work with AYAC to ensure the needs of refugee and migrant young people are in the forefront of their activities.
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More information:
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Complex Case Support program launched
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The 2007-08 Federal Budget provided the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) with funding to establish a specialised and intensive case management service for recently arrived refugees and humanitarian entrants with exceptional needs.
Launching at the start of October, Complex Case Support (CCS) supports refugees and humanitarian entrants where pre-migration experiences, severe physical and mental health conditions, or crisis events after arrival in Australia present significant barriers to successful settlement.
CCS is not designed as a long-term service delivery model. Rather, the intention of the program is to provide flexible, tailored, local responses to meet the individual needs of clients who have particularly high levels of need which cannot be adequately met through existing settlement services. The aim is to assist clients to achieve a level of independent functioning as soon as practicable.
A referral form for CCS is available from the DIAC website.
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(source: DIAC website)
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WHAT'S NEW AT CMY?
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Pathways and Transitions: Post-compulsory Education, Work and Refugee Young People
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Australian agencies have developed a number of ways to help refugee and newly arrived young people of post-compulsory school age whose levels of education and types of experience do not match what Australian education and training frameworks associate with specific ages.
| Pathways and Transitions: Post-compulsory Education, Work and Refugee Young People, a new report created by the Victorian Settlement Planning Committee (VSPC) and published by CMY, provides case studies of initiatives and 'good practice principles'. It also features recommendations arising from the VSPC’s discussions, plus a selected reading list.
|  download a copy of the report (2.53MB)
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Listing of CLD youth workers in Victoria now updated
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CMY has fully updated its comprehensive list of CLD Youth Workers in Victoria. The list focuses on organisations and roles that have a strong focus on culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) young people.
This list will continue to be updated and expanded, so if you have any further suggestions or amendments, please let us know. To update information, please contact CMY on (03) 9340 3700 or email info@cmy.net.au.
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download a copy (178kb)
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Multicultural Arts Immersion program
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Multicultural Arts Immersion is a short workshop series that CMY is running with the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Chunky Move dance company and the Malthouse Theatre. Over three Saturdays from 1 November young people will be supported to learn about contemporary visual, dance and performing arts disciplines. At the end of the workshop program they will be given the opportunity to share their work and experiences with family members.
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download flyer (1.97MB)
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download application form (99kb)
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If you would like more information, please contact Rob Ball on (03) 9340 3700. Places are very limited to 20 young people.
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Statewide Multicultural Youth Issues Network update
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CMY's third Statewide Multicultural Youth Issues Network (SMYIN) meeting, held on Thursday 16 October, provided an opportunity for youth and settlement workers, as well as mental health services, to come together to explore what can and does work in engaging refugee and migrant young people around mental health issues.
Due to extremely high interest in the topic, the number of attendees was limited due to space restrictions. If you were unlucky enough to miss out, keep an eye out for a full meeting report, which will be posted in the next month in the Statewide Network section of the CMY website.
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Professional Development and Training update
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CMY‘s Professional Development team delivers high quality training to the youth and community sectors, government bodies, schools and educators, sport and recreation providers, young people and community leaders, and organisations.
CMY’s Professional Development Calendar features training sessions running throughout 2008, including a new three-part program on working with refugee and newly arrived young people in the family context.
Get in early and register for the Introduction to working with culturally and linguistically diverse young peoplesession, taking place on Thursday 11 December, This session is designed to develop participants’ understanding of cultural diversity, in order to work effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse young people.
Download the Professional Development Calendar for more details (see page 2) and a registration form.
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download the calendar (526kb)
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YRIPP needs volunteers
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CMY, as the lead provider in the Youth Referral and Independent Person Program (YRIPP), is seeking volunteers to assist in the interview process between police and young people, also helping divert young people from the criminal justice system. YRIPP volunteers, called Independent Persons (IPs), provide support to young people during interviews with Police when a parent or guardian is unavailable. Independent Persons need good communication skills, an openness to diversity and other peoples' values, and a willingness to learn and to be challenged.
YRIPP is currently seeking volunteers in the North West Victoria region, the Grampians in West Victoria and the Gippsland region. Please visit the YRIPP website to find out more about the program.
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POSTCARD FROM CMY'S ARTS AND CULTURE TEAM
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Each newsletter, we take a look at emerging issues and new initiatives that CMY is involved with. In this edition, we spotlight a project from our Arts and Culture team.
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CMY's Arts and Culture project officer Alex Prado has, for the past 12 months, undertaken the Stories from Near and Far project. The 12-months project, which started in October 2007, was funded by Arts Victoria. The project engaged young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds living in the City of Moonee Valley to explore and relate folktales, legends and cultural narratives from their countries of origin.
The project facilitated workshops with 30 young people, in partnership with AMES, St Aloysius College, and Debney Park Secondary College. The project secured extra funding through the School Focused Youth Service's Melbourne/Moonee Valley program, and was able to employ a sound designer and musician, as well as a number of young artists to create illustrations for the traditional digital stories. As a result of this collaboration between artist and project participants a DVD with seven traditional stories has been produced.
Stories from Near and Far is providing a forum for participants to showcase their storytelling talent to their communities and families, as well as to the broader community. It is an opportunity for communities to celebrate the richness of their cultural heritage through spoken word, and to promote more understanding and appreciation of newly arrived communities and their cultures. This innovative project enhances cross cultural understanding and promotes social cohesion in one of the most culturally diverse regions of Australia.
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As well as the DVD, due to launch in December, the seven stories will be featured on C31, Melbourne's community television channel, on Tuesday afternoons from 28 October until 2 December, at 3.45pm. However you can watch all seven stories right now with the aid of a fast Internet connection – click the links below to view each story on YouTube.
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For more information on the project, or to order a DVD copy, please contact Alex Prado on (03) 9340 3700 or aprado@cmy.net.au.
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE SECTOR
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Details of upcoming events, conferences and new resources in the multicultural youth sector. If you have an event or resource you want promoted through this newsletter, please send details to info@cmy.net.au
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Introducing... CMY Digest
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This edition of e-News sees the launch of the CMY Digest. Updated regularly, it allows us to keep you better informed of new resources, training sessions, events, funding opportunities and programs in the sector.
If you'd like something featured in the Digest, be it a resource or an event, send the details through to info@cmy.net.au. Click the logo below to take a look!
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A regularly-updated list of new resources and upcoming events in the multicultural youth sector
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IN THE MEDIA
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Multicultural youth issues in the media – what are some of the issues that are making it into the news? If you come across media articles you think should be highlighted in this newsletter, please forward to info@cmy.net.au
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Australia must affirm its commitment to multiculturalism (The Age newspaper, 10 October 2008)
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“The overall integration of people from different nationalities is evidence of the success of a multicultural policy that was about greater choice rather than coercion. It's time for a reaffirmation by our political leaders of a commitment to multiculturalism.”
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> read the article at The Age website
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